Howard Fein
01-10-2002, 10:40 AM
It's interesting from a toon scholar's point of view that CN seems to be showing all the WB shorts in order on BUGS & DAFFY. But this isn't the first time I've observed such a phenomenon.
The CBS affiliate in Rochester, New York, used to carry the syndicated color-traced LTs and post-48s in an off-network early morning or late afternoon slot when I went to college there in 1978-81. Of course, the same channel showed the 90-minute CBS Saturday morning BB/RR as part of its normal network feed.
But a strange thing happened fall 1981. Channel 10, as it was called locally, started showing the syndicated post-48s (but not the faux 'Seven Arts' colorized LTs) with the usual full credits and titles in the BB/RR Saturday morning slot- 9:00-10:30, I believe- instead of the CBS show. :confused: What's more, they were shown IN ORDER, from DOUGH-RAY-MEOW all the way through MICE FOLLIES. That meant several weeks of Art Davis-directed Daffy titles in September followed a preponderance of Road Runner and Foghorn by November.
Enough syndicated post-48s existed to run ten titles a week all the way through Christmas without repeats. This included unedited versions of SOUTHERN FRIED RABBIT :p , WISE QUACKERS, THE MOUSE THAT JACK BUILT, BALLOT BOX BUNNY and FEATHER DUSTED, not to mention the oft-banned WHICH IS WITCH, TOM TOM TOMCAT, THE OILY AMERICAN, BUSHY HARE and CHINA JONES. :D
(Racial tolerance in upstate New York must have still been high in 1980, because Rochester's and Buffalo's syndicated MGM shows ran unedited LUCKY DUCKY, DROOPY'S GOOD DEED, THE MILKY WAIF, GARDEN GOPHER and numerous T & J shorts with Mammy. :eek: When WPIX in New York started running T & J and post-48 Avery in 1977, these titles were heavily edited or not shown at all. :( )
The question remains as to why the Rochester CBS affiliate did this. I recall its weekday afternoon WB show was pulled in favor of talk shows, so maybe public outcry prompted them to air it on Saturday mornings in place of the network show. This way they wouldn't have to change the listing- or they figured viewers wouldn't notice the difference.
Small markets have an annoying habit of pulling network shows off in favor of programming of their own choice (Rochester's NBC affiliate would show M*A*S*H reruns in DIFF'RENT STROKES' Friday night slot :) ) but this was a really weird undertaking.
The CBS affiliate in Rochester, New York, used to carry the syndicated color-traced LTs and post-48s in an off-network early morning or late afternoon slot when I went to college there in 1978-81. Of course, the same channel showed the 90-minute CBS Saturday morning BB/RR as part of its normal network feed.
But a strange thing happened fall 1981. Channel 10, as it was called locally, started showing the syndicated post-48s (but not the faux 'Seven Arts' colorized LTs) with the usual full credits and titles in the BB/RR Saturday morning slot- 9:00-10:30, I believe- instead of the CBS show. :confused: What's more, they were shown IN ORDER, from DOUGH-RAY-MEOW all the way through MICE FOLLIES. That meant several weeks of Art Davis-directed Daffy titles in September followed a preponderance of Road Runner and Foghorn by November.
Enough syndicated post-48s existed to run ten titles a week all the way through Christmas without repeats. This included unedited versions of SOUTHERN FRIED RABBIT :p , WISE QUACKERS, THE MOUSE THAT JACK BUILT, BALLOT BOX BUNNY and FEATHER DUSTED, not to mention the oft-banned WHICH IS WITCH, TOM TOM TOMCAT, THE OILY AMERICAN, BUSHY HARE and CHINA JONES. :D
(Racial tolerance in upstate New York must have still been high in 1980, because Rochester's and Buffalo's syndicated MGM shows ran unedited LUCKY DUCKY, DROOPY'S GOOD DEED, THE MILKY WAIF, GARDEN GOPHER and numerous T & J shorts with Mammy. :eek: When WPIX in New York started running T & J and post-48 Avery in 1977, these titles were heavily edited or not shown at all. :( )
The question remains as to why the Rochester CBS affiliate did this. I recall its weekday afternoon WB show was pulled in favor of talk shows, so maybe public outcry prompted them to air it on Saturday mornings in place of the network show. This way they wouldn't have to change the listing- or they figured viewers wouldn't notice the difference.
Small markets have an annoying habit of pulling network shows off in favor of programming of their own choice (Rochester's NBC affiliate would show M*A*S*H reruns in DIFF'RENT STROKES' Friday night slot :) ) but this was a really weird undertaking.