Children's programming on NBC: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 07:43, 21 December 2024

Revision as of 16:41, 21 December 2024

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In September 1989, NBC premiered ''[[Saved by the Bell]]'', a sitcom centered on the fictional Bayside High School in [[Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles|Pacific Palisades, California]], which originated on [[Disney Channel|The Disney Channel]] the year prior as ''[[Good Morning, Miss Bliss]]'' (the predecessor series, set in an [[Indianapolis]], Indiana middle school, served as a starring vehicle for [[Hayley Mills]], who did not return for the retooled series; four cast members from that show – [[Mark-Paul Gosselaar]], [[Dennis Haskins]], [[Lark Voorhies]] and [[Dustin Diamond]] – were cast in ''Saved by the Bell'' as their ''Miss Bliss'' characters). Despite receiving harsh reviews from television critics, ''Saved by the Bell'' would become one of the most popular teen-oriented series in television history as well as the highest-rated series on Saturday mornings, dethroning [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]'s ''[[The Bugs Bunny Show|The Bugs Bunny and Tweety Show]]'' in its first season.

However, in October 1990, then-President [[George H. W. Bush]] signed a deal with the [[Federal Communications Commission]] to require [[E/I|educational content]] under the [[Children's Television Act]] for the Fall 1991 season,<ref>{{cite web|title=Children and Television|url=http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/Spring03/Wells/history.htm|author=Landrea Wells|publisher=[[University of Florida]]|access-date=October 27, 2024}}</ref> which mandated these guidelines in animated programs for the network, including ''[[Space Cats]]'', ''[[Super Mario World (TV series)|Super Mario World]]'', and ''[[ProStars]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Walsh |first1=Mark |title=TV Stations Faulted for Dearth of Educational Fare |url=https://www.edweek.org/education/tv-stations-faulted-for-dearth-of-educational-fare/1992/10 |access-date=October 27, 2024 |work=Education Week |date=October 7, 1992 |language=en}}</ref> Following the negative reception with this experience, NBC subsequently cancels the animated programming for Saturday mornings as FCC responded that not all cartoons were made to be educational.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Andrews |first=Edmund L. |date=1993-03-04 |title='Flintstones' and Programs Like It Aren't Educational, F.C.C. Says |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/03/04/us/flintstones-and-programs-like-it-aren-t-educational-fcc-says.html |access-date=October 27, 2024 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

===TNBC (1992–2002)===

{{main|TNBC}}

As results of the continued success of ''Saved by the Bell'' and the failed experience of enforcing educational content, NBC restructured its Saturday morning lineup in September 1992 by replacing children’schildren's programming with live-action – mostly scripted – series aimed at teenagers as part of a new three-hour block under the brand [[TNBC]] (the network also launched an hour-long Saturday edition of ''[[Weekend Today|Today]]'' that debuted simultaneously with the TNBC lineup).

Most of the programs on the TNBC lineup were sitcoms produced by ''Saved by the Bell'' executive producer [[Peter Engel]] such as ''[[City Guys]]'', ''[[Hang Time (TV series)|Hang Time]]'', ''[[California Dreams]]'', ''[[One World (TV series)|One World]]'' and the ''Saved by the Bell'' spinoff, ''[[Saved by the Bell: The New Class]]''.<ref name="DiscoveryKids">{{cite news|title=Discovery set to kid around with Peacock|url=https://variety.com/2001/tv/news/discovery-set-to-kid-around-with-peacock-1117856766/|first=Paula|last=Bernstein|periodical=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|publisher=[[Reed Business Information]]|date=December 4, 2001|access-date=August 13, 2009}}</ref> Many of the scripted series incorporating social issues such as [[underage drinking]], [[Substance abuse|drug use]] and [[sexual harassment]]. By 2001, the block had begun suffering from declining viewership; in addition, although the block was aimed at adolescents, TNBC's programs ironically registered a median viewer age of 41.<ref name=variety-adultsdiscover>{{cite web|title=Adults 'Discover' kiddie programs|url=https://variety.com/2003/tv/news/adults-discover-kiddie-programs-1117880923/|periodical=Variety|publisher=Reed Business Information|date=2003|access-date=March 29, 2015}}</ref>

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*1986 – ''Alvin Goes Back to School''

*1987 – ''ALF Loves a Mystery'' (hosted by [[Benji Gregory]] from ''[[ALF (TV series)|ALF]]'')

*1989 – ''Who Shrunk Saturday Morning?'' (hosted by cast of ''[[Saved by the Bell]]''; featuring [[ALF (character)|ALF]], [[John Candy]], [[John Moschitta Jr.]], [[Marsha Warfield]] and [[Sherman Hemsley]])

==See also==