Disney Channel Saturday morning block

Last updated
The Saturday Animation Block
Network Disney Channel
Launched
  • June 18, 2011;10 years ago (2011-06-18)
  • (as Toonin' Saturdays)
  • 2012;10 years ago (2012)
  • (Disney Channel Saturday Mornings)
  • January 7, 2017;5 years ago (2017-01-07)
  • (as Get Animated)
  • September 8, 2018;3 years ago (2018-09-08)
  • (as Animation Cram Session)
  • June 22, 2019;2 years ago (2019-06-22)
  • (as Commercial Free Weekend Mornings)
  • February 12, 2022;2 months ago (2022-02-12)
  • (as The Saturday Animation Block)
Closed
  • 2012;10 years ago (2012)
  • (as Toonin' Saturdays)
  • January 25, 2014;8 years ago (2014-01-25)
  • (as Disney Channel Saturday Mornings)
  • September 2, 2018;3 years ago (2018-09-02)
  • (as Get Animated)
  • June 15, 2019;2 years ago (2019-06-15)
  • (as Animation Cram Session)
Country of originUnited States
Format
Running time
  • Weekends 6am-9am PT/ET (2019–20)
  • Saturdays 9am-11am PT/ET (2011–12, 2022-present)
  • Saturdays 9am-10am PT/ET (2012–13)
  • Saturdays 9:30am-11am PT/ET (2013–14)
  • Weekends 6am–10am PT/ET (2017-2019)

The Saturday Animation Block (formerly called Toonin' Saturdays from 2011 to 2012, Disney Channel Saturday Mornings from 2012 to 2014, Get Animated from 2017 to 2018, and Animation Cram Session from 2018 to 2019, and Commercial Free Weekend Mornings from 2019 to 2020) is a weekend program block on the Disney Channel in the United States, consisting of Saturday morning cartoons. The block currently airs original animated programming like Big City Greens , Amphibia , and The Owl House , as well as acquired programming such as Hotel Transylvania: The Series , Bluey and Miraculous . It occasionally shows new episodes of cartoons on Saturday mornings.

History

The adoption of a block on Disney Channel coincided with the end of the ABC Kids block, which had aired an outdated loop of Disney Channel original series repeats for several years. ABC and Disney Channel are both owned by The Walt Disney Company; beginning in September 2011, ABC outsourced its educational programming responsibilities to Litton Entertainment, which produces the Weekend Adventure , a block that contains no animated programming.

Disney Channel Saturday Mornings debuted June 18, 2011, as "Toonin' Saturdays", and was rebranded as "Disney Channel Saturday Mornings" in 2012. The block aired shows like Fish Hooks , Phineas and Ferb , Cars Toons: Mater's Tall Tales , Have a Laugh! and Gravity Falls .

As of 2014, the block is no longer airing in this timeslot. It does not currently air any animated series; it now airs reruns of live-action series after the Disney Junior block on weekdays, Wander Over Yonder , Gravity Falls and Phineas and Ferb were transferred from that block to Disney XD on Disney Channel Friday Night animation block, while Fish Hooks was moved to the regular Disney XD schedule.

The block returned in 2017 as "Get Animated" and features reruns of original series from across Disney's platforms: Elena of Avalor from Disney Junior, Gravity Falls from Disney Channel, Star vs. the Forces of Evil from Disney XD, and acquired series The ZhuZhus . Two and a half months later, The ZhuZhus and Gravity Falls were moved out for another Disney XD program, Milo Murphy's Law and another Disney Channel Program, Tangled: The Series .

Unlike ABC Kids and its predecessors, which were required to comply with E/I restrictions, DC Saturday Mornings (being aired on a cable channel) was not subject to those restrictions.

In May 2017, Star vs. the Forces of Evil and Milo Murphy's Law got moved out, marking the return of The ZhuZhus and a new series named Pat the Dog .

In 2018, all of Disney XD's original animated content moved their premieres to the block, marking the returns of Star vs. the Forces of Evil , Gravity Falls and Milo Murphy's Law , as well as the arrival of DuckTales (2017), Big Hero 6: The Series , and Big City Greens .

The block returned in 2018 as “Animation Cram Session” and replaced the Disney Junior weekend morning block. But in the summer of 2019, the block was changed to “Commercial Free Weekend Mornings” in honor of the newest animated series Amphibia and The Owl House .

As of February 16, 2020, reruns of DuckTales and Big Hero 6: The Series have been removed from the block and Disney Channel and were moved back to Disney XD.

Programming

Get Animated!/Animation Cram Session/Commercial Free Weekend Mornings/The Saturday Animation Block (2017–present)

NamePremiere dateDistributor
Big City Greens June 23, 2018Walt Disney Television
Amphibia June 22, 2019
Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir September 2019AB International Distribution
The Owl House January 11, 2020Walt Disney Television
Bluey April 10, 2021BBC Studios
The Ghost and Molly McGee October 2, 2021Walt Disney Television
GhostForce November 1, 2021Zagtoon Productions
PJ Masks March 12, 2022Entertainment One
Upcoming
Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur Summer 2022Walt Disney Television

Former Programming

NamePremiere dateEnd dateNotes
Gravity Falls January 7, 20172020
Milo Murphy's Law March 25, 2017May 18, 2019
Phineas and Ferb 20182020
Elena of Avalor January 7, 20172017Moved to Disney Junior
Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure March 25, 2017March 1, 2020
Star vs. the Forces of Evil January 7, 2017May 19, 2019
The ZhuZhus 2017
Hotel Transylvania: The Series July 1, 2017October 31, 2020Moved to Disney XD
DuckTales (2017) September 17, 2017February 16, 2020Moved to Disney XD
Pat the Dog June 3, 2017October 21, 2017
Big Hero 6: The Series June 28, 2018February 16, 2020Moved to Disney XD
Go Away, Unicorn! March 3, 2019December 21, 2019
Lego Friends September 9, 20172017

Toonin' Saturdays era (2011–12)

NamePremiere dateEnd date
Phineas and Ferb June 18, 2011September 7, 2013
Fish Hooks June 18, 2011September 7, 2013
Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil June 18, 2011September 7, 2013

Disney Channel Saturday Mornings era (2012–14)

NamePremiere dateEnd date
Tron: Uprising May 18, 2012January 28, 2013
Gravity Falls August 25, 2012March 12, 2017
Wander Over Yonder September 14, 2013January 25, 2014

Mini-series

NamePremiere dateEnd date
Cars Toons October 27, 2008March 22, 2013
Have a Laugh! October 26, 2009December 2, 2012
Take Two with Phineas and Ferb December 3, 2010November 25, 2011
Toy Story Toons June 24, 20112013
Where's My Water?: Swampy's Underground Adventures October 18, 2012March 1, 2013
Descendants: Wicked World January 7, 2017May 27, 2017

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References