Afterschool Specials and would they work today?

[aarontabr]

Does anyone remember when ABC used to air the After School specials at 4 pm eastern once in awhile? I never got to watch them as I was too young and always had to stay at after school care after school. Exactly what made them so popular?

If the WB/CW is not going to air cartoons anymore on weekday afternoons but instead comedy reruns, I was thinking that the new CW could revive the After School special. It would be a good use of the 3-5 afternoon block instead of comedy reruns. Imagine that a new generations of teens could learn a valuable lesson about life.

 

[bhayes1016]

The Afterschool Specials are popular today strictly due to their camp value. Too many channels today to hold teens' and tweens' attention with that kind of heavy-handed preaching.

 

[jegrant]

The only show that I think could work as an OTA "afterschool special" as part of, for example, a new Daytime CW block, would be Degrassi: The Next Generation, currently airing on The N. However, since it is The N's top-rated show, I doubt they would give it up for OTA, unless those rights would actually be available separately from the Canadian distributor CTV.

Also, I think it would be more controversial as an OTA program, due to its plotlines around alternative lifestyles, drug use, domestic violence, and so on. IMO they always deal responsibly with these issues, but some of the conservative groups would more than likely file many an FCC complaint over the program. On digital cable, the show is somewhat insulated from such complaints.

 

[JeeperOne]

Hi everyone:

omestic violence, and so on. IMO they always deal responsibly with these issues, but some of the conservative groups would more than likely file many an FCC complaint over the program. On digital cable, the show is somewhat insulated from such complaints.

That is because Conservatives wouldn't know decent EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING from a hole in the ground. Look at what they're doing to PBS as a shining example!

Cheers

 

[Markxxx]

Degrassi Jr High and Degrass High were good examples of HOW to do a show for teens. But even the Degrassi High The Next Generation, doesn't live up to the previous two.

Today there is too much compromised on vision and to many cop-outs and bowing to pressure to make any teen aged theme shows real.

One thing teen agers hate is hypocrisy. They tend to see the world in black and white and when you avoid outcomes to themes because of pressure teens balk at it.

Could anyone see a realistic show on a teen pregnancy that involves anything but adoption or the parents coming in to help raise the child? I worked as a youth mentor and I saw a lot of abortions and stupid kids having it more than once. I saw a lot of parents throwing the kids out and I think the rosy pictures the TV shows paint don't fly well in today's youth.

True you don't want to show only doom and gloom and despite bad odds some teens do well. but if you consistantly present only one side it smacks of the angst teens and people till the mid 20s like.

And while I agree the idea of an "Afterschool Special" type show is an excellent one I question whether it could be done effectively in today's era of political correctness

 

[jegrant]

On Degrassi: TNG, one girl has indeed had an abortion; this is the one plotline that remains unaired here in the USA. The N will not, as they put it, "go there". (The non-abortion-related parts of that particular episode were shown here, however.)

Also, it's worth checking out the unrated DVD of "Jay and Silent Bob Do Degrassi" - great arc of episodes, and interesting extras where Kevin Smith reveals how big of a Degrassi fan he really is.