Retro: Susquehanna Valley Thurs, July 13, 1978

[Stanislav]

And they were colorized not by any electronic/digital process (the technology did not yet exist), and not by Warner Brothers. They farmed the task out to a cheap-jack Korean animation studio that blew up the original frames and hand-traced them onto new cels. In the process, sloppy work and inattention insured that details would be lost, colors screwy (I distinctly recall one cartoon where Daffy Duck is BROWN), background signs misspelled, and sometimes bloopers like a character's arm or leg disappearing for a few frames.

Unfortunately, for most of us those were the only available copies being shown on TV for a long time. I don't think any of the B&W originals aired on TV until the 90's, when Nick used to have their Looney Tunes show.

I'm adamantly opposed to colorization of cartoons and films in general -- let me see the things as they were made by the creators. Don't give me that line about how colorization expands the potential audience because "today's kids won't watch anything in black and white." If they won't watch out of ignorance, then screw 'em. It's their loss.

Back when Ted Turner was going ga-ga over colorization and applying it to film classics (which to me is akin to putting a mustache on the Mona Lisa), Johnny Carson had a good line. "Did you hear Ted Turner is buying the Ansel Adams photo collection? He's having it colorized..." :

 

[azumanga]

Unfortunately, for most of us those were the only available copies being shown on TV for a long time. I don't think any of the B&W originals aired on TV until the 90's, when Nick used to have their Looney Tunes show.

I'm adamantly opposed to colorization of cartoons and films in general -- let me see the things as they were made by the creators. Don't give me that line about how colorization expands the potential audience because "today's kids won't watch anything in black and white." If they won't watch out of ignorance, then screw 'em. It's their loss.

Of course, it wasn't very long (probably a year or two after the Nick show began) when Nick replaced the black and whites with the cruddy W7 versions.

 

[Stanislav]

Unfortunately, for most of us those were the only available copies being shown on TV for a long time. I don't think any of the B&W originals aired on TV until the 90's, when Nick used to have their Looney Tunes show.

I'm adamantly opposed to colorization of cartoons and films in general -- let me see the things as they were made by the creators. Don't give me that line about how colorization expands the potential audience because "today's kids won't watch anything in black and white." If they won't watch out of ignorance, then screw 'em. It's their loss.

Of course, it wasn't very long (probably a year or two after the Nick show began) when Nick replaced the black and whites with the cruddy W7 versions.

Probably the rights expired, and then some bean counter at Nick figured it was a lot cheaper to get the crappy colorized remakes rather than renew the rights to the originals.

 

[Markd]

"and I could have sworn that WKBS started their broadcast day earlier than 10am though. I DO rememebr watching Huck & Yogi though at 3:30."

You are sort of right. Channels 48 and 29 both would go back and fourth with sign on times. From September to December of 1974, both Channel 48 and 29 began doing cartoon blocks from 7 to 9 a.m. weekdays. Right after Christmas around New Years both stations reverted to 10:30 and 10 AM sign on times. Then Labor Day of 1975 Channel 48 and 29 again began a weekday 7 AM sign on. WKBS TV had cartoons until 8 AM and the PTL Club 8-10 AM. Channel 29 had a cartoon block 7 to 9 AM as well. In January of 1976, WKBS TV kept its 8 AM sign on to run PTL Club which went till 10 AM. Channel 29 went back to a 30 sign on weekdays. In the Fall of 1976, Channel 48 and Channel 29 reinstated early sign ons. WKBS TV broke up PTL Club running an hour at 6 AM, Cartoons at 7 AM and back to PTL Club at 9 AM. Channel 29 began cartoons again at 7 AM till 9 AM. This happened the week before Labor Day. Then after New Years Channel 48 reverted to 8 AM sign on moving PTL back to 8-10 and Channel 29 reverted to 9:30 sign on time weekdays.

In April of 1977, WKBS TV dropped PTL Club and began 10 AM sign ons weekdays. PTL moved to Channel 29 9-11 AM weekdays and so WTAF signed on at 9 again and 48 at 10 AM. The week before Labor Day 1977, Channel 48 again began signing on at 7 AM for cartoons. They kept this sign on time once again until New years 1978. Channel 29 began 7 AM sign on the week after labor day and stayed with that. WTAF from September 1977 on signed on before 7 AM. Anyhow Channel 48 once more began 10 AM Weekday signons again New years of 1978 and stayed with that until the Fall of 1978 when finally they began signing on before 7 AM and stayed with that.

Channel 17 also signed on between 9 and 10 AM weekdays until the spring of 1979. They were the last station to begn early sign ons. I always wondered why these stations had late sign ons. They had enough programs for the entiure day. That Summer lineup on Channel 48 was lowsy. They rested most of their best shows and left a rather bad schedule. That was their worst schedule I can recall. Oh that Star Trek at 12:30 was the cartoon and they ran the Lucy Show at 1 PM back then