The Saturday morning cartoons for today’s kids are the worst junk ever.
We had some great ones when I was growing up. Crusader Rabbit, Tom Terrific, Gerald McBoing Boing, Andy’s gang, Howdy Doody, The Bugs Bunny Road Runner show, Mighty Mouse, Heckle and Jeckle, Ruff and Ready, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Quick Draw McGraw, Top Cat, Kukla Fran & Ollie, The Shari Lewis show, Captain Kangaroo and many many others.
Gerald McBoing Boing was theatrical, as was Mighty Mouse (until Ralph Bakshi’s 1960s and then 1980s versions) and Heckle & Jeckle.
Andy’s Gang, Howdy Doody, and Kukla Fran & Ollie were weekday programming and live-action.
The Flintstones, Jetsons, and Top Cat (and Huckleberry Hound?) were weeknight programming.
The Man Who Invented Saturday Morning: And Other Adventures in American Enterprise
Author: David Owen (1988)
Nice list there. How about Tutor Turtle, Rocky and Bulwinkle, The Professor, and that Royal Canadian Mounty whose name I’m blanking on right now.
BTW, does anyone remember one of the first cartoons that was just a mouse-like figure, with symphony music? Every once in a while they’d have a “?” figure, but that was about it. Those were quite entertaining even without dialogue.
What I wouldn't give to see that out on DVD!