TV Networks That Went Downhill

[Woops]

Ion is a digital television network that's available on several cable/satellite providers and also one of the lowest rated channels.

It airs movies and reruns of tv shows that are shown in countless other channels.


Qubo is also a stand alone 24/7 digital channel and a Sat AM block on NBC.  My local Ion network airs a few hours of Qubo programming everyday.

Out of curiosity, watched Ion while channel surfing a few days ago.  

"Babar" still holds up, though would only watch it when there's nothing else is on. Though saw it on NBC a while ago. The theme song is relaxing and the characters aren't annoying or overly bland.

I found "Jane & The Dragon" boring and despite that it takes place in medieval times, nothing really happens. (watched it out of boredom since it came after "Babar.)

[Out of the Blue]

I've got digital cable now and Ion is one of the channels but I don't ever watch it.  My cable company basically forced me to upgrade to digital just to keep the same service that I had been getting.  They started moving more and more channels over to their digital line up and it got to the point that the ones that I watched most I was losing.  Their plan is to completely phase out their standard, or analog cable, and make people pay the extra $20 a month just to keep the same programming.  I've heard that the Federal Trade Commission is investigating some cable companies over this.  I really doubt anything will happen though.

I used to read some of those "Babar" books when I was around four to six years old and I think I might still have them put away somewhere.

[Woops]

"Tooned", a Canadian show or miniseries about animation that was uploaded on YouTube recently (link is of an article found at Google). The episode was about sidekicks.





It's decent (it even mentioned the silent era 'toon Mutt & Jeff)


 

Tooned! from Breakthrough Films and Television, TVTropolis, by Cameron Archer



By Mike Valiquette


Seeing as I don’t get TVTropolis, I asked our friend Cameron Archer, of URBMN, to review the premiere of Tooned!  I reported this thing was going into production back on the old blog many moons ago.  Here’s how the Breakthrough site described the show then: Stay Tooned is a live-action factual entertainment series about the world of television animation. It takes viewers back to revisit the Saturday morning animated programs that helped define our popular culture. Each episode will be an entertaining, comical mix of interviews with experts, celebrities and fans, alongside cartoon clips and behind-the-scenes footage. The series celebrates how ‘toons shaped and reflected our culture — then and now. One tweaking of the title and the addition of an animated host, and we now have Tooned!  Let’s see what Cameron thought of it.

TV Review:
Tooned! 1.1 – “Babes & Vixens”

Mike Valiquette asked me to review Tooned! (Breakthrough Films and Television,2010) for Canadian Animation Resources.  Followers of Canadian television might remember TVtropolis announcing a show called Stay Tooned! in January 2009.  The show is finally on the air, plopped onto the schedules in classic Canwest fashion.

Tooned! is basic light documentary with animated wraparounds.  If you’ve
seen a TVtropolis documentary series, you know the format: a few recurring segments, some before-the-break trivia, interviews and a fixation on American pop culture.  Tooned! continues those traditions, though the show is better than usual for TVtropolis.

Howard (voice of Jamie Watson) has apparently floated around the fringes of cartoon stardom for decades.  A cartoon character host should be a good gimmick, but Howard isn’t funny.  Watson’s not a bad voiceover artist, but he’s not being used to the best of his ability.  He’s in “Talk Radio for Guys” mode for most of “Babes & Vixens.”

Most of the money has gone into clearing Filmation, Hanna-Barbera and MGM clips -Josie and the Pussycats, The Flintstones, Rocky and His
Friends, Tex Avery’s “Red Hot Riding Hood.”  Tooned! even clears clips
from the later Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm cartoons, including a clip from I Yabba-Dabba Do! (1993.)

The clips used for “Babes & Vixens” vary wildly.  The Jay Ward clips suffer most, as some of them look like they’ve been poached from YouTube.  If Breakthrough Films and Television can clear Rocky & Bullwinkle (Classic Media is thanked in the closing credits), why go with substandard video elements?  It makes Tooned! look hurriedly put together.

The interviews are a mixed bag.  What does Carla Collins, of all people,


Carla Collins shares her animation expertise
have to do with animation?  There’s no reason for her to be interviewed for Tooned! Even Vivica A. Fox’s interview makes more sense, as she occasionally does voiceovers.

Tooned! is at its best interviewing the people actually in the animation business.  Jerry Beck, Jamal Igle, Don Hahn, Tom Kenny, Leonard Maltin and Carolyn Lawrence are given screen time.  Beck and


Cartoon Brew's Jerry Beck shares HIS animation expertise
Maltin give Tooned! at least a shred of credibility.

Tooned!’s saving grace is in the subjects it covers for “Babes & Vixens.”
June Foray, Betty Boop, Red Hot Riding Hood and Pebbles are given segments.  Underdog’s Polly Purebred is given mention, as well as the Valerie from Josie and the Pussycats.

The show actually knows its subject matter, enough that Betty Boop is mentioned as a former dog.  Good research should be a given, but TVtropolis shows sometimes reach stratosphere-high levels of
inaccuracy.

Tooned! is decent for what it is – cheap documentary filler.  It wins
points for covering classic animation subjects and interviewing the right people.  Tooned! isn’t a great show, yet it’s not dead  between the eyes.

I hope Tooned! improves in following weeks.  My gut tells me it won’t, but
at least Tooned! is convincing people to check out Tex Avery.  That’s a
damn sight better than Carla Collins pretending she’s too cool for Malibu.

Thanks Cameron.  Did anyone else catch it?

[Woops]

According to Wiki, TVtropolis is like TV Land with mostly sitcoms from the 1980's & 1990's and pop culture based documentaries.

Can't think of any network in the US that would air on... Though there was the long defunct Trio and VH1 probably would've aired something similar 7 years ago (I recall a special about prime time animation, though doubt they'll dwell on animation history).

Maybe History Channel... 

Cartoon Network had a show titled "Toon Heads", which featured information & trivia that would be given before the cartoons featured. The episodes would feature cartoons with a certain theme (ie baseball, WWII, early Chuck Jones, etc). Mainly Popeye, Looney Tunes, and MGM.

[Out of the Blue]

Fox Reality Channel is now gone.

[Woops]

Animal Planet... jumped with countless "when animals attack' type programming and pet shows

National Geographic Wild, replaced Fox Reality Channel...

As for now, they're airing nature programming. Ironically, "When Animals Attack" specials have aired on the Fox network in the 1990's


Discovery Kids will be revamped into "The Hub" on 10/10/10

Discovery and Hasbro's new TV network "The Hub," slated to replace the current Discovery Kids channel, will premiere on October 10, 2010, according to a report in Broadcasting and Cable. The report also briefly addresses content for the network, including shows based on My Little Pony and Transformers; the Wot Wots, a show produced by New Zealand's WETA Workshop and Pukeko Pictures; and Cosmic Quantum Ray from Moonscoop, which is "aimed at helping kids understand the basics of quantum physics." A G.I. Joe series is also known to be in production.

[Woops]

Nicktoons Network will air "Rocko's Modern Life", though in the dusk hours and probably temporarily...

Honestly, the channel should definitely get revamped. Perhaps with a late night slot for more adult oriented cartoons (ie "Beavis & Butt-Head", "Daria", "Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist", "Duckman")...

"Ren & Stimpy" are finally  shown in the weekdays (though during the dusk hours), though Nicktoons only show a select number of episodes...

Rarely watch the channel anyways...

Note: "Avatar" is not the same as the recent movie

Here's the general line-up, though some days (like Friday) are different.

Weekdays
6-7am My Life as a Teenage Robot
7-8am Avatar
8am The Troop
8:30am Wolverine and the X-Men
9-10am Barnyard (Mon/Wed/Fri) Fanboy (Tue/Thu)
10-11am The Mighty B!
11am-12pm My Life as a Teenage Robot
12-1pm Barnyard (Mon/Wed/Fri) Fanboy (Tue/Thu)
1-2pm Jimmy Neutron
2-3pm El Tigre
3-4pm Various
4pm The Penguins of Madagascar
4:30pm The Troop
5-6pm Various
6-7pm Fanboy & Chum Chum
7-9pm Avatar
9-11pm Fairly OddParents
11pm-12am Avatar
12-1am Various
1-2am Ren & Stimpy
2am Action League Now
2:30am Rocko’s Modern Life
3am Rocket Power
3:30am Edgar & Ellen
4-5am Ren & Stimpy
5-6am Rugrats

Weekends
TBA

[Woops]

April 1st was the 10th anniversary of Boomerang

Happy 10th Birthday Boomerang! (April 1, 2000)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ten years ago today, what was formerly one of Cartoon Network's longest-running blocks (in fact, it may hold the record for being THE longest, as it was around from 1992-2004) became a full-fledged channel. With the launch of Boomerang, a mass exodus of most of Turner's classic cartoon library (which had been the backbone for Cartoon Network in its earliest days, yet had begun growing scarce in the face of more original programming) occured, with the exception of the "standards" such as "The Flintstones", "Scooby-Doo", "Tom & Jerry", the "Acme Hour" block and some late-night filler. And of course the "Boomerang" block itself, which from then on out served as a promotional tool for the network, until CN canceled it in late 2004.

With it's "nostalgic toy" format (which, has changed little if at all in the last decade ), Boomerang originally followed an expanded format of the block it spawned from, with an 8-hour block of programming being repeated three times a day. Saturdays focused on a specific year of programming, while Sundays were dedicated entirely to Boomeraction. This format was dumped at the end of 2004, and the network went into a sort-of slump during the mid-2000's, airing only a small variety of shows. It picked up towards the end of the decade by making the schedule more varied and less repetitive throughout the day, closely mimicking what Cartoon Network was like between 1992-1994.

10 years in however, Boomerang is still out of many people's reach, and hasn't penetrated as many homes as CN has in that time period. The network has stagnated as well, with no funding or effort to acquire third-party classic programming or even revamp it's now decade-old format. No one knows what the future holds for the network, but most are thankful for it's existence, as the last slice of classic animation programming on TV today.

Happy 10th Boom!...........hopefully the next couple of years will be more eventful.

Besides Turner Networks  putting it out of it's misery or churning out more 2000's era Cartoon Network originals...

[Woops]

April 2005 Boomerang schedule:

Not much different, except for Looney Tunes, "Toon Heads", and "Heathcliff" (assuming the early '80's Ruby Spears version)

6:00 AM: Banana Splits
6:30 AM: Wacky Races
7:00 AM: Two Stupid Dogs
7:30 AM: Tom & Jerry
8:00 AM: Looney Tunes
8:30 AM: Popeye
9:00 AM: Smurfs
9:30 AM: Snorks
10:00 AM: The Zoo
11:00 AM: Speed Buggy
11:30 AM: Yogi Bear
12:00 PM: New Scooby Doo Movies
1:00 PM: Heathcliff
1:30 PM: Magilla Gorilla
2:00 PM: Snorks
2:30 PM: Smurfs
3:00 PM: Yogi Bear
3:30 PM: Help! It's The Hair Bear Bunch
4:00 PM: Top Cat
4:30 PM: Jabber Jaw
5:00 PM: Richie Rich
5:30 PM: Two Stupid Dogs
6:00 PM: Flintstones
6:30 PM: Jetsons, The
7:00 PM: Scooby-Doo Where Are You?
8:00 PM: Tom & Jerry
9:00 PM: Looney Tunes
10:00 PM: Popeye
10:30 PM: ToonHeads
11:00 PM: SuperFriends
11:30 PM: Fantastic Four
12:00 AM: New Scooby Doo Movies
1:00 AM: Looney Tunes
2:00 AM: Tom & Jerry
3:00 AM: Help! It's The Hair Bear Bunch
3:30 AM: Jabber Jaw
4:00 AM: Speed Buggy
4:30 AM: Flintstones
5:00 AM: The Jetsons
5:30 AM: Smurfs

[Woops]

January 2006 Boomerang schedule

Pink Panther was added in June of 2005 (good thing for messageboard archives)

Noticed: three 2000's era cartoons: "What's New Scooby Doo?",  "Duck Dodgers", and even the far worse "Baby Looney Tunes"

'90's: "Captain Planet", "Batman: The Animated Series", "Superman: The Animated Series", "Two Stupid Dogs", "Dexter's Laboratory", and "Tom & Jerry Kids".

Starting: Monday, January 9, 2006

Weekdays

06:00am Captain Planet
06:30am Wacky Races
07:00am Two Stupid Dogs
07:30am Tom & Jerry
08:00am Josie and the Pussycats
08:30am What's New Scooby-Doo?
09:00am Smurfs
09:30am Snorks
10:00am The Zoo
11:00am Pink Panther
11:30am Tom & Jerry Kids
12:00pm A Pup Named Scooby-Doo
12:30pm Baby Looney Tunes
01:00pm Porky Pig Show
01:30pm Bugs & Daffy
02:00pm Snorks
02:30pm Smurfs
03:00pm Yogi Bear
03:30pm Josie and the Pussycats
04:00pm Speed Buggy
04:30pm Dastardly And Muttley
05:00pm The Perils of Penelope Pitstop
05:30pm Underdog
06:00pm Baby Looney Tunes
06:30pm Tom & Jerry Kids
07:00pm A Pup Named Scooby-Doo
07:30pm Two Stupid Dogs
08:00pm Tom & Jerry
09:00pm Josie and the Pussycats
09:30pm What's New Scooby-Doo?
10:00pm Duck Dodgers
10:30pm Pink Panther
11:00pm The Jetsons
11:30pm The Flintstones
12:00am Batman: TAS
12:30am Superman: TAS
01:00am Duck Dodgers
01:30am Bugs & Daffy
02:00am ToonHeads
02:30am Tom & Jerry
03:00am Two Stupid Dogs
03:30am What's New Scooby-Doo?
04:00am Pink Panther
04:30am The Flintstones
05:00am The Jetsons
05:30am Banana Splits

Weekends

06:00am Banana Splits
06:30am-11:30am Same as weekdays
11:30am Baby Looney Tunes
12:00pm Hong Kong Phooey
12:30pm Inch High Private Eye
01:00pm-02:00pm Same as weekdays
02:00pm Specials
05:00pm-05:30am Same as weekdays
05:30am Smurfs

Monday, January 16, 2006
10 a.m. - 10 p.m.
"Dexter's Laboratory"

Starting: Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Everyday

08:00am Dexter's Laboratory
09:00pm Dexter's Laboratory
03:00am Dexter's Laboratory

Weekends

2-4pm Dexter's Laboratory

[Woops]

Though had it since Fall of 2008, they repeat about 10 movies/specials and the same rotation for "Boomeroyalty", a mini-marathon that airs on the weekend...

Boomerang stopped airing Looney Tunes for some reason in 2007 (2004/2005 in Cartoon Network, not counting special marathons & airings in 2009 & New Years 2010)

August 2007

Besides the movies (which only 6 have aired...that I'm aware of), it's pretty much the same (different rotation, some shows replaced/added for every month or two)

Character of the Month

Muttley (from Dastardly & Muttley)
Dick Dastardly might have been in charge, but let’s face it, Muttley has all the power in this relationship! As sidekick to the aforementioned vicious yet incompetent villain in Wacky Racers, Muttley spends most of his time snickering and wheezing at his master’s incompetencies. As these two attempt to win the race, it’s ultimately Muttley who steals the show!

Franchises Highlight

The Zoo
Every morning, 7 days a week, from 10:00am-11:00am
What is “The Zoo,” you ask? The Zoo is the place to find all your favorite Hanna-Barbera characters each and every morning, all week long. From atomic ants to pink lions, to gorillas in overalls and talking bears-- this is The Zoo. Stars include Squiddly Diddly, Magilla Gorilla, Yogi Bear, Peter Potamus, Snagglepuss,Wally Gator, Grape Ape, Yakky Doodle, Huckleberry Hound, Lippy The Lion, Atom Ant and Breezly and Sneezly.

Stunt

The H-B Top 20 Countdown
Saturday, August 18th from 12:00pm – 10:00pm
A 10 hour marathon counting down the best Hanna-Barbera series, featuring the 2 Stupid Dogs, The Swat Kats, The Herculoids, The Super Friends, Hong Kong Phooey, Secret Squirrel, Josie & The Pussycats, Space Ghost, Wacky Races, Magilla Gorilla, Quick Draw McGraw, Huckleberry Hound, Yogi Bear, Top Cat, The Jetsons, Jonny Quest, the Flintstones, Scooby-Doo, Tom & Jerry.

Movies and Specials

Saturday, August 4 - 4:00pm - Hey There, It's Yogi Bear
Sunday, August 5 - 4:00pm - I Yabba Dabba Do
Saturday, August 11 - 4:00pm - Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats
Sunday, August 12 - 4:00pm - Flintstones: Little Big League
Sunday, August 12 - 4:45pm - Flintstones: Fred's Final Fling
Sunday, August 19 - 4:00pm - Alice in Wonderland
Sunday, August 19 - 4:50pm - The Ugly Duckling
Saturday, August 25 - 4:00pm - Jonny's Golden Quest
Sunday, August 26 - 4:00pm - Jetsons Meet the Flintstones

Weekday Schedule

06:00am - The New Adventures of Captain Planet
06:30am - Flintstones
07:00am - Smurfs
07:30am - Snorks
08:00am - Wacky Races
08:30am - The Perils of Penelope Pitstop
09:00am - MGM Cartoons
09:30am - Popeye
10:00am - Boomerang Zoo
11:00am - Pink Panther
11:30am - The Jetsons
12:00pm - Flintstone Kids
12:30pm - The Huckleberry Hound Show
01:00pm - Magilla Gorilla
01:30pm - Secret Squirrel
02:00pm - Yogi Bear
02:30pm - Mike, Lu, and Og
03:00pm - Pebbles and Bamm Bamm
03:30pm - Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space
04:00pm - Hong Kong Phooey
04:30pm - Dastardly and Muttley
05:00pm - Snorks
05:30pm - Smurfs
06:00pm - Gerald McBoing Boing
06:30pm - Baby Looney Tunes
07:00pm - Krypto the Superdog
07:30pm - Tom and Jerry
08:00pm - MGM Cartoons
08:30pm - Flintstones
09:00pm - Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?
09:30pm - Dexter's Laboratory
10:00pm - Duck Dodgers
10:30pm - Cow and Chicken
11:00pm - Justice League Unlimited
11:30pm - SWAT Kats
12:00am - Superfriends
12:30am - Moby Dick and Mighty Mightor
01:00am - Top Cat
01:30am - Duck Dodgers
02:00am - Dastardly and Muttley
02:30am - Jonny Quest
03:00am - Space Ghost and Dino Boy
03:30am - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home
04:00am - Flintstones
04:30am - MGM Cartoons
05:00am - Popeye
05:30am - Banana Splits

[Woops]

"Powerpuff Girls" added in December 2008

June 2003 schedule, the earliest I can find

note: Boomerang only aired 8 hours of programming that repeated 3 times per day. Lasted until December 26, 2004. (According to Wiki)

8am - Smurfs
8:30am - Snorks
9am - Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?
9:30am - Scooby & Scrappy Doo
10am - Top Cat
10:30am - Penelope Pitstop
11am - Flintstones
11:30am - Pebbles & Bamm Bamm
12pm - Hanna-Barbera's Cartoon Corral
12:30pm - Casper & Friends
1pm - Jetsons
1:30pm - Mr. Magoo
2pm - Looney Tunes
2:30pm - Tom & Jerry
3pm - Rocky & Bullwinkle
3:30pm - Underdog

January 2004

8:00AM Smurfs
8:30AM Snorks
9:00AM Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!
9:30AM The Scooby & Scrappy-Doo Show
10:00AM Top Cat
10:30AM Inch-High Private Eye
11:00AM The Flintstones
11:30AM Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm Show
12:00PM Hanna-Barbera's Cartoon Corral
12:30PM Jabberjaw
1:00PM The Jetsons
1:30PM Secret Squirrel
2:00PM Looney Tunes
2:30PM Tom & Jerry
3:00PM Rocky & Bullwinkle Show
3:30PM Underdog

[Woops]

From the schedules, the mid 2000's would be the best since there was more variety oppose to the 8 hour block format, which tend to get repetative.

Though noticed more acquisitions during the early years with Casper & Bullwinkle. Now, probably just Pink Panther...though could change if Time Warner purchase the rest of MGM (they currently own most of the pre-1986 films).


Boomerang "jumped" around 2007 with 1990's & 2000's  cartoons started to air and the removal of Looney Tunes.  Actually wouldn't mind 1990's cartoons, but as long they're not shown on regular Cartoon Network. Then again, Cartoon Network doesn't air anything before 2000 except "Tom & Jerry" and a few  "Scooby Doo" incarnations.

[Out of the Blue]

I wonder if it's the networks themselves that went downhill or was it the lower quality cartoons that caused it?

[Woops]

from a  thread at Toon Zone

Article from Google News Archive


from thread:

A lot of these articles introducing Nick mention how regular kids' TV is "full of violence." Violence in 1979? What were these people seeing?

Agree that it's a bit odd...


Guessing theatrical cartoons that were shown on television like Looney Tunes and  Tom & Jerry  that would become edited for television around the time or later in the '80's... ugh!

Also action cartoons and programming like "The A Team" that were also slammed by PC groups.

It is funny that they tout Nick as an alternative to ''all the commercials they're constantly subjected to on regular TV'', only to show ads themselves a few years later.

ditto...  wasn't aware that Nick was commercial free

MTV, VH1,  & Nickelodeon were owned by Warner Amex and was bought by Viacom in 1986...