Saturday Morning 1977

Saturday Morning 1977

Recently I came across a TV Guide I’d saved since I was a kid, I don’t know why I saved it. It has a Quincy on the cover and while I enjoyed that show (and now love comedian Jim Norton’s “Jimcy” rants on the radio)it doesn’t explained why I kept it. I am glad I did however because it gives me the ability to show what a six year old in Toronto was faced with on Saturday morning.

I cut off the 5am – 6am part, it’s mostly “farm report” programming with the only kid like thing being “Hilarious House of Frightenstein” on Channel 11 (who actually made that series)

No wonder Monster Squad got cancelled, it was up against the Krofft Supershow, I’m surprised I watched it at all.
There is some Canadian content that some might not recognize, Circle Square was a christian show where everybody lip synched poorly. C.u.c.u.m.b.e.r (Children’s Underground Club of United Moose and Beaver for Enthueastic Reporters) featuring two people wearing a Moose and Beaver costumes who encouraged kids to write, John Candy once appeared in spandex as a superhero and Martin Short played a rabbit. Harrigan was a Leprechaun who sang songs or something, I never watched it.

Shazam/Isis and Superfriends are the three big reasons I’m such a junkie for comic book movies today. By noon, my parents would either throw me outside or my older sister would have to get her Shatner fix (she was going to marry him) and turn it to Star Trek. Either way, I constantly got screwed out of Fat Albert and Ark 2.
I’ve said it before but now my children have three channels of cartoons to choose from, 24/7, I’d have killed for that as a kid bt now, I kind of wish they could experience a time like our Saturday morning…

About The Author

Mantooth
AKA Brian Heiler author of "Rack Toys: Cheap, Crazed Playthings" and co-editor of "Toy-Ventures Magazine". Co-Host of the "Pod Stallions" podcast. Host of the Brick Mantooth Youtube channel, painter, designer, writer, mental health advocate, toy collector, Mego, and Mego Knock-Off enthusiast. I have large feet, ADHD and I live in Canada. Talk toys, not others.

9 Comments

  • lisa on April 26, 2008

    OH WOW!!! Just 2 days ago, I was trying to tell an American friend about C.U.C.U.M.B.E.R. & I couldn’t remember the name! All I could tell him was, “It had a moose & a beaver…” That show lasted a pretty long time, because I know I watched it up to ’84 at least. I soooo miss Saturday morning cartoons! I think if they still had the good line up we did as kids, I’d wake up early, make a bowl of cereal & enjoy!!!

  • Dancin' Homer on April 26, 2008

    ah, the good old TV Guide days, when you even got episode synopses and even cast info FOR RERUNS!

    “The Partridges become social outcasts thanks to a skunk. Hotel Clerk: Robert Gibbons”

    “Trouble begins when Gilligan finds a crate of radioactive vegetables.”

    “Kirk (William Shatner) tries to outwit colonizers from Andromeda who assume human form to seize the Enterprise”

    And at noon you got Rollerderby on Channel 3 – sweet!

  • mickgun24 on April 26, 2008

    Just had to write about this because I’ve been mourning the whole Saturday Morning Cartoon thing as of late. I even go to youtube on Saturdays so I can play the opening theme to ABC’s Weekend Special and get temporarily transported.

    Love the site, keep up the good work.

  • Anonymous on April 26, 2008

    we have millions of channels and there is still nothing on. TV was better back when there were fewer channels….at least I feel that way. BTW- dibs on watching Laurel & Hardy!!!

  • Lady Jaye on April 27, 2008

    I remember Circle Square like a bad dream… I mostly remember the nerdy girl (?) with glasses.

    Here in Montreal, CFCF-12 (the local CTV affiliate) scheduled that show at something like 5:30am. Did you know that it promoted a Christian daycamp that still exists? Talk about brainwashing!

    Oh, and what is channel 25? TVO or Radio-Canada?

  • Aloha Pete on April 28, 2008

    ’77 is a couple of years before my time but I’m familiar with most of these shows. Things are so different now, but I would take what we got as opposed to the trash that permeates the Saturday morning TV landscape.

    “H-A-Double R-I-G-A-N It’s Harrigan!”

    Hardly anybody remembers that show, and I don’t blame them because it was terrible.

    I had a friend who spent a summer at Circle Square ranch. She claims to have lost her virginity there LOL.

    That show was surreal though, it was still on 15-20 years ago.

  • CFA McGee on May 14, 2010

    Harrigan! It wasn't until my teens I discovered the true meaning of being Irish

  • Anonymous on July 28, 2010

    Pierre Salinger? On Batman. That I do not remember. To YouTube!

  • DuckyDan on November 11, 2013

    You mention three channels of cartoons 24/7. However, my kids have tablets with access to Hulu and Netflix. They get cartoons from several decades on demand! Now and then I find them watching something I did as a kid, and they talk about it like it's brand new. 🙂

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