As Mark and I prepared for Turner's arrival, one of the topics at our childbirth class was "childhood traditions you'd like to start or continue with your child." On the way home from Montgomery that evening, Mark and I talked about various traditions we'd has a children as well as traditions we would like to start in our own family. I shared with Mark that watching Saturday morning cartoons with my Dad is a very special tradition that brings back dear memories for me. On Saturday mornings we'd always spend time sitting in the recliner watching The Smurfs (our favorite) and the classic Looney Toons (Bugs Bunny, Road Runner, etc.). As this discussion progressed, we started to talk about how children’s television has changed over the last 20-30 years and how cartoons just are not the same. Mark shared that he enjoyed watching cartoons such as Fat Albert, Scooby Doo, and The Harlem Globetrotters. We are dating ourselves a bit here (as well as showing our 9.5 year age gap) but they just don't make cartoons like that anymore.
**Let me take the opportunity to also add that character names such as Fat Albert, Dumb Donald, Mush Mouth(speech impediment), Weird Harold would NEVER fly in 2008. We are WAY too worried about how those type things will hurt self esteem. Interesting how those of us who grew up in that era haven't had to be institutionalized yet...I digress.
We arrived home that evening and looked online to see if we could locate a DVD copy of the Smurfs to give my Dad for Christmas - so he could continue our tradition with Turner. However, the DVD was in production and wasn't released until March of this year. So, a little later than originally planned, on Father's Day 2008 my Dad opened up a DVD copy of the original season of The Smurfs and Mark opened up a DVD copy of the original season of Fat Albert. Mark and I spent some time one evening watching Fat Albert, and I truly had forgotten how a)hilarious it was and b)how it focused on character building and social issues.
I am curious to know what cartoons or children's shows were your favorites as you were growing up! (Some of my favorites were Sesame Street, The Smurfs, Garfield, The Gummi Bears, Reading Rainbow, 321 Contact, Gilligan's Island (reruns on TBS), and Saved by the Bell.) As I was working on this post, Mark found this link and we have enjoyed reminiscing as we looked through Saturday morning TV lineups from our childhood days. Take a look and a trip down memory lane and let me hear from you!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_network_television_schedules_(Saturday_morning)
4 comments:
What a fun exercise for a Saturday morning! Thanks Mark and Sarah. Here are inputs from The Parks!
Some of Terry's Favorites: Flintstones, Bugs Bunny, Tom & Jerry, G.I. Joe, Transformers, He-Man,
Some of my favorites: Smurfs, Gummi Bears, Snorks, Kids Incoroporated, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Jem and the Holograms, Rags to Riches
USA Cartoon Express..... had a little bit of everything!! Hair Bears, Grape Ape, Snorks, Smurfs, Munchichis(sp.), Jabba Jaws,Laff-A-Lympics (SnagglePuss - "Heavens to Megatroid"), Honk Kong Phooey
Even though it did not air until'89 USA Cartoon Express showcased all of our favorites growing up, even though I know that most of you reading this post were still growing up :-)
The ride lasted until '92, then they started to filter out the old and add the new
I can't watch 5 minutes of the cartoons today
Okay, Transformers, Jem and the Holograms, Thundercats, Smurfs, GI Joes, Picture Pages (with Bill Cosby), Reading Rainbow. That's all I can think of right now.
ok - I have a couple of responses to this post! first of all, joe loooooved the harlem globetrotters, too. he's a little silly about it. also, i have read that a new smurfs movie is in the works due to new nostalgic popularity. a new version of the electric company is also being developed for PBS (that is the show that taught me to read!)
now - for my cartoon faves - i checked the wiki site, and 1984 is the first line up listed that i actively remember. the smurfs, alvin and the chipmunks, muppet babies, the littles, the ghostbusters cartoon, the gummies, and loony tunes (dvd's for loony tunes a little pricey - joe and i have had this same cartoon talk regarding jacks!!). i also totally agree with traci on the hanna barbara cartoons. remember those episodes that would be like battle of the network stars, only with hong kong phooey, grape ape, etc.... so great!
sorry 'bout the long comment - you know how i love me some pop culture memories!!
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