Now, a recap of the Saturday morning television lineup and the kids shows of the 1990-91 season.
NBC:
In 1990, NBC was still the leading provider of children's programming. Although Camp Candy returned to start off the half hour it was followed by Captain N and The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 (a one-hour program consisting of Captain N and the Game Master, and The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, hence the title), based on the Nintendo games, produced by DIC Animation City, then with the new Rick Moranis/Hanna-Barbera cartoon Gravedale High, then with the new cartoon based on the hip-hop duo Kid 'n Play, produced by Marvel Productions, and returning with the season with The Chipmunks Go to the Movies, followed by two live-action teen series, the returning Saved by the Bell, and the new Guys Next Door, then with Saturday Morning Videos, and then going to NBA Inside Stuff.
CBS:
CBS is hitting things big. CBS is cutting down Muppet Babies to a half-hour, this was followed by a cartoon version of Absolute Entertainment's A Boy and His Blob (a show NBC turned down), produced by DIC Animation City, in their comeback to CBS, then with Garfield and Friends, followed by Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (which had just arrived on the network with new episodes, concurrent with the syndicated run), and then watch their new adventures in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures (based on the 1989 movie Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure), then with the returning programming, the live-action Pee-wee's Playhouse and Dink, the Little Dinosaur, followed at 12:30 p.m. by the longtime staple CBS Storybreak.
ABC:
ABC is doing strong with the return of The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, followed by the cartoon adaptation of the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz, then with Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters, and Beetlejuice (two returning shows), then DIC's cartoon adaptation of New Kids on the Block, then with The Bugs Bunny and Tweety Show (with the acquisition of some of older and newer cartoons, and affixed into the program), followed it up by Little Rosey, a show Roseanne Barr created for Nelvana, and then it concluded with A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, only to be replaced that winter by ABC Weekend Special.
FOX:
FOX hit its impact with the new children's programming. Kicking off the day with Zazoo U, a Film Roman cartoon, to be followed by another cartoon Bobby's World, featuring the stand-up talent of Howie Mandel, to be produced by Film Roman, then with the new Hanna-Barbera cartoon Tom and Jerry Kids, licensed from Turner Entertainment, then with Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, based on the blockbuster movies of the same name, and then the new Ruby-Spears cartoon Piggsburg Pigs, to be followed by Fox's Fun House, a new version of the kids show of the same name. On the other side, in addition to the game shows and the soap opera Tribes, Fox delivered a weekday strip, usually at the 4:30 p.m. time, Fox's Peter Pan and the Pirates.
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Syndicated:
No matter what stations did, Captain Planet and the Planeteers began play in syndication, as well as TBS and TNT. It also offered Barnyard Commandoes, Midnight Patrol: Adventures in the Dream Zone, The Adventures of Don Coyote and Sancho Panda and all along, Widget the World Watcher, which was delivered to syndication. Also debuted was the strip The Adventures of He-Man, along with the new show in conjunction with the Disney Channel, Wake, Rattle and Roll, and another syndicated strip, from Warner Bros., Tiny Toon Adventures. The Disney Afternoon began with The Adventures of the Gummi Bears, DuckTales, Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, and the brand new TaleSpin.
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Cable Networks:
Regardless of cable networks, we had two to offer children's programming. Nickelodeon debuted its new game show Wild & Crazy Kids, to be followed by two new variety shows SK8-TV and Outta Here, and early next year, came along the sitcoms Welcome Freshmen, Clarissa Explains It All, and next summer, Salute Your Shorts. Also debuted next summer were the first three Nicktoons, Doug, Rugrats, and The Ren & Stimpy Show. Also next winter, came the first teen drama Fifteen, and new game shows Get the Picture, and next summer What Would You Do?. Nothing new for The Disney Channel, just consisting of acquired reruns, along with the new variety The Magical World of Disney, a series of compilations of Disney hits.