Children's programming on NBC: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 05:33, 31 August 2025

Revision as of 05:34, 31 August 2025

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====Final years with animated programming (1989–1992)====

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. In addition, other teen-oriented programs, including ''[[Guys Next Door]]'' and ''[[Kid 'n Play]]'', joined the lineup in Fall 1990 to bring in more attention to the older targeted audiences for Saturday mornings rather than just kidschildren, which this attempt wasn’t successful as ''Guys Next Door'' quickly ended the next year.<ref>Osborne, Barbara (Summer 1997). [https://www.media.mit.edu/explain/papers/cme-cta.pdf" A Field Guide to the Children's Television Act"]. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000919055242/https://www.media.mit.edu/explain/papers/cme-cta.pdf |date=September 19, 2000 }}. Washington, D.C.: CME/InfoActive Kids, pp.&nbsp;1–16. Retrieved August 30, 2025.</ref>

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 canceled the animated programming for Saturday mornings as FCC responded that not all cartoons were made to be educational.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sharbutt |first=Jay |date=1992-01-25 |title='Toon wars continue: NBC to bow out Aug.1 |language=en-US |work=Press-Republican |url=https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=prre19920125-01.1.6&srpos=1&e=------199-en-20--1--txt-txIN-%27Toon+wars+continue%3a+NBC+to+bow+out+Aug+1.--------- |access-date=December 27, 2024 |issn=}}</ref><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>