The Lookback : Children's Programs: CBS Saturday Mornings Part III

The Flashback  Children's TV

      We did Part II . Welcome to our next stab at Saturday Morning lookbacks with more at CBS fun. We take a look at shows that aired on CBS in the Saturday Morning time space, that aired between 1976 and 1995. (A wide space frame, don't you think?)  Let's take our leap.  

1.  Way Out Games 

    Not every Saturday Morning show for families (mostly Children ) were animated ,as evidenced in past posts. As you tell where we are going with this one was  not animated.   It's the oldest program we are looking back at this time ,from 1976.  Way Out Games (get it? The 70's things were way out, kind of like the 90's Were EXTREME)  It was an athletic  children's show were competitors from the 50 states and also Puerto Rico (why wasn't Guam included? , tisk tisk CBS).  The show worked where the kids would compete in different events  and earn some points, winner with most points at the end of the show would get to compete later with another winning team  Then after the regular competition   , there were quarter finals, semi finals, and the season finale episode of a Championship final.   

                     
                       Well the titles were animated so that's nice !
    The series began September 11th ,1976 and ran one season. The host was Sonny Fox , man who had done children's TV before starting with a local show in  Saint Louis  in 1954 a children's news and travelogue program.  He was later the host of a game show called The $64,000  challenge  where he was fired because they felt he wasn't funny enough, but lucky him he missed the great game show scandal from the 50's.  Mertromedia  picked him up to be host of a  show called Wonderama for WABD/WNEW (now WNYW)  in New York.
    Way Out Games first aired Saturdays at 12:30PM Eastern Time then moved to 1pm and later to Sunday Morning. Some stations didn't air the show because of sports ,local programs,or even Soul Train, so it never got that much traction and was not renewed for a season 2.

2.  Wildfire 
      This show has no relation to the song about the horse, besides the Name, Wildfire.  Wildfire is about a 13 year old girl  in the American west (ehhh could be alright ) , but she is not just any 13 year old girl living in the American west (ok) ,  she finds out that she is a princess from a different realm  who has to fight an evil witch. (Well that escalated quickly)

                           "I though the show had no relation to the song"/copyright Hanna and Babera
       The background story is that Sara is  a princess from a place called Thurinia , as a baby she was rescued by her talkign horse named Wildfire (you know what... maybe it was inspired by the song) from the  Lady Diabolyn, who is evil, after her mother died (well of course) the horse takes Sara from their planet to ours and leaves her at a farm in Montana.   For fun the evil lady isn't just some random evil lady , she's the evil stepsister of Sara's mother, (well of course)

           Now 12 years later she is ready to fight evil (fighting evil insurance doesn't kick in until you are 13) and Wildfire brings her back to Thurinia to get her kingdom back.  Each episode she and her friends  on the planet of  Dar-Shan  fight her evil step-aunt. (step-aunt?)  It is later found out that John, the man taking care of her  and adoptive on Earth, is actually a prince , and her real father. (what timing!)   

Darn dress code, I should really be wearing tights  or some pink/copyright Hanna-Barbera 

              The series was created by   Hanna-Barbera for CBS in 1986 , it ran 13 episodes and well , we never know if Sara did over take her evil (step) aunt.  

                                
   
 More after the Jump

Arthur ( A Thing to Talk About) D.W's Beastly Birthday

Arthur

      When we did special posts about Arthur , it apparently started something  of a trend of Arthur being written about here on this blog.  I guess it would be apt to write about a special and a recent one too.  (Guess We will call it a  look now)   It was an hour long special that PBS aired on Memorial day as a week to kick off a week of new episodes where they were rounding up season 20's (yes season 20) final episodes.
 
               To screw with continuity or something it's D.W's birthday again but this time they felt it was  thing to celebrate with an hour long special.

           It starts with D.W getting cake  she tries to blow out the candles but some of them decide not to cooperate.  The Tibble twins decide  to "help" blow out the candles and of course they blew some cake in her face.  DW  starts telling us (the audience , oh great she can see you) and it flashes back to her waking up and yes she's turning 5. (retconning there eh, Arthur?)  She thinks that birthdays should be sunny and  she envisions   the sun singing. (I am hiding in the corner now)  When she looks out the window she notices something , (guess what?)  it's raining.  (Theory :some other person also has their birthday on the same day and really wanted rain.)   D.W had been dropping hints on a toy she really wanted for her birthday.  A singing puffin toy that teaches kids the alphabet (puffin, finally a different bird on TV, take that penguins)   When she gets her presents she doesn't get the puffin.

What would you like for your birthday D.W? / Copyright WGBH 

        She's  also is un happy that Emily came in a fancier dress and bigger tiara , Bud keeps winning the games they play ,and the Tibbles being themselves.  The cake was wrong too.   To summarize : Birthday not going to D.W 's liking.  D.W suggests they play hide and seek.   She decides to hide under the stairs.    She was taking with her imaginary friend Nadine, who brings up something important --  This show is called Arthur where the heck is Arthur?  We are 7 minutes in well, thanks to Nadine she lets the show transition to Arthur.
                   

         Arthur and his friends are at a trip at the Planetarium , he is happy to be missing his sister's birthday party.  He explains that D.W's birthdays make him miserable since he has to do everything she says. (It's awkward when she asks him to kill for her.)  Ledonna asks is he going to something for her anyway. He got her a card, one that says "To the world's best little Brother" (oops).  Arthur also has not gotten her a present.
 

     Back to D.W , nobody has found D.W yet, she thinks they stopped looking. Nadine got her a present : a ticket to a place called Ukubonga (bless you) .  DW decides to go there , how to get their you ask? Why magic of course.  (Of Course!)

Tickets non refundable / copyright WGBH 

      After 14 minutes of the build up   to the meat of the special it's time to carve into it.  For instance notice since the special goes back and forth between the two plotines I am going to combine the piece of both parts together D.W's plot first then Arthur's then  merge for the conclusion.  Makes it simpler to explain and reduces my use of the word "meanwhile".

    D.W heads to Ukubonga and she lands on an Island  filled with monsters (of course!) and they look like people she knows , the ones at her party.  D.W apparently is the chosen one (always have to have one in a movie) and she is made their queen.  Since she is queen they have to listen her.  She and monsters party all day. (Also there's a song )

The look familiar/ copyright WGBH  

   
    Back at the party , her friends are still looking for her. (No one ever thinks to look under the stairs do they?)   It's apparently a new day in Ukubonga and D.W is happy that she keeps winning and the monsters do whatever she wants.  Meanwhile , they mention that there's another monster on island called Ruthra  (coughs)  he's the meanest rudest monster on the island.   DW wants to see him anyway.  So they capture him. The captured Ruthra doesn't to be with D.W or do anything she says so D.W torture   him with a song.  (Well that got dark)

RUTHRA -cough cough /copyright WGBH 

      The other monsters suggest things to do him , but D.W stops them and says that he's interesting because he doesn't do what she says.  D.W stops the torture song and tells Ruthra that  she gets tired of  people doing everything she says. Ruthra agrees and he flashes back to the time he used to be king.    Oh yeah his flashback is Arthur , incase the name didn't give you a clue.  On his 5th birthday he hid under the same stairs and ended up in Ukubonga too.  He says he loved the island and getting everything we wanted but he bored and quit being king.  Ruthra also explains that you can leave the island. (this got dark quick)   D.W says she is going to go home and taking Ruthra with her.  Ruthra helps her escape but he gets stuck on the island .

      Meanwhile Arthur's plot line is after the Jump.

But First These Messages: What people wear

But First These Messages

     Our program  "Batman vs. Abe Lincoln" will return  but first these messages.....


     This time we look at clothes!  (Yay!) Of things people buy the most prominent thing seems to be clothes. (In fact, you are probably wearing some right now)  So of course they will be advertised because we don't make our own clothes (you might?) so we buy them.  But first these messages...


  I wish every day could be Saturday Night ...

      To our British audience (hello) we are meaning just trousers not underpants..
 
  This is a 70's ad  for a place called Just Pants (wonder what they sold there)

Hello do you sell shirts here? No! Just pants! but I really need a shirt! 

        I love music in this ad  it's catchy for a song that has the lyrics "Just  Pants" 

   

 I think this guy is hitting on us , also those aren't pants, that's a shirt. 

       Children's clothes are a great business because they grow out of clothes and or destroy clothes and that means you have to buy more.  Let's advertise for children's clothes too.  

  More 70's and this one isn't strange or fun it's just a straight forward time piece.

Time or bring back flared bottoms ! 

    The commercial wants the buyer to know that for your $4.00 or  $5.00 you are getting pants that will last longer than 3 days because your boys are destructive or something. ($4.00! I need a time machine!)   It's also sadly, maybe a time piece just because K-Mart, which we don't know how much longer that place has left.  

       Well this is  awkward ...

   

   70's  Women's clothing commercial from Sears was targeting the professional woman who wants professional clothes.

 

"Hey I like your solid shirt, it's very red." 

   

I am glad the pants fit , thanks Sears! 

  Time to get out of those work clothes  and have some action wear ! 

more after the  Jump