Whatever happened to Saturday morning Tv for kids/teens?

[Gooddaymatey]

Just sat here and Dd watching CBeebies, looking at other channels it dawned on me-where are the kids/teens shows?
I grew up watching Saturday morning cartoons, then Going Live, Wacaday, Live & kicking (was that the name?) Gem (truly outrageous) then later on, Smtv. There was also music shows on C4 etc…looking now, it’s all cookery shows, what do the kids watch on Saturday mornings, if anything?

It’s sad! Also the radio thing and the joy of finding out what number 1 was and taping the charts. My family also used to sit around on a Sunday, listening to the radio or music and reading the papers, I’d steal the supplements…ahh things change I guess

Well, there you go.

Even though I guarantee you have CBBC on your TV, the number of channels we have today, as well as the plethora of streaming online options, means the audience is completely fragmented, so can't support the cost of a live studio-based old-school networked TV show.

Proper "Saturday morning TV" hasn't been on BBC1 and ITV for... 15 years? It was shifted to the dedicated CBBC and CITV channels when the kids audience were watching those. Since then, CBBC audiences have shrunk and CITV has closed down.

CBBC went app-only, didn't it? I thought there was a lot of complaints here about it being removed from freeview?

I don't have freeview, so I can't check.

I suspect lots of kids do things on Saturday mornings now, though. The average child seems to do a lot more classes than we ever did when I was young. Now most are doing football/boxing/dance/swimming etc.

CBBC is still showing as active on the Freeview website as of today.

We’re generally out at weekend as live in a beach type place, but Saturday mornings I normally work and Dd stays with Dh. I‘m off today and we’re having a chill day and it’s just dawned on me when flicking through channels. Can’t believe it took me 15 years to notice though 😂

I must admit I do get nostalgic for the way we watched TV as kids. It's nothing like what my kids do now but I suppose every generation of parents must have this feeling over something like that.

i think a lot of the banning of ads for kids made a big dent in the commissioning of kids tv. it's such a shame as some of the shows made were fantastic.

Going live! 018 018 018

Its different now, just stream what you want

DS is 8 and doesn't really watch tv. He spends most of his screen time watching YouTube on my phone or playing Minecraft on the laptop.

Found out recently that CITV is only on itv x and cbbc is on free view but he only watches those at grandparents houses. At home he will stream the odd series on Iplayer but has no concept of scheduling or everybody watching the same thing at the same time. DH and I have tried to explain that there were only 3 channels, it was very exciting when we got videos and there was no Internet but it just doesn't compute in the same way that we couldn't understand that our parents didn't even have a tv until they were teenagers!

I suppose in a way Saturday morning kids tv in the 80's/90's was more iconic as there was only two channels of it so almost all kids were watching the same thing. DS17 was blown away when I told him recently that there was only 2-3 hours of kids TV per weekday afternoon and then just Saturday morning when I was growing up. He grew up with CBBC etc on hand and whilst it was maybe better in some ways it meant they watched all kinds of random stuff.

Phineas and Ferb is absolute genius though. Banger of an intro as well.

Whilst I don't think the kind of children's tv the OP refers to will ever come back on Saturday mornings on the main channels, I do think it is poor not to have any childrens tv on the main channels at all. Adults would have some idea of current tv aimed at children if it had some shown on BBC 1 and ITV 1. I'm sure we could all cope with half an hour less of quiz, gardening or property programmes to accommodate this.

@LlynTegid Yes exactly!

I don't think teenagers ever watch live TV, do they?

And for younger kids, there is CBBC/CBeebies.

Kids don't watch tv anymore

Do kids really just not watch tv anymore? How weird

Not live TV, no. It's all done on streaming services or apps.

We don't even have access to live TV anymore, we just watch everything online.

Mine watch TV but it's on demand. Netflix or disney plus. My viewing habits are the same tbh

@Gooddaymatey kids will watch specific programmes they want to see via various online sources - but unlikely just watch whatever is on live tv simply because it the only thing on.
The only time my 16 year old watches live TV these days is when we are at my mother in laws or my mums. My mother in law is the type who watches that boring saturday night stuff like Britain's Got Talent because "it's the only thing on" not because she actually likes it 🤣
Edit : I lie - me and my daughter actually sat and watched an episode of Law and Order SVU on Channel 5 the other night. First time the TV had been used for TV (not Nintendo/Xbox) for months.

Mine watched Cbeebies until they were 6/8 and just didn't really gel with CBBC. The programming was too varied with age range/ interest and they gained more interest in gaming. This also happened to occur in 2020 when life had no routines.

Getting older now and it's easier to get them following some specific programmes. DS2 has enjoyed Gladiators, The Apprentice and Race Across the World recently.

He probably could be persuaded to enjoy the old school Sat Morning type of teeny programming, and if it's a reliable window can make a habit. DS1 is too niche in interests and not into popular culture.

We don't do duvets!
Swing your pants

@BogRollBOGOF it's more "
"we don't doooooooooooooo duvets" 🤣
Which I still say from time to time.

Loved Saturday Superstore!

No need for that since kids channels but it is sad. However, my kids really loved CBeebies and some programmes on CBBC are great. It was great when they brought back Crackerjack briefly as they genuinely loved that. We used to also watch Blue Peter first thing on a Sunday.

CBBC is a channel on iPlayer

@mitogoshi and on Freeview. Channel 201.

Can't speak for all young adults, but my 22 year old son watches everything he wants to via iPlayer or netflix or other catch-up. He very occasionally, may be Christmas, sits and watches live TV with us. But that's not his version of normal.

My 12 yo and 17yo don't really watch much TV and definitely not live TV.