CBS Saturday Morning Advertisement, Circa 1966

CBS kicked off its new Saturday morning line-up for the 1966-1967 season on September 10th at 8AM with Captain Kangaroo, the only live-action portion of its five-hour kids block. Three and a half hours were brand new color cartoons. Apparently the 8:30-9AM half-hour was programmed by individual affiliates and not the network; WCBS-TV in New York City aired DoDo, The Kid from Outer Space. Here’s the full schedule:

08:00AM – Captain Kangaroo
08:30AM – Local Programming (?)
09:00AM – Mighty Mouse Playhouse
09:30AM – Underdog (New)
10:00AM – Frankenstein Jr. and The Impossibles (New)
10:30AM – Space Ghost / Dino Boy in the Lost Valley (New)
11:00AM – The New Adventures of Superman (New)
11:30AM – The Lone Ranger (New)
12:00PM – The Road Runner Show (New)
12:30PM – The Beagles (New)
01:00PM – Tom and Jerry

Might Mouse Playhouse was replaced by Mighty Mouse & The Mighty Heroes in early October. Here’s a two-page advertisement for the CBS Super Heroes Saturday line-up, from Marvel’s The Avengers #33, which had a cover date of October 1966 but likely came out in August. Click on the image for a larger version:

Scan of a comic book advertisement for the Fall 1966 CBS Saturday Morning Line-up

Advertisement for the Fall 1966 CBS Saturday Morning Line-up
Copyright © Vista Publications, Inc., 1966

A little historical note: NASA’s Gemini 11, with Charles Conrad, Jr. and Richard F. Gordon, Jr., was supposed to have launched during the morning of Saturday, September 10th but was delayed until Monday, September 12th due to technical problems. Had it launched successfully, all three broadcast networks would have pre-empted their Saturday line-ups at various times for live coverage. Thankfully for the millions of children hoping to catch the premiere of the new CBS Saturday morning, there were perhaps only a few pre-emptions to inform the public that the mission was being delayed.


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27 Replies to “CBS Saturday Morning Advertisement, Circa 1966”

  1. “CAPTAIN KANGAROO” was on for a full hour on weekdays throughout most of its CBS run, including Saturday mornings (from 1956 through ’68). WNBC-TV in New York aired “DODO”, that “educational” British cartoon series Joseph E. Levine distributed in the U.S., at 8:30am(nyt) from 1966 through ’69; at that time, NBC’s Saturday schedule didn’t start until 9am(et) {with DePatie-Freleng’s “SUPER 6”, in the fall of ’66}.

    The architect of CBS’ 1966-’67 Saturday schedule was Fred Silverman, who later became the network’s chief programmer in prime-time. He saw how kids were drawn to ABC’s “BATMAN” in prime-time during the first half of 1966. And when he saw how “disappointing” his own network’s Saturday morning line-up looked…

    [this is how it looked in the summer of ’66]:
    8:00 CAPTAIN KANGAROO
    9:00 THE HECKLE & JECKLE CARTOON SHOW
    9:30 TENNESSEE TUXEDO AND HIS TALES
    10:00 MIGHTY MOUSE PLAYHOUSE
    10:30 THE ADVENTURES OF LASSIE [the later Jon Provost episodes] (r)
    11:00 TOM AND JERRY [the original MGM cartoons]
    11:30 QUICK DRAW McGRAW
    12:00 SKY KING (r)
    12:30 LINUS THE LIONHEARTED
    1:00 MY FRIEND FLICKA (r)

    …Silverman decided the best way to combat the other networks’ mixture of cartoons and live-action series {including ABC’s red-hot animated version of “THE BEATLES”, which forced him to swap “LASSIE” and “LINUS THE LIONHEARTED”‘s time periods in mid-season}, and give CBS the “advantage” in capitalizing on the “superhero craze” created by “BATMAN”, was to create an “all-superhero” line-up. Most of those came from Hanna-Barbera {“FRANKENSTEIN JR. AND THE IMPOSSIBLES”, “SPACE GHOST”}, Filmation {“THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN”, featuring Bud Collyer and Joan Alexander recreating their original radio roles of “Clark Kent” and “Lois Lane”}, and Halas & Bachelor/Wrather Corporation {“THE LONE RANGER”, featuring more “bizarre” villains- inspired by “BATMAN”- than the Ranger had previously battled on radio and early TV}.

    Even CBS’ Terrytoons studio got into the act, on Silverman’s suggestion, revamping “MIGHTY MOUSE PLAYHOUSE” into “MIGHTY MOUSE AND THE MIGHTY HEROES”, featuring a mix of theatrical Mighty Mouse cartoons and Ralph Bakshi’s offbeat {to say the least} creation of a “superhero squad” that usually saved the day (despite their constant bumbling), in two-part stories that “bookended” a Mighty Mouse cartoon and a “classic” Terrytoon.

    General Mills “owned” the Saturday 9:30am(et) time period on CBS since 1963, when they packaged and primarily sponsored “TENNESSEE TUXEDO AND HIS TALES” (with Topper Toys as an alternate sponsor). Again, with Fred Silverman’s encouragement, they moved “THE UNDERDOG SHOW” from NBC into that 9:30 slot, slightly revamping the program, replacing repeats of “The Hunter” and “Tooter and Mr. Wizard” [from GM’s previous “KING LEONARDO AND HIS SHORT SUBJECTS”] with new segments featuring “Go-Go Gophers” and “Klondike Kat”. They also packaged “THE BEAGLES”, at 12:30 (a musical doggie duo usually mixed up in some fantastic adventure inbetween their musical numbers), which is now considered a “lost series”, because the master copies of all 26 episodes were inadvertantly destroyed, shortly after it went off CBS in 1967; only a few kinescopes and film prints of several episodes are known to exist.

    This schedule became a HUMONGOUS success [I usually watched “CAPTAIN KANGAROO”, “MIGHTY MOUSE AND THE MIGHTY HEROES”, “UNDERDOG” (then switching to ABC’s “KING KONG” at 10), “SPACE GHOST” (and often “THE BEATLES” on ABC), “THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN”, “THE LONE RANGER”, “THE ROAD RUNNER SHOW” (and ABC’s “BUGS BUNNY SHOW” at times), and “THE BEAGLES”, winding up with either “TOM AND JERRY” or ABC’s “HOPPITY HOOPER”- and sometimes, ABC’s “AMERICAN BANDSTAND ’66” at 1:30]….that influenced the other networks into loading THEIR 1967-’68 schedules with more “superhero” cartoons. I tell you, you HAD to be there during that season to understand WHY this Saturday morning schedule was such an influence on me and other kids who watched it…..in fact, the above comic book ad was such a HUGE marketing success, Silverman insisted that one appear before the start of EVERY season in every major comic book, through the mid-’70s; ABC and NBC soon did the same with their Saturday morning schedules…

    1. The 66-67 season was the first true year that all three networks had original Saturday AM programming-if I recall correctly; and the DC-Filmation block was certainly a factor. But, I’m curious-which do y’all think truly put Filmation on the map: DC or the Archie franchise?

  2. That is a big difference compared to the claptrap that CBS is airing starting in April:
    Busytown Mysteries
    Noonbory and the Super Seven (The lone ‘superhero’ cartoon in the block!)
    Sabrina: The Animated Series (The one show based on a comic book property! It is reruns of a show that originally aired in 1999!)
    The Doodlebops Rockin Road Show (A new series)
    Strawberry Shortcake
    and probably Caillou!

    Now compare it to FunTown, the Saturday morning block on FamilyNet:
    Adventures In Odyssey
    Flip Flop Shop
    Zeek’s Animal World
    Aqua Kids
    Underdog (The same Underdog that CBS had in Fall, 1966!)
    The Bullwinkle Show
    Real Life 101
    Ultimate Choice

    Learn the difference!

    J.A.P.

  3. You have to understand, Jeremy, that CBS currently leases their Saturday morning schedule [9am-12pm(et)] to Cookie Jar Entertainment; they, in turn, fill that time with whatever THEY want to schedule, not the network. NBC has the same arrangement with “Qubo” during the same time periods; ABC, which is owned by The Walt Disney Company, fills their Saturday mornings [9am-1pm(et)] with “all-Disney” programming (including “MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS”, which they acquired from Saban Entertainment a few years ago). CBS and NBC don’t “control” those Saturday hours as they used to; they prefer to make money by letting other “packagers” schedule whatever they want {with respect to “educational” programming requirements- “E/I”}. That’s why Cookie Jar’s line-up is, as you kindly put it, “claptrap”. At least they’re easing up on the multiple scheduling of “BUSYTOWN” and “NOONBORY” {“Don’t they have MORE programming in their library, Daddy?”/”Don’t bother me, I’m trying to figure out a way to legally triple my income, like this internet ad says”}. The animated “SABRINA”, as you probably know, was previously distributed by Andy Hayward’s “DIC Entertainment”, which was acquired by Cookie Jar in 2008 (it was cheaper to schedule one of their library’s “evergreens” on their current CBS schedule than spend money on a new series). Now, they’re bringing back “STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE” repeats to fill more time {and maybe “CAILLOU”}, along with the new “DOODLEBOPS” series. It’s an improvement…how much, I don’t know.

    FamilyNet made a deal with Classic Media to add repeats of “THE UNDERDOG SHOW” and “THE BULLWINKLE SHOW” (last I saw of the latter was on Chicago’s WGN on late Saturday nights this past summer) to their “Fun Town” schedule- that’s a plus! Yet, there’s that “E/I” requiement on the rest of their schedule….

  4. The other broadcaster that has outsourced Saturday ayem kidvid is The CW.

    For the first year and eight months of The CW, they carried over KidsWB which had been the successful mainstay on The WB network for Saturday ayem and weekday mornings/afternoon blocks too.

    Then, right around the time that FOX decided to end their outsourcing arrangements with 4KidsTV four-hour block, The CW did a deal with 4Kids which was re-born as CW4Kids and KidsWB disappeared (only to re-appear as a web-accessed network).

    Amongst the broadcasters, weekday morning/afternoon kidvid has completely disappeared (it used to air on FOX, WB and UPN), while the broadcast field on Saturday mornings is now down to the battle of four outsourcers. One only needs to look at the ratings to see why, from the time of the legendary Mr. Silverman’s breakthrough schedule up until last season:

    September 1966 Households
    1. CBS 9.1HH (9:30a-1:30p)
    2. ABC 4.4HH (9:30a-1:30p)
    3. NBC 3.7HH/26% (9:30a-12:30p)

    Spot ratings from that fall ‘The New Adventures of Superman’ 11.5HH/44%, ‘Frankenstein Jr. & The Impossibles’ 10.1HH/42%, ‘Tom & Jerry’ 7.8HH, ‘The Beatles’ 7.7HH

    Fall 1974-75 Season
    1. CBS 6.5HH
    1. ABC 6.5HH
    3. NBC 6.1HH

    Top 5 that fall: 1. ‘Land of the Lost’ (NBC) 10.4HH, 2. ‘Shazam’ (CBS) 8.6HH, 3. ‘Adventures of Gilligan’ (ABC) 8.1HH, 4. ‘Superfriends’ (ABC) 7.7HH, 5. ‘Run Joe, Run’ (NBC) 7.6HH

    1987-88 Season Households
    1. NBC 4.9
    2. CBS 4.0
    3. ABC 3.5

    1994-95 Season (pre-UPN/WB) Households
    1. FOX 5.2
    2. ABC 3.2
    3. CBS 3.0

    2000/01 season K2-11s
    1. Nickelodeon 5.0
    2. kidsWB 3.1
    3. Foxbox 2.5
    4. ABCkids 2.2
    5. CBS 1.9
    6. Cartoon 1.9
    7. PBS 1.5
    8. Disney 1.5
    9. FOX Family 0.6

    2008-09 Season averages K6-11s
    1. Nickelodeon 4.4
    2. Disney 2.3
    3. Cartoon 1.9
    4. ABCkids 1.0
    5. CW4Kids 0.8
    5. FOX kids4TV 0.8 (fall season only)
    7. DisneyXD 0.7 (started mid-season)
    8. kewlopolis on CBS 0.3
    8. qubo on NBC 0.3

    At this point, CBS and NBC are only keeping their skeds going to help affiliates (and the network) fulfill their “E/I” commitments. In the numbers I’ve seen for this 2009-10 season (I don’t have season averages yet), CW4kids has improved and has pulled even with ABCkids, and DisneyXD has strengthened too.

  5. …and the ratings for “Cookie Jar TV” {formerly “Kewlopolis”} [CBS] and “Qubo” [NBC] are probably the same as they were last season, ‘DuMont’. Fox is still without a national “Saturday morning schedule”; it’s much too profitable for their affiliates to schedule “paid informercials” or other “local programming”.

  6. The main reason Cookie Jar TV is fighting with Qubo for the ‘DEAD LAST’ spot is the fact that they dumped great shows like Sushi Pack and Dino-Squad for wussy trash like ‘Sabrina: The Animated Series’, the SINGLE WORST animated adaptation of a comic book ever produced, the Sabrina comic books come from Archie Comics, the single worst comic book publisher to license shows from (except for the Red Circle guys). Also, the Sabrina comic book is a teen-humor book, the single worst genre in comic books! It is better to have no comic book licenses at all than to have a teen humor comic book license for your line-up!

    Qubo might actually gain audience share, while Cookie Jar Tv will lose it!

    J.A.P.

  7. I sympathize with you, Jeremy. Try to remember that when “SABRINA: THE ANIMATED SERIES” first appeared on ABC (and the now-defunct UPN) in 1999, the “franchise” surrounding what was supposed to be “The Teen-Age Witch” was RED HOT, due to the live-action ABC comedy starring Melissa Joan Hart {ugghhh…}. Naturally, Archie Comic Publications and Melissa’s production comany [Hartbreak Films] wanted an animated counterpart; they joined forces with DIC Entertainment and “Savage Steve Holland” (who created a “tween” counterpart of Sabrina for the series, not unlike Archie Comics’ “Li’l Sabrina” stories) to produce 65 episodes, with Melissa’s sister Emily as “Sabrina Jr.”, and Melissa herself as BOTH of her aunts….not unlike Jane Webb’s mulitple female voices in the original Filmation “SABRINA” cartoons, which were a result of CBS Saturday AM programming executive Fred Silverman, who was looking for a new “gimmick” for the animated “ARCHIE” series in 1969, and found it between the pages of “Archie’s Mad House”, where Sabrina had become, by 1969, its “star character”. He insisted she become a part of the “Riverdale gang” on “ARCHIE’S FUN HOUSE”, which led to her own series and her inclusion on the pages of “Archie’s TV Laugh-Out” and, finally, her own comic book).

    The only problem was, the “live” “SABRINA” sitcom became a little long in the tooth, with Melissa “outgrowing” her part, yet the WB network renewed it until Sabrina was ready to be married (!!) at the very end of the series in 2003. That didn’t stop Archie Comics from capitalizing on the TV cartoon by publishing 37 issues based on it; reprints of those stories are still published in various Archie comic digests. In fact, ever since her co-creator Dan DeCarlo left the firm in 2000 {due to a lawsuit}- and died a few years later, a damn shame- the “Sabrina” comic went into a state of “influx”- from “Teen-Age Witch” to “tween Sabrina” to “(Japanese) manga Sabrina”…who knows what they’ll do with her next!

    As I’ve mentioned before, Cookie Jar TV is “cheap”- and they’ll pull a series like “SABRINA” from their library and save money by running repeats on their CBS schedule because it’s a “known property”. Apparently, shows like “SUSHI PACK” and DINO-SQUAD” are currently “out of favor” with them….sorry, Jeremy.

  8. Cookie Jar is reducing Noonbory and Busytown Mysteries to one showing each! Bad news: They chose not to air Caillou, and will instead air TWO episodes of Sabrina: The Animated Series: A BAAAD move! There are better comic book properties out there to license, like ‘Sultry Teenage Super-Foxes’!

    Dino-Squad is back on the air as part of the Cookie Jar Kids Network syndicated deal!

    J.A.P.

  9. That may be, Jeremy, but exactly HOW WOULD “Sultry Teen Age Super-Foxes” fulfill the requirements for “E/I” programming that production companies like Cookie Jar Entertainment are required to provide for stations that carry their programming? There would have to be several changes in the format, including the elimination of the title itself {“too suggestive for an animated children’s show”} and the amount of violence and sexual innuendo involved {“absolutely unacceptable!”}- ESPECIALLY the costumes…..quite frankly, “Sultry Teenage Super-Foxes” would make a better series on Cartoon Network’s “Adult Swim”, or the Spike and FX cable channels….late at night, where most kids wouldn’t have easy access to it.

    On the other hand, a mainstream comic book character like “Sabrina” (ANY variation of her) is “squeaky-clean”, and perfectly acceptable for all age groups. It made an easy transition to several animated cartoon variations- and it appears Cookie Jar is depending on the 1999 version to “carry” their CBS schedule, as it seems to be the most popular series on their current line-up, as well as the “cheapest” (and apparently Archie Comic Publications doesn’t mind the free “publicity” about one of their star characters, now that “Sabrina” is about to be seen TWICE each Saturday).

    Well, at least “DINO-SQUAD” is still being shown somewhere….

  10. Well, they could shorten the title to just ‘Super-Foxes’, & design more kid-friendly costumes for them!

    Sbarina is not a star character, more of a ‘bottom-feeder’ property. I would have seen these fellas as ‘star characters’ instead: The Red Circle characters (a.k.a. The Mighty Crusaders) or That Wilkin Boy!

    I would have had Noonbory and the Super Seven be the show that Cookie Jar airs TWICE on their CBS line-up, as it is the only good show on that roster!

    J.A.P.

  11. Altering the title to “Super-Foxes” would still be “unacceptable” to most “bluenoses” [“What’s a ‘superfox’, Daddy?”/”Not now, I’m trying to figure out a way to make money from these ‘Squiggly-Wigglies’, like this internet ad says..”]…..UNLESS, you literally changed them into “girl foxes”(!) to comply with “standards and practices” and “E/I” requirements. Then, maybe their costumes wouldn’t look so “suggestive” on top of “animal fur”, either {to some, yes}. But it wouldn’t be the same…

    At one time, Jeremy, Sabrina WAS a “star property”, because of her initial TV exposure on the “ARCHIE” shows of the late ’60s and early ’70s [leading to her own series and comic books], and the resurgence of her as a live-action sitcom in the ’90s. Today, she’s somewhat “dormant”. If Fred Silverman had any interest in making “Bingo Wilkin” the star of his own CBS cartoon show, he would have done so in the early ’70s…perhaps one “Archie” was enough for him. And “superheroes” were “out of favor” on Saturday morning TV at that time, so no chance of a “Red Circle” series…

    Ah, at least “NOONBORY” is still on!

  12. Another new show will come to Cookie Jar TV!

    The Backyardigans Adventure Club will debut on June 5, 2010!

    J.A.P.

  13. For some stupid reason, they are NOT going to air Beacyardigans Adventure Club in June!

    J.A.P.

  14. I have some news regarding Cookie Jar TV:

    It is in trouble! Cookie Jar has made this block WORSE than the prevoius season!

    They broke their pre-season promise of original live-action material to age up the audience a bit!
    The only good show on that line-up is Noonbory!
    The initial line-up was terrible, with only three shows!
    The April line-up change was worse, choosing to add only two new shows, while giving the extra showing to Sabrina!

    They must make some serious changes for the fall!

    J.A.P.

  15. The Strawberry Shortcake cartoon currently airing on Cookie Jar TV will be airing on a new channel called The Hub that will debut this October!

    J.A.P.

  16. More bad news regarding Cookie Jar TV: The Doodlebops Rockin Road Show will make its final appearance on the block tomorrow! Yes, the show is cancelled after only 12 episodes!

    I assume that Cookie Jar will replace it with another showing of one of the four remaining series! That is shoddy, since DRRS was its newest show!

    What do you think?

    J.A.P.

  17. With the Doodlebops Rockin Road Show out out of Cookie Jar TV, which show will be replacing it?

    J.A.P.

  18. Cookie Jar TV has gotten even worse: We have already lost The Doodlebops Rockin Road Show, but Strawberry Shortcake is making its last appearance on the block tomorrow! In Strawberry Shortcake’s case it is understandable, as the show is slated to appear on a new cable channel called the Hub!

    That leaves Cookie Jar TV with the exact same roster that they had at the beginning of the season! Why would they drop a new show like DRRS, while they continue to push Sabrina: The Animated Series, the SINGLE WORST ANIMATED ADAPTATION OF A COMIC BOOK EVER PRODUCED!

    Who is going to continue BOYCOTTING this garbage?

    J.A.P.

  19. You’re certainly not going to like this, Jeremy (or will you?)- “Cookie Jar TV” is replacing the two ‘SABRINA” repeats with “TROLLZ” and repeats of “HORSELAND”, starting February 5th.

  20. I hope Barry I. Grauman is reading this, but this may be the last season of Cookie Jar TV on CBS. The only news regarding the block was the addition of the new show ‘Lords of the Playground’.

    It seems like Cookie Jar like to procrastinate when it comes to the CBS block and release any line-up changes as late as possible, mostly releasing them only a few weeks prior to the date where the changes take place!

    J.A.P.

    1. Patterson, will you give this up and stop trolling this site with your anti-Cookie Jar bull$&%#? Nobody really cares, since most people have (and watch) Cartoon Network anyway to get their cartoon fix. Cartoons are not the same as they used to be, and that is all there is to it. What are you anyway, the denizen of a group home for the intellectually challenged? Off of your meds again? Just get up and buy some anime instead, or get some therapy.

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