Chapter 1
The toy commercial revolution
Chapter 2
Global co-productions and anime roots
Chapter 3
Saturday mornings and educational shifts
Chapter 4
The magic of cel animation and voices
YOUR GOAL
Master of Classic retro cartoons
Ch 3 · Saturday mornings and educational shifts
schopenhauer Schoolhouse Rock
A kid forgot his math but sang along to rock songs, so we brought the lessons straight to Saturday TV
schopenhauer Hanna-Barbera adapted a Belgian comic strip into a massive Saturday morning cartoon hit in 1981.
schopenhauer Debuting in 1972, 'Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids' was one of the first animated shows to tackle real-world social issues.
Fun Fact
Conjunction Junction origin: Bob Dorough, who wrote the iconic Schoolhouse Rock song 'Conjunction Junction', was a professional jazz pianist who once played with Miles Davis.
Glossary
edutainment (noun)
Entertainment, such as a television program, that is designed to be both educational and enjoyable. In 1973, ABC debuted the animated series Schoolhouse Rock! to bring learning to weekend cartoon blocks.
Entertainment, such as a television program, that is designed to be both educational and enjoyable. In 1973, ABC debuted the animated series Schoolhouse Rock! to bring learning to weekend cartoon blocks.
Quiz
In what year did the educational musical short series 'Schoolhouse Rock' first premiere on ABC?
Quiz
What real-life profession did the creator of 'Schoolhouse Rock', David McCall, have?
Quiz
Which cartoon featured a group of kids hanging out in a North Philadelphia junkyard?
Quiz
Which media mogul co-created 'Captain Planet and the Planeteers' to promote environmental awareness?