Saturday morning preview specials were aired on television annually to present previews of each network's fall lineup of

Saturday-morning cartoon "Saturday-morning cartoon" is a colloquial term for the original animated series and live-action programming that was typically scheduled on Saturday and Sunday mornings in the United States on the "Big Three" television networks. The genre was a ...

children's programming. Similar to the model for their new

prime time Prime time, or peak time, is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for television shows. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to ...

counterpart shows,

television network A television broadcaster or television network is a telecommunications network for the distribution of television show, television content, where a central operation provides programming to many television stations, pay television providers or ...

s in the

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and

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would film a preview special for the fall season. These would often air as part of the regular network schedule or be made available to their affiliates for airing at any time, especially to fill timeslots that contained programming canceled months before.

Format

The Saturday morning previews were generally aired on the network in prime-time, usually the Friday night before the new schedule began. Specials were staggered between differing time slots and days in order to allow each network's show to stand out. The preview specials are usually hosted by stars of one or more of the network's popular series and feature an array of special guests, with the continuity between each program preview being fictionalized with a small plot or theme to keep viewers interested. The previews were for new and returning series, with each preview featuring the show's opening credits and a scene from that program. They also unveiled a network's new imaging for Saturday morning programming. The specials often included previews for prime-time programming as well. According to

Mark Evanier Mark Stephen Evanier (; born March 2, 1952) is an American comic book and television writer, known for his work on the animated TV series '' Garfield and Friends'' and on the comic book '' Groo the Wanderer''. He is also known for his columns and ...

, who wrote several Saturday morning preview specials, this was because the network's prime-time department had to clear the time slot for the special, and convincing them to do so was difficult without agreeing to promote one of their shows in the special.

History

Hanna-Barbera Productions Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ; formerly known as H-B Enterprises, Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. and H-B Production Co.), simply and commonly known as Hanna-Barbera, was an American animation studio and production company, which was acti ...

created a half-hour syndicated film called "Here Comes a Star" (1964) with Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera playing themselves promoting its newest series, '' The Magilla Gorilla Show''. The program, hosted by ''

You Bet Your Life ''You Bet Your Life'' is an American comedy quiz series that has aired on both radioGeorge Fenneman, offered an inside look at the animation studio and a peek at the upcoming feature, '' Hey There, It's Yogi Bear''. The first network preview special was ''The World of Secret Squirrel and Atom Ant'' (1965), a 60-minute special airing on NBC in primetime to celebrate Hanna-Barbera's first animated series made for Saturday morning television.

Decline

CBS, which had only irregularly carried preview specials, aired its last in 1985. The other two major networks continued near-annually. NBC's last was in 1991, as by 1992, the network had abandoned cartoons in favor of its teen sitcom block TNBC. ABC continued an annual Saturday preview special as part of its TGIF block through the 1990s, finally ending the practice in 1999, TGIF's last year in its original form.

4Kids Entertainment 4Kids Entertainment, Inc. (formerly known as Leisure Concepts, Inc. and later known as 4Licensing Corporation; stylized as 4K!DS ENTERTAINMENT) was an American licensing company. The company was previously also a film and television production ...

aired preview specials sporadically for its two blocks, FoxBox and The CW4Kids. Neither

Fox Kids Fox Kids (originally known as Fox Children's Network and later as the Fox Kids Network; stylized in all caps) was an American children's programming block and branding for a slate of international children's television channels. Originally a j ...

nor

Kids' WB Kids' WB (stylized as Kids' WB!) was an American children's programming block that originally aired on The WB from September 9, 1995, to September 16, 2006, and later on The CW from September 23, 2006, to May 17, 2008. Initially launched as a co ...

continued the practice as an annual tradition, though both had aired one-off preview specials in the 1990s. Because the preview specials incorporated clips from a variety of sources with cross-platform licensing, it was legally impossible to sell them in syndication packages or release them on

home video Home video is recorded media sold or Video rental shop, rented for home viewing. The term originates from the VHS and Betamax era, when the predominant medium was videotapes, but has carried over to optical disc formats such as DVD and Blu-ray. ...

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Year-by-year guide

Syndication

* 1964 - ''Here Comes a Star'' (hosted by George Fenneman) promoting '' The Magilla Gorilla Show''

ABC

* 1969 - ''Super Saturday Cartoon Preview'' (hosted by the cast of '' The Ghost & Mrs. Muir'' and Jonathan Frid from ''

Dark Shadows ''Dark Shadows'' is an American Gothic fiction, Gothic soap opera that aired weekdays on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television network from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971. The show depicted the lives, loves, trials, and tribulatio ...

'') * 1971 - ''The Brady Bunch Visits ABC'' (hosted by the Brady Kids from ''

The Brady Bunch ''The Brady Bunch'' is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz that aired five seasons from September 26, 1969, to March 8, 1974, on ABC. The series revolves around a large blended family of six children, with three boys and three gir ...

'') * 1972 - ''The Brady Bunch Meet ABC's Saturday Superstars'' (hosted by the Brady Kids from ''The Brady Bunch'') * 1973 - ''Sneak Peek'' (hosted by Avery Schreiber and Jack Burns) * 1974 - ''Funshine Saturday'' (hosted by

Lee Majors Lee Majors (born Harvey Lee Yeary; April 23, 1939) is an American actor. He portrayed the characters of Heath Barkley on the American television Western series '' The Big Valley'' (1965–1969), Colonel Steve Austin on the American television sc ...

from ''

The Six Million Dollar Man ''The Six Million Dollar Man'' is an American science fiction and action television series, running from 1973 to 1978, about a former astronaut, USAF Colonel Steve Austin, portrayed by Lee Majors. After being seriously injured in a NASA test f ...

'') * 1975 - ''Funshine Saturday'' (hosted by Jim Nabors and

Ruth Buzzi Ruth Ann Buzzi ( ; July 24, 1936 – May 1, 2025) was an American actress and comedian. She appeared on stage, in films, and on television. She was best known for her performances on the comedy-variety show ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' from 196 ...

from '' The Lost Saucer'') * 1976 - ''Sneak Peek'' (hosted by

Jimmy Osmond James Arthur Osmond (born April 16, 1963) is an American singer and businessman. He is the youngest member of the sibling musical group the Osmonds. As a solo artist, Osmond has accumulated six RIAA certification, gold records, one RIAA certific ...

) * 1977 - ''All-Star Saturday'' (hosted by Kaptain Kool and the Kongs) * 1978 - ''All-Star Saturday'' (hosted by Jimmy McNichol and Kristy McNichol) * 1979 - ''

Plastic Man Plastic Man (Patrick "Eel" O'Brian) is a superhero featured in American comic books first appearing in ''Police Comics'' #1, originally published by Quality Comics and later acquired by DC Comics. Created by cartoonist Jack Cole (artist), Jack Co ...

and ABC Saturday Morning Sneak Peek'' (hosted by Michael Young) - Due to a cartoonists' strike delaying show premieres, this special aired over two weeks before the season debuted, and a second preview special, ''The Plastic Man Preview Hour'', aired on Saturday of the following week. * 1982 - ''Pac Preview Party'' (hosted by

Dick Clark Richard Wagstaff Clark (November 30, 1929April 18, 2012) was an American television and radio personality and television producer who hosted ''American Bandstand'' from 1956 to 1989. He also hosted five incarnations of the Pyramid (game show), ...

) * 1983 - ''Preview Special ''(hosted by Dick Clark) * 1984 - ''Saturday Morning Preview Park'' (hosted by

"Weird Al" Yankovic Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic ( ; born October 23, 1959) is an American comedy musician, writer, and actor. He is best known for writing and performing Comedy music, comedy songs that often Parody music, parody specific songs by contempo ...

; featuring

Wolfman Jack Robert Weston Smith (January 21, 1938July 1, 1995), known as Wolfman Jack, was an American disc jockey active for over three decades. He was famous for his gravelly voice, and credited it with his success, saying, "It's kept meat and potatoes on ...

and

Missy Gold Missy Gold (born Melissa Fisher; July 14, 1970) is an American psychologist and former child actress. She is known as portraying the governor's daughter, Katie Gatling, on the sitcom ''Benson (TV series), Benson'' (1979–1986). Career Gold appe ...

) * 1985 - ''Saturday Sneak Peek & Fun Fit Test'' (hosted by

Tony Danza Tony Danza (born Anthony Salvatore Iadanza; April 21, 1951) is an American actor and retired professional boxer. He is known for co-starring in the television series ''Taxi (TV series), Taxi'' (1978–1983) and ''Who's the Boss?'' (1984–1992 ...

and

Mary Lou Retton Mary Lou Retton (born January 24, 1968) is an American retired gymnast. At the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, she won a gold medal in the individual all-around competition, as well as two silver medals and two bronze medals. Retton's per ...

; featuring

Anthony Daniels Anthony Daniels ( ; born 21 February 1946) is an English actor and mime artist, best known for playing in 11 ''Star Wars'' films. He is the only actor to have either appeared in or been involved with all theatrical films in the series, and h ...

C-3PO C-3PO () or See-Threepio is a humanoid robot character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He is a protocol droid (Star Wars), droid designed to assist in etiquette and translation, and is fluent in over six million forms of communication. The chara ...

) * 1988 - (hosted by cast of ''

Mr. Belvedere ''Mr. Belvedere'' is an American sitcom that originally broadcasting, aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from March 15, 1985 until its cancellation (television), cancellation following the 107th episodic television, episode on December ...

'') * 1989 - ''Perfectly Strange Saturday Morning Preview'' (hosted by cast of '' Perfect Strangers'') * 1990 - ''ABC Saturday Morning Preview'' (hosted by

Roseanne Barr Roseanne Cherrie Barr (born November 3, 1952), also known mononymously as Roseanne, is an American actress, comedian, writer, and producer. She began her career in stand-up comedy before gaining acclaim in the television sitcom ''Roseanne'' (19 ...

and cast of '' Family Matters'') * 1991 - (hosted by cast of ''Family Matters'') * 1992 - ''ABC Sneak Peek with Step by Step'' (hosted by cast of '' Step by Step'') * 1993 - ''ABC Saturday Morning Preview Special'' (hosted by cast of '' Hangin' with Mr. Cooper'') * 1994 - ''Whole New Level of Fun'' (hosted by cast of ''

Boy Meets World ''Boy Meets World'' is an American coming-of-age sitcom created by Michael Jacobs and April Kelly that aired on ABC for seven seasons between September1993 and May2000. The series centers on Cory Matthews ( Ben Savage) and his friends and f ...

'') * 1995 - ''Saturday Morning Preview Special'' (hosted by

Gary Owens Gary Owens (born Gary Bernard Altman; May 10, 1934 – February 12, 2015) was an American disc jockey, voice actor, announcer and radio personality. His polished baritone speaking voice generally offered deadpan recitations of total nonsense, wh ...

, Marquise Wilson, Raven-Symoné, and

Zachery Ty Bryan Zachery Tyler Bryan (born October 9, 1981) is an American actor and film producer. He is best known for his role as Brad Taylor on the ABC sitcom ''Home Improvement''. He also appeared in the films '' First Kid'' and '' The Fast and the Furiou ...

) * 1996 - ''Saturday Morning Preview Party'' (hosted by Melissa Joan Hart) * 1997 - ''One Saturday Morning'' (hosted by Charlie of '' Disney's One Saturday Morning'', played by Jessica Prunell) * 1998 - ''One Saturday Morning on Friday Night'' (hosted by Meme, played by Valarie Rae Miller, and Salem of ''

Sabrina, the Teenage Witch ''Sabrina the Teenage Witch'' is a comic book series published by Archie Comics about the adventures of a fictional American teenager named Sabrina Spellman. Sabrina was created by writer George Gladir and artist Dan DeCarlo, and first appea ...

'') * 1999 - ''One Saturday Morning on Friday Night'' (hosted by Meme, played by Valarie Rae Miller)

CBS

*1969 - ''CBS Funtastic Preview'' (hosted by Sebastian Cabot, Johnny Whitaker and

Anissa Jones Mary Anissa Jones (March 11, 1958 – August 28, 1976) was an American child actress known for her role as Buffy Davis on the CBS sitcom '' Family Affair'', which ran from 1966 to 1971. She died from a drug overdose five years after the sho ...

of ''

Family Affair ''Family Affair'' is an American sitcom starring Brian Keith and Sebastian Cabot that aired on CBS from September 12, 1966, to March 4, 1971. The series explored the trials of well-to-do engineer and bachelor Bill Davis (Keith) as he attempt ...

'') *1974 - ''Socko Saturday'' (hosted by The Hudson Brothers) *1975 - ''Dyn-o-mite Saturday'' (hosted by Bern Nadette Stanis,

Jimmie Walker James Carter Walker Jr. (born June 25, 1947) is an American actor and comedian. He portrayed James ("J.J.") Evans Jr., the older son of James Evans Sr. and Florida Evans, on the CBS television comedy series ''Good Times''. The show ran from 19 ...

and Ralph Carter from ''

Good Times ''Good Times'' is an American television sitcom that aired for six seasons on CBS, from February 8, 1974, to August 1, 1979. Created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans (actor), Mike Evans and developed by executive producer Norman Lear, it was televis ...

'') *1976 - ''Hey, Hey, Hey! It's the CBS Saturday Morning Preview Special'' (hosted by Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids) *1977 - ''The Wacko Saturday Morning Preview and Other Good Stuff Special'' (hosted by cast of '' Wacko'') *1983 - ''Preview Special'' (hosted by

Scott Baio Scott Vincent Baio (; born September 22, 1960) is an American actor. He is known for playing Chachi Arcola on the sitcom ''Happy Days'' (1977–1984) and its spin-off '' Joanie Loves Chachi'' (1982–1983), the title character on the s ...

; featuring Sorrell Booke, James Best, and the Krofft Puppets) *1984 - ''Saturday's the Place'' (hosted by Joyce DeWitt and

Ted Knight Ted Knight (born Tadeusz Wladyslaw Konopka; December 7, 1923August 26, 1986) was an American actor known for playing the comedic roles of Ted Baxter in ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'', Henry Rush in '' Too Close for Comfort'' and Judge Elihu Sm ...

) - The hosts tour an animation studio, the people in which are all real animation staff, not actors, and include Alan Zaslove, Larry Houston, and

Bill Melendez José Cuauhtémoc "Bill" Melendez (November 15, 1916 – September 2, 2008) was an American animator, director, producer, and voice actor. Melendez is known for working on the ''Peanuts'' animated specials, as well as providing the voices of Sno ...

. *1985 - ''All-Star Rock 'N' Wrestling Saturday Spectacular'' (hosted by "Rowdy" Roddy Piper; featuring

Hervé Villechaize Hervé Jean-Pierre Villechaize (; April 23, 1943 – September 4, 1993) was a French actor. He is best known for his roles as the evil henchman Nick Nack in the 1974 James Bond film '' The Man with the Golden Gun'' and as Mr. Roarke's assistant ...

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ( ; born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. , April 16, 1947) is an American former basketball player. He played professionally for 20 seasons for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Associatio ...

New Edition New Edition is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B/Pop music, pop group from the Roxbury, Boston, Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1978 by singer/rapper Bobby Brown. Their name is taken to mean a new edition of the Jackson ...

, Pee-Wee Herman,

Patti LaBelle Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American Rhythm and blues, R&B singer and actress. She has been referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godmother of Soul". LaBelle began ...

, and

Hulk Hogan Terry Gene Bollea (; born August 11, 1953), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE as a brand ambassador. Known for his flamboyance and massive physiq ...

)

NBC

*1965 - The World of Secret Squirrel and Atom Ant (

William Hanna William Denby Hanna (July 14, 1910 – March 22, 2001) was an American animator, voice actor, and musician who is best known for co-creating ''Tom and Jerry'' and providing the vocal effects for the series' title characters. Alongside Joseph B ...

and

Joseph Barbera Joseph Roland Barbera ( ; ; March 24, 1911 – December 18, 2006) was an American animator and cartoonist, best known as the co-founder of the animation studio Hanna-Barbera. Born to Italian Americans, Italian immigrants in New York City, Bar ...

introduce '' The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show'') *1969 - ''The Banana Splits and Friends'' (hosted by

The Banana Splits ''The Banana Splits'' is an American children's television variety show produced by Hanna-Barbera, Hanna-Barbera Productions and featuring the Banana Splits, a fictional rock band composed of four costumed animal characters in red helmets with ...

) *1972 - ''Howdy Doody and Friends'' (featuring the cast of

Howdy Doody ''Howdy Doody'' is an American Children's television series, children's television program (with circus and Western (genre), Western frontier themes) that was created and produced by Victor F. Campbell

) *1973 - ''Starship Rescue'' (featuring

Kevin Tighe Kevin Tighe (; born Jon Kevin Fishburn; August 13, 1944) is an American actor who has worked in television, film, and theater since the late 1960s. He is best known for portraying firefighter-paramedic Roy DeSoto, on the 1972–1977 NBC series ' ...

and Randolph Mantooth from ''

Emergency! ''Emergency!'' is an American Action fiction, action-adventure medical drama television series jointly produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. Debuting on NBC as a midseason replacement on January 15, 1972, replacing two situatio ...

'';

Billy Barty Billy Barty (born William John Bertanzetti; October 25, 1924 – December 23, 2000) was an American actor and activist. In adult life, he stood tall, due to cartilage–hair hypoplasia dwarfism. Because of his short stature, he was often cast i ...

, Johnny Whitaker and Scott Kolden from '' Sigmund and the Sea Monsters''; and characters from the world of Sid & Marty Krofft) *1974 - ''Preview Revue'' (hosted by

) *1975 - ''Preview Revue'' (hosted by The Lockers) *1976 - ''Smilin' Saturday Morning Parade'' (hosted by Freddie Prinze) *1977 - ''C'mon Saturday'' (hosted by Andrea McArdle from '' Annie'') *1978 - ''The Bay City Rollers Meet the Saturday Superstars'' (hosted by the

Bay City Rollers The Bay City Rollers are a Scottish pop rock band known for their worldwide teen idol popularity, as a band in the 1970s. One of many 70s acts heralded as the "biggest group since the Beatles", they were called the "tartan teen sensations fro ...

) *1979 - ''The Thing Meets Casper and the Shmoo'' (hosted by

Gary Coleman Gary Wayne Coleman (February 8, 1968 – May 28, 2010) was an American actor, known as a high-profile child star of the late 1970s and 1980s. Born in Zion, Illinois, Coleman grew up with his adopted parents, and a kidney disease; due to the co ...

) - Due to a cartoonists' strike delaying many season debuts, this special was cancelled and never aired. *1983 - ''The 1st Annual NBC Yummy Awards'' (hosted by

Ricky Schroder Richard Bartlett Schroder (born April 13, 1970) is an American actor and filmmaker. As a child actor billed as Ricky Schroder he debuted in the film '' The Champ'' (1979), for which he became the youngest Golden Globe award recipient, and went o ...

and

Dwight Schultz William Dwight Schultz (born November 24, 1947) is an American television, film and voice actor. He is known for his roles as List of The A-Team characters#Howling Mad Murdock, Captain "Howling Mad" Murdock on the 1980s action series ''The A-Te ...

) *1984 - ''Laugh Busters'' (featuring Sandy Helberg, Thom Bray,

Danny Cooksey Daniel Ray Allen Cooksey Jr. (born November 2, 1975) is an American actor and musician. He is best known for his roles in television shows, such as ''Diff'rent Strokes'' (during the final three seasons), '' The Cavanaughs'', ''Xiaolin Showdown'', ...

, and Alfonso Ribeiro) *1985 - ''Back to Next Saturday'' (starring Keshia Knight Pulliam and Lisa Whelchel) *1986 - ''Alvin Goes Back to School'' *1987 - ''ALF Loves a Mystery'' (hosted by Benji Gregory & ALF from '' ALF'') *1989 - ''Who Shrunk Saturday Morning?'' (hosted by cast of ''

Saved by the Bell ''Saved by the Bell'' is an American television teen sitcom created by Sam Bobrick for NBC. The series premiered, in prime time, on August 20, 1989, a Sunday night. Targeted at kids and teens, ''Saved by the Bell'' was broadcast in the United ...

''; featuring ALF,

John Candy John Franklin Candy (October 31, 1950 – March 4, 1994) was a Canadian actor and comedian who is best known for his work in Hollywood (film industry), Hollywood films. Candy first rose to national prominence in the 1970s as a member of the Tor ...

, John Moschitta Jr.,

Marsha Warfield Marsha Francine Warfield (born March 5, 1954) is an American actress and comedian. She grew up on Chicago's South Side, graduating from Calumet High School. She is best known for playing tough, no-nonsense bailiff Roz Russell on the NBC sitcom ...

and Sherman Hemsley) *1991 - ''NBC's World Premiere Cartoon Spectacular''

FOX

*1999 - ''

Sneak Preview'' (hosted by cast of ''

Malcolm in the Middle ''Malcolm in the Middle'' is an American television sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series premiered on January 9, 2000, and ended on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons consisting of 151 episodes. The ...

'') *2002 - ''What's Inside the FoxBox?'' (hosted by cast of '' Spy Kids'') *2003 - ''The Fight for the FoxBox''

The WB

*1995 - ''Welcome Home, Animaniacs!'' -

Preview (hosted by Harland Williams) *1996 - ''Kids' WB! Sneak Peek''

The CW

*2008 - '' The CW4Kids Brand Spankin' New Spectacular Sneak Peek Party'' (hosted by Hudson Horstachio from '' Viva Piñata'') *2010 - ''The CW4Kids Toonzai Friday Fall Preview'' (hosted by

Sonic the Hedgehog is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese developers Yuji Naka, Naoto Ohshima, and Hirokazu Yasuhara for Sega. The franchise follows Sonic the Hedgehog (character), Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battle ...

from ''

Sonic X is a Japanese anime television series based on Sega's ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' video game series. Produced by TMS Entertainment under partnership with Sega and Sonic Team, and directed by Hajime Kamegaki, ''Sonic X'' initially ran for 52 ep ...

'')

References

External links

TV: Preview of Saturday Cartoons (1983)
at the ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' {{Kids' WB American television specials Children's television series Children's television in the United States Morning Preview special Lists of television series by genre