NBC The Flashback
This segment of "The Flashback" returns as we this being the 30th year after NBC made a major change in network television history: they were washing their hands of the traditional Saturday morning block and adding news and shows for teens. This wasn't out of the blue, they had been considering it since at least
1988.
Between 1988 and 1991, things had changed ever more. Cable's Nickelodeon was starting to make an in-roads, kid syndication was doing great, and Fox Kids was launched in 1990. Interestingly, NBC wasn't the last place kids block, they were first. If anything, it should have been ABC getting out.
"Killed by the Bell"
One thing that could be a great indication of NBC's direction would be the 1989 series "Saved by the Bell" this live-action teen-lead series had become a hit. It was also cheaper to make (not trying to insult the show) than animation.
From the NY Times article from 1988
An average episode of a network Saturday cartoon show was nearly $300,000. Even though those programs can be played four times, effectively reducing the cost of each episode, Mr. Tartikoff noted that NBC can replace those shows with programs it produces for itself at a much lower rate, possibly striking a connection with an entirely new audience.
The Saturday morning fare like "Smurfs" wasn't owned by NBC and they could reap any benefits from the series, but "Saved By The Bell" could be, and it later did become that way.
This is Today... Saturday
"Today" on NBC had launched in 1952, the show had never been a weekend affair, until it launched a Sunday version in 1987. Saturday would naturally be next, as Tartikoff, the head of NBC at the time, mentioned. The Today Show expanding would be cheaper than kid cartoons , NBC owns the show. The mulling happened until December 1991, when it was announced : It's over.
Two hours of their Saturday morning block would be replaced by the "Today" show. That wasn't the only plan, what about the other 2 hours? That would be replaced by programming targeting 9-16 year-olds. A centerpiece program would be "Saved by the Bell". NBC looked at FOX, CBS,ABC, and anything else and said, "Bye."
Also that new "Children's Television Act" was coming in and NBC was getting ready for that by jumping ahead, getting a head start. Either way, this meant the 1991-92 season was the end of the traditional block on NBC. So, this is our look at the the final season, mostly in order of show appearance, with brief overview of the shows and maybe some context of the time and bad humor, let's go!
First off, produced by DiC Entertainment it's not Saturday Night, but a skit comedy show with some cartoons with Canadian twin brothers named Chip and Pepper (mmm chips and pepper : drools).
"Chip and Pepper's Cartoon Madness" was classic style sketch show, where they would insert cartoons (read: Krusty the Clown, minus the clown) . The brothers were famous in Canada and Brandon Tartikoff decided to give them an NBC Saturday morning show.( "Eh, I'm torching this block soon anyway, might as well..." , he didn't say, but I wish he did. )
The show also interviews, ran vintage cartoons, with it's comedy shorts, it also sounds like NBC was keeping it uh low-cost. This didn't save it, since NBC was going to give up 2 hours for "Today" this wasn't part of their 9-16 mention so, bye.
Next on NBC, it's "Yo Yogi!" or really just switch over to FOX they have "Bobby's World" just watch that, the Today show is taking this slot soon anyway.
At least they weren't babies? / (watch intro
here)
"Yo Yogi!" is about Yogi Bear, Boo-Boo Bear, Huckelberry Hound, Snagglepuss, and Cindy Bear (no relation to Yogi or Boo-Boo? Right, unless bears don't use last names the way we do , what?) but with a twist, someone at Hanna-Barbera missed making "Scooby Doo" because this was them as teenage crime fighters. (What's a teenage bear?) They also do cool late 80's , early 90's stuff of hanging out at the mall, which is owned by Doggie Daddy.
Yogi and his friends work at the mall where they solve mall crimes. (like who stole the Sabro Pizza?)
The show lasted 13 episodes, it's final episode aired the day after NBC announced they were axing the block. ("Yo Yogi was a mistake, and it killed the block," I wish he had said that too)
More after the jump