The Lookback: 1996: A Look at CBS' 1996-97 season Saturday Morning Programming

The Flashback CBS 

Had to cheat and use an image from 1995 

     Previously on the blog, we looked at ABC's 1996-1997 Saturday Morning programming. You can read that here. 

                  The idea here is to do a snap shot of a period of time in Saturday morning television history, by doing an overview of programming while mostly talking about them in a larger context.  The time being the 1996-1997 season.  The reason why I picked 1996 for this post (and the ABC post) is that 1996 was a transitional time for this network's morning programming. This would be the last year of their traditional programming block before adding news programming and focusing on E/I children's programming. NBC had started the ball rolling with "Saturday Today" and CBS was going to join in later.  

       

       There's another similar story to ABC: acquisition.  I'm going to keep it simple for this post because there's a larger context, but that's not really here for this post.  Westinghouse announced in 1995, they were wanting to purchase CBS.  This was announced about a day after Disney announced they were buying ABC, and Westinghouse got their network purchaused approved first.  Now, CBS had new owners, though Westinghouse wasn't really a company that was like Disney, it owned local stations and was an electric products company, so they didn't have anything to bring to Saturday Morning kids TV they way Disney would. 

        Let's get a look at this line up now.   In 1996, this would be the last year of a traditional block for CBS before mostly going to a) E/I programming  and b) later letting someone else program the time for them.  

         First, the second and final season of "The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat" This is a series that's a modern take on the character Felix the cat, (duh) this series has Phil Roman working on, you would know him from "Garfield" specials and some "Peanuts" specials as well. This season only had 8 episodes, and of course was the last for the series. In "Felix" history this was the first series since the 50's series that ended in 1962.  So far, the next series was the last one with "Baby Felix" which came out in 2001. (but that didn't air on CBS) 

        Next on CBS, was the 2nd season of "Timon & Pumbaa" yes, Disney's.   The Disney Afternoon by the mid 1990's was mostly faltering as a block , especially as local stations were changing around the country.  Disney decided to work with CBS on a few things, before well, buying ABC. Just because they bought ABC, doesn't mean contracts would change that easily. This though, was the final season of this show on CBS; it had one more season in 1999, airing on Toon Disney.  CBS didn't even finish airing the 2nd season, five episodes premiered in just syndication.  This series takes Timon and Pumbaa from "The Lion King" and sets them on their own adventures. 

more after the jump 

The Lookback: 1996: A Look at ABC's 1996-97 season Saturday Morning Programming

The Flashback  ABC 

        1996. You  might be wondering why we are looking at a random year (though in 2021, 1996 is 25 years ago, eek)  of programming on a random broadcast network, when we could be doing anything else. (Whatever that is)  Well, 1996, wasn't just some random year, in theory, for Saturday morning kids block there was some change.

 

    In 1995 (Nooo you can't do that... what are you doing, this is about 1996!),  one new block joined the big 3 Saturday morning kids  blocks and it joined the big 1 weekday race.  Joining ABC, CBS, and FOX was the WB's  Kids WB (on the WB) . UPN also launched a block, but they said, woah Saturday is crowded, we'll die so Sunday and Weekdays for them. (I'm sure they didn't say that line like that , but it's implied)  Anyway, we're talking about ABC.  We have to go back to 1993. (Oh come on!) 

  In 1993, the wise FCC decided, nah it's good for syndication and production companies to be owned with networks. Now, FOX and a few others had found ways around the rule, anyway, but this meant something. This is also how UPN and the WB were able to exist.  On July 31st, 1995 it happened, The Walt Disney Company announced it's intentions to buy Capital Cities/ ABC, this was approved by shareholders (duh money)  and later by the FCC (because sure why not, allow  bad decisions to happen?) ABC was now no longer a company it was now part of a larger company, it had been demoted from crown jewel to a piece of future in the house that exists next your fancy stuff.   (what?)  

        Sticking to the theme of this blog post, 1996-1997 season on Saturday morning would be a transition year.  February 1997, Peter Hastings joined Disney and decided that they needed to something different with this real estate on Saturday morning on ABC. (Meanwhile at CBS, we see them burning their Saturday morning down , and seeding to FOX , Kids WB, and the FCC)   That block would be called  Disney's One Saturday Morning, ( Disney buy Saturday Mornings in the future probably) (source: https://variety.com/1997/digital/news/abc-hopes-for-virtual-success-1116677612/) 

          1996-1997 would be the last year of what essentially was an unnamed block. It wasn't tradition to call these things names until like FOX Kids started. So we look at this block, a moment in time, a snap shot, a time , a piece. Let's get on with it. 

             First in the line up : Disney's Jungle Cubs.  This was the first year of Disney ownership of ABC, but before this Disney relied on syndication (Disney Afternoon) and selling programs to networks, like ABC and CBS. A model that had been the standard for decades like with Hanna and Barbera.   Disney didn't make their programs exclusive to ABC(yet,)  Disney Afternoon was dying at this point, but that's a different story.  On CBS this season there were still some Disney animated shows running there.   But this series was the first one to premiere on ABC with Disney ownership.     

    "Jungle Cubs" takes the making shows with characters but younger route. It's based off their "The Jungle Book" movie, but with the animals as "kids" and no human child. Now because this is more a snap shot look, I won't be going too deep into every show's plot, but mostly giving a look at this time period.

     In a weird twist, a Nickelodeon show. Alright, Disney had purchased "Doug" one of Nickelodeon's first Nicktoons. This has only happened once and Viacom will probably fight to the death than allow this to happen again.  Disney had acquired the studio that made "Doug" (Disney's rampage goes long) and it had already ended on Nickelodeon, and Disney thought to make their investment have a purpose, since they didn't own the original Nick episodes, they needed to make more Doug. (It's like Disney with Star Wars)  In September of 1996, here on the ABC line up, the "Brand New Sparking Doug" (what?) premiered.  It would last through the One Saturday Morning block as well. Confusing kids as to how Doug can run on two different channels at once.  (Jokes on Disney, Nick had their cash cow of Rugrats in their back pocket)   

more after the jump

2021 Oscar Nominations announced

Oscars

After a strange year for movies in 2020, the 93rd annual Academy Awards nominations have been announced. The award show airs on April 25th on ABC.


Best Picture
“The Father” 

“Judas and the Black Messiah” 

“Mank” 

“Minari” 

“Nomadland” 

“Promising Young Woman” 
“Sound of Metal”

“The Trial of the Chicago 7” 

Best Director

Thomas Vinterberg (“Another Round”)

David Fincher (“Mank”)

Lee Isaac Chung (“Minari”)

Chloé Zhao (“Nomadland”)

Emerald Fennell (“Promising Young Woman”)

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Riz Ahmed (“Sound of Metal”)

Chadwick Boseman (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”)

Anthony Hopkins (“The Father”)

Gary Oldman (“Mank”)

Steven Yeun (“Minari”)

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Viola Davis (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”)

Andra Day (“The United States v. Billie Holiday”)

Vanessa Kirby (“Pieces of a Woman”)

Frances McDormand (“Nomadland”)

Carey Mulligan (“Promising Young Woman”)

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Sacha Baron Cohen (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”)

Daniel Kaluuya (“Judas and the Black Messiah”)

Leslie Odom Jr. (“One Night in Miami”)

Paul Raci (“Sound of Metal”)

Lakeith Stanfield (“Judas and the Black Messiah”)

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Maria Bakalova (‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”)

Glenn Close (“Hillbilly Elegy”)

Olivia Colman (“The Father”)

Amanda Seyfried (“Mank”)

Yuh-jung Youn (“Minari”)

Best Animated Feature Film

“Onward” (Pixar)

“Over the Moon” (Netflix)

“A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon” (Netflix)

“Soul” (Pixar)

“Wolfwalkers” (Apple TV Plus/GKIDS)

Best Adapted Screenplay

“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.” 
“The Father” 

“Nomadland,” Chloé Zhao

“One Night in Miami”

“The White Tiger"

Best Original Screenplay

“Judas and the Black Messiah.” 

“Minari” 

“Promising Young Woman”

“Sound of Metal.” 

“The Trial of the Chicago 7"

Best Original Song

“Fight for You,”

“Hear My Voice,”

“Húsavík,”

“Io Si (Seen),” 

“Speak Now,” 

Best Original Score

“Da 5 Bloods,” Terence Blanchard

“Mank,” Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross

“Minari,” Emile Mosseri

“News of the World,” James Newton Howard

“Soul,” Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste

Best Sound

“Greyhound"

“Mank” 

“News of the World"

“Soul,” Ren Klyce, Coya Elliott and David Parker

“Sound of Metal,” Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michelle Couttolenc, Carlos Cortés and Phillip Bladh

Best Costume Design

“Emma"

“Mank"

“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom"

“Mulan"

“Pinocchio"

Best Animated Short Film

“Burrow” 

“Genius Loci” 

“If Anything Happens I Love You” 

“Opera” 

“Yes-People” 

Best Live-Action Short Film

“Feeling Through”

“The Letter Room”

“The Present”

“Two Distant Strangers”

“White Eye”

Best Cinematography

“Judas and the Black Messiah,” Sean Bobbitt

“Mank,” Erik Messerschmidt

“News of the World,” Dariusz Wolski

“Nomadland,” Joshua James Richards

“The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Phedon Papamichael

Best Documentary Feature

“Collective,” Alexander Nanau and Bianca Oana

“Crip Camp,” Nicole Newnham, Jim LeBrecht and Sara Bolder

“The Mole Agent,” Maite Alberdi and Marcela Santibáñez

“My Octopus Teacher,” Pippa Ehrlich, James Reed and Craig Foster

“Time,” Garrett Bradley, Lauren Domino and Kellen Quinn

Best Documentary Short Subject

“Colette,”

“A Concerto Is a Conversation,”

“Do Not Split,” 

“Hunger Ward,”

“A Love Song for Latasha,” 

Best Film Editing

“The Father,”

“Nomadland,” 

“Promising Young Woman,” 

“Sound of Metal,” 

“The Trial of the Chicago 7"

Best International Feature Film

“Another Round” (Denmark)

“Better Days” (Hong Kong)

“Collective” (Romania)

“The Man Who Sold His Skin” (Tunisia)

“Quo Vadis, Aida?”(Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

“Emma,” Marese Langan, Laura Allen, Claudia Stolze

“Hillbilly Elegy,” Eryn Krueger Mekash, Patricia Dehaney, Matthew Mungle

“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal, Jamika Wilson

“Mank,” Kimberley Spiteri, Gigi Williams, Colleen LaBaff

“Pinocchio,” Mark Coulier, Dalia Colli, Francesco Pegoretti

Best Production Design

“The Father.” Production Design: Peter Francis; Set Decoration: Cathy Featherstone

“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Production Design: Mark Ricker; Set Decoration: Karen O’Hara and Diana Stoughton

“Mank.” Production Design: Donald Graham Burt; Set Decoration: Jan Pascale

“News of the World.” Production Design: David Crank; Set Decoration: Elizabeth Keenan

“Tenet.” Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Kathy Lucas

Best Visual Effects

“Love and Monsters,” Matt Sloan, Genevieve Camilleri, Matt Everitt and Brian Cox

“The Midnight Sky,” Matthew Kasmir, Christopher Lawrence, Max Solomon and David Watkins

“Mulan,” Sean Faden, Anders Langlands, Seth Maury and Steve Ingram

“The One and Only Ivan,” Nick Davis, Greg Fisher, Ben Jones and Santiago Colomo Martinez

“Tenet,” Andrew Jackson, David Lee, Andrew Lockley and Scott

That Banned (and Now UnBanned) Arthur Episode: The Great MacGrady

Arthur PBS 

       This post had to be mostly redone because of a recent development and that's what I get for not doing this sooner.  So I had to change the whole thing to fit a new narrative but still explain the old and original thing about this particular episode, so welcome to our mess. 

       There's an "Arthur" episode about cancer, they didn't do childhood cancer, they aren't as brave as "Peanuts" but still they did a topic that many shows for kids don't really touch. This episode is called "The Great MacGrady" it premiered on October 19,2009, as part of the premiere of the 13th Season. This episode was removed from circulation  after the revelations that Lance Armstrong used performance enhancing drugs.  He was in this episode, because Arthur has used famous people for roles before and he was known as a cancer spokesperson because of his own battle with the disease.  So sadly, this episode was pulled from rerunning because well that.

      

     This is where I add a new paragraph, so season 24 premiered on March 8 2021, (wow 24) and they decided to "update" the episode. So, after almost 10 years of being removed, they brought it back, re-formatted and dropping Armstrong. I will explain that later.  So, here's how the post will work from here on out.  The  original episode version will be talked about then I'll drop in changes from the reformatted episode as notation. This is going to be fun.

 

            

       Actually, I am cutting in a line here, so the original airing was in SD because it was 2009 and still had the classic Arthur look to it, the new version is the name lines and scenes but redone in the new animation style in HD. Not a surprise, but a note still. The episode starts with Arthur and his classmates going to lunch.  Buster keeps a almanac of school lunches,  and notices the food doesn't smell as planned. They notice at lunch a new guy cooking named Skipp Bitterman, and that's not Mrs. MacGrady. (Good work, did you use science to figure that out?)   --- They didn't change too much for the season 24 episode, the title card is different though. 

Don't worry about Arthur, he lost his sense of taste in the war/ Copyright WGBH 

        They don't  like Skipp's food because it's kind of disturbing. After multiple days of her not being there, Mr. Ratburn finally makes an announcement. This episode will focus slightly more on Francine who is very concerned about the woman's condition, because her grandfather died from the disease.  Muffy being Muffy is focused on other things: Her father's birthday party in this case. Muffy has a confidence it thinking Mrs. MacGrady will be fine. (She's seen the script then)  --- The only differences here is the animation coloring and some slight dialogue modification  

   

               Arthur and D.W show up (on this show called Arthur) to Mrs. MacGrady's house to see how she is doing. D.W wants to play nurse. They use D.W to make sure to explain that you can't  catch cancer. (I will say the mask thing touches differently, but want to make the post work for the future so...) They also mention about how cancer patients through treatment have weaker immune system. The episode does a great job of explaining cancer to young audience in a well done well.  

   

So are you going share some soup with us or...? / Copyright WGBH 

      I will mention "Why, Charlie Brown, Why?" here since it's a special on the same topic. That special shows how differently people react to someone with cancer to show the various way people respond to it, this episode of "Arthur" does that  kind of as well. Francie is frustrated and worried, (like Linus was in that special)  while Muffy so far seems to at least be optimistic, but maybe looks un caring to the situation, but maybe she's hiding her worry more than others.  

more after the jump

DCOM Shows us the Worrying AI Future : Smart House

Disney Chanel Original Movies   The Lookback 

           I like that this movie came out in 1999, we people might have been fearing about the future when everything collapsed in 2000.  If you are reading this blog post after 1999 then, congrats you've made it! If you are reading this from before 1999, uhhhh Time traveler? 

       I think "Smart House" is one of Disney Channel's  most remembered and iconic movies and for a movie with technology in it, it's not dated at all really as much well things do date it because of time marching on.  "Smart House" premiered  on June 26 1999 starting  Ryan Merriman (who later on was on "Luck of the Irish")  and Katie Volding , who was also on "Brink".  They play brother and sister Ben and Angie Cooper who live with their widower father (because Disney) and that plays more intothe movie's plot because it has too.   Fun fact: This movie is directed by LeVar Burton. (Yep THAT Levar Burton)


           I haven't mentioned the most important actor yet, so stay tuned.  That's not to say that Ryan's character isn't important either. The main of  point of this movie is not really the house, strange really, because it's called "Smart House" you'd think that the house is the  most important part. Ben is a 13-year-old boy who after the death of his mother decides to take upon himself to "take care of the  family". 

       The movie does start with the house who is voiced by  the one, the only Katey Sagal, she does a great expressive monotone voice. Yes, that's a sentence I just wrote. (You typed it!) They also have Jessica Steen in this movie, whom you know from "Heartland" (thanks Canada).  She is the inventor of the smart house named Sara Barnes.  There's a contest for a family to win the house, why? Maybe she likes giving things away for tax purposes.  Meanwhile, the movie does a good job of showing us  the viewer, how Ben takes care of things around the house filling in as role of his passed on mother.
 
         You see through his interactions with his sister, especially that role.  There's a dog in the movie played by an actual dog.  The Dad, who also played the dad on Home Alone 3, is a busy working man because he's a single and ready to mingle?  (What?)  The reason why I say that is Angie does want him to date and find a new Mom, while Ben is more not wanting that.   I did say that Ryan Merriman played in "Luck of the Irish" so of course he plays basketball in this movie because BASKETBALL. 

                                                       

BASKETBALL SHIRT /Copyright Disney 

   
      Sara has a pet rat, this is important information for later.  Since this 1999, dial up exists and there's a reference to the line being tied by the internet. (So, yeah)   Also, Ben is trying to make sure his dad doesn't find a new lady to marry. (this is also important information)  Now Sara and two other people I really don't care about since, they'll be gone soon pick the winner, gee I wonder who this winner will be.  (That family from "Quints"?)    The house's name is PAT, also important.   There's a bully character because 90's or something. (Yawn)   

   The father sees Sara's picture in the newspaper and thinks she's beautiful.(This is for the plot) Now there's a tour of the house.  One of the best features of the house is green screen vision or blue screen whatever.  The family decides to move in the house, but with the idea that if anything doesn't work out they'll go back home.  This movie remembers  c'est la vie by B*Witched , do you remember it?
                                                                 

B*Witched seems confused here /Copyright Disney 

         Angie  says to Ben she thinks their father is in love with a beautiful woman, fine that's  my line , but you know Sara, because yes. (thanks for that)  Ben doesn't like that idea one reason is that  he doesn't want the memory of his mother replaced.  He explains that is why doesn't go out for BASKETBALL (our running gag ) and be with his friends making sure the family runs smoothly. He wanted to win the house because he doesn't want Mom II: The second Mom.
                                                                   
                                                             

Love House/ Copyright  Disney 

               The movie goes through the first part where the it shows how the house helps the family, blah blah, I need this movie to have the part where it goes wrong.  The bully is still annoying and unnecessary to the movie.   Oh look something went wrong with the smoothie maker had a glitch and that means the father wants Sara to come by and this makes Ben find out about the main control room of the house.  He doesn't want to get to know Sara. (Because TENSION)   Ben is grumpy. 
                                                             

more after the jump