Saturday Morning Cartoons were not just a way to watch TV, they were a special event for kids. They would finish breakfast quickly so they could watch all of the shows. They would argue over which show they would watch. They created bonding moments between family and friends.
Table of Contents
1. Racing to Finish Breakfast
Some kids needed to hurry up and finish their breakfast and cereal so they could go start their shows. The special cereal commercials and the show would be the perfect pair. Most kids would not miss a single second of the show. They were so good, they could eat their breakfast in record time.
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2. The Test Pattern Wait
Kids would watch a silly pattern at the beginning of the show. There was a colorful screen with a head of a woman and lots of people would get excited. They couldn’t wait for the real shows to come on or they would watch the clock.
3. Schoolhouse Rock
There were short educational programs in the middle of all the cartoons that would teach kids important concepts and skills. These skills would be grammar and the functions of government. There are many people that remember “I’m Just a Bill” better than what they learned in school.
4. Adjusting the Antenna
Kids constantly spent time trying to get the best signal for the antennas in order to improve their viewing experience. They would even stand in a certain spot to improve the signal as well as using aluminum foil to boost reception.
5. Sibling Channel Negotiations
Only three channels were dedicated to cartoons, so there was potential for negotiation among siblings regarding which show (and thus, which channel). Alliances were made and the remote was considered currency.
6. Commercial Breaks
While some commercials were simply infomercials for toys, the rest of them were entertaining, too. Cereal commercials and PSAs became a part of our collective memory. Many jingles and slogans still stick in people’s heads decades afterward.
7. Pajama Dress Code
There was a special requirement for Saturday morning cartoons, and it was that everyone wear pajamas. Many kids didn’t get out of their pajamas until after the last cartoon was over. This made the event of watching cartoons at home feel special.
8. The Noon Cutoff
When cartoons were over, it was disheartening to see the switch to sports or news programming. It was an end to our animated fest, and the rest of the Saturday turned long without them.
9. Blanket Forts
Boys and girls would spend time making watching spaces made with blankets and pillows Disney characters. The best of these showed improvement in construction over time and even had snack storage.
10. Parent-Free Zone
During this Disney time, there was no worry for parents, as they could assume that they had a babysitter and enjoy sleep. A dedicated babysitting service made children feel special too.
11. Preview Specials
Major events included Friday night preview specials for the brand new Saturday morning lineup. Because of the build up, we learned how to strategize what we would watch. We planned out all of the new programs as specials were the most exciting and by all means, must watch tv.
12. Toy Wishlists
The commercial breaks presented a unique opportunity to build our wishlist for any toys we were hoping to receive for our birthdays, Christmas, and any other holidays. In many instances, we grabbed a pencil and paper, to document the name of a toy we wanted. Each Saturday morning, we wrote longer and longer lists as our desired toys multiplied.
