Flashback Friday

Do kids today even look forward to Saturday morning cartoons like we did?  I'm guessing not - since there's the Cartoon Network and a dozen other kids channels on cable, the can watch cartoons anytime they want.  Back in the day, you lived for the Saturday morning cartoons. 

There was no sleeping in on Saturday mornings when you were a kid - oh, you got to sleep in an hour, but that was it or else you'd miss the "Buggs Bunny/Road Runner Hour."  After that, I'd change the channel and watch "Lancelot Link: Secret Chimp."  When that was off, I'd change the channel once again and watch the very bizarre but entertaining "The Bugaloos."  After that was off, it was change the channels once again for "Josie and the Pussycats" followed by "The Harlem Globetrotters."  Then it was "H.R. Puffenstuff", "Scooby-Do" and "The Monkees" and to end the awesome morning of non-stop TV, "American Bandstand" and "Soul Train." 

This was a Saturday ritual.  It was the only time Mom and Grandma would let me eat a meal in front of the TV.  I'd get to have my breakfast on the TV tray as I sat on the couch watching cartoons, and later on during "American Bandstand" I'd get to eat my lunch from the TV tray, too.  What a way to spend a Saturday morning.  It sure beats the hell out of cleaning and running errands like I do every Saturday morning now. 

The Saturday morning TV line-up was a big deal back then.  The Friday night before the new Saturday morning season started was a big deal, too - they would show clips and talk about all of the shows on the new Saturday morning season.  Each of the three networks would have a show on like this, and they usually aired at different times so you could catch all three and then make your Saturday morning viewing choices.  Now, you don't hear a word about the shows on Saturday morning.  With cable TV and satellite, I guess it's just no big deal.