Saturday morning preview specials

Saturday morning preview specials were aired on television annually to present previews of each network's fall lineup of Saturday morning children's programming.

Every fall, each network would generally air (or, make available to its affiliates) two preview specials for the fall season -- one for their prime-time shows, and another for their Saturday morning schedule.

Contents

Overview

Typical air times

The Saturday morning previews were generally aired on the network in prime-time, usually the Friday night before the new schedule began. If more than one network started their new schedules on the same date, they would have their previews on different nights on the week of the new schedule.

Format

The preview specials are usually hosted by stars of one or more of the network's popular series and feature an array of special guests. The previews are for new and returning series, with each preview featuring the show's opening credits and a scene from that program. The previews are generally linked together by a storyline or theme. Some of these specials also unveil the network's new imaging for Saturday morning.

Decline

With the changes in direction for Saturday morning, in light of the E/I rules, the subsequent exodus of higher-quality children's programming to cable television, and networks selling their scheduling rights to other companies, the preview specials on the legacy "Big 3" networks all but disappeared by the start of the new millennium, with FOX being the last network to still feature annual specials (even though FOX's Saturday morning block was programmed by 4Kids TV). Fox, incidentally, abandoned all children's programming in favor of infomercials in December 2008.

Year-by-year guide

This film, television or video-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it with reliably sourced additions.

ABC

CBS

NBC

FOX

The CW (formerly The WB)

References

  1. ^ ABC Funshine Saturday Sneak Peek 1974 at the Internet Movie Database
  2. ^ ABC's Saturday Sneak Peek at the Internet Movie Database
  3. ^ Kaptain Kool and the Kongs Present ABC All-Star Saturday at the Internet Movie Database
  4. ^ ABC Saturday Morning Jam at the Internet Movie Database
  5. ^ Rock 'n' Wrestling Saturday Spectacular at the Internet Movie Database
  6. ^ The Bay City Rollers Meet the Saturday Superstars at the Internet Movie Database
  7. ^ NBC Saturday Morning Preview: The Yummy Awards at the Internet Movie Database
  8. ^ Alf Loves a Mystery at the Internet Movie Database
  9. ^ The Fight for the Fox Box at the Internet Movie Database

External links

By decade
1960s • 1970s • 1980s • 1990s
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NBCUniversal Cable blocks
By decade
1960s • 1970s • 1980s • 1990s
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Owned & operated studios
By decade
1960s • 1970s • 1980s • 1990s
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List of programs • Saturday morning cartoon (preview specials) • The Mickey Mouse Club • Schoolhouse Rock! (1973–1986; 1992–2000)
General programming topics
Succeeding blocks
International versions
Cookie Jar Group
Johnny Test (2005–2008) • Magi-Nation (2007–2008) • Spider Riders (2006–2007) • Will and Dewitt (2007–2008) • World of Quest (2008)
Japanese anime
Astro Boy (2004) • Cardcaptor Sakura (2000–2001) • Cubix: Robots for Everyone (2001–2003) • Dragon Ball Z (2001) • MegaMan NT Warrior (2004–2005) • Pokémon (1999–2006) • Sailor Moon (2001) • Spider Riders (2006–2007) • Transformers: Cybertron (2005–2006) • Viewtiful Joe (2005–2006) • Yu-Gi-Oh! (2001–2006)
Marvel
Sony Pictures Animation Television
Channel Umptee-3 (1997–1998) • Generation O! (2000–2001) • Jackie Chan Adventures (2000–2005) • Max Steel (2000–2002) • Men in Black: The Series (1997–2001) • Phantom Investigators (2002) • The Spectacular Spider-Man (2008)
Universal Animation Studios
Earthworm Jim (1995–1997) • The Mummy: The Animated Series (2001–2003)
Warner Bros. Animation/Television

Animaniacs (1995–1999) • The Batman (2004–2008) • Coconut Fred's Fruit Salad Island (2005–2006) • Detention (1999–2001) • Freakazoid! (1995–1997) • Histeria! (1998–2001) • Johnny Test (2005–2008, Season 1) • Krypto the Superdog (2006–2007) • Legion of Super Heroes (2006–2008) • ¡Mucha Lucha! (2002–2005) • The Nightmare Room (2001–2002) • Ozzy & Drix (2002–2004) • Pinky and the Brain (1995–2000) • Pinky, Elmyra, & the Brain (1998–1999) • Road Rovers (1996–1997) • Teen Titans (2003–2005, 2007-2008) • Tiny Toon Adventures (1997–2000) • Waynehead (1996–1997) • Xiaolin Showdown (2003–2006)

Batman: The Animated Series (1997–2000) • Batman Beyond (1999–2001) • The New Batman Adventures (1997-1999) • The New Batman/Superman Adventures (1997–2000) • Static Shock (2000–2004) • Superman: The Animated Series (1996–2000) • The Zeta Project (2001–2002)
Misc. programs

Brats of the Lost Nebula (1998) • Cubix: Robots for Everyone (2001–2003) • Da Boom Crew (2004) • Eon Kid (2007–2008) • Invasion America (1998) • The Legend of Calamity Jane (1997) • Monster Allergy (2006–2007) • The Nightmare Room (2001–2002) • Rescue Heroes: Global Response Team (2001–2003) • Skunk Fu! (2007–2008)