14 Amazing Shows You Forgot Were Part Of 'One Saturday Morning' On ABC

Recess may have been the crown jewel of One Saturday Morning. Of all the many shows that depict life within an elementary school, Recess is probably the most memorable. The strong ensemble cast included distinct characters without leaning too hard on stereotypes, from the mischievous yet socially conscious T.J. to the rebellious but artistic tomboy, Spinelli. The playground adventures of the Recess crew had real stakes, and the characters felt like real people. No portrayal of kindergartners will ever be as accurate as Recess’s Lord Of The Flies-esque tribe of five-year old warriors.

For a show with a simple name, Doug made a big impression. Whether he was trying to impress Patti Mayonnaise or hanging out with Skeeter and Porkchop, the titular Douglas Funnie provided a genuine and authentic portrayal of a prepubescent boy. Life isn’t always easy when you’re just about to head to high school, and Doug constantly escaped into his own imagination, bringing the audience along with him for many a fantastical journey. For a show with such a simple premise, Doug ran an impressive eight seasons.

Hercules remains one of Disney’s most underrated films. While a portion of the movie takes place in Hercules’s youth, it merely serves as brief exposition for the story as a whole. Hercules: The Animated Series expands on that introduction with an entire show based on Hercules’s bumbling and destructive childhood. Young Herc, still unaware he is actually the son of Zeus, clumsily explores his way through ancient Greece while trying not to wreck things with his misunderstood superstrength. It’s like the scene in the film where he destroys the market, but it happened every week.

The Weekenders was perhaps the most appropriately named show for One Saturday Morning. It centered around four 7th graders as they spent their weekends trying everything they could to delay the coming of Monday morning. The Weekenders was a little bit ahead of its time when it came to diversity, sporting a progressive cast of second-generation Americans, none of whom behaved according to outdated stereotypes. The kids were multifaceted and believable, and that’s what made this show a joy to watch.

Sabrina: The Animated Series was one of the few shows to grace One Saturday Morning that were not of Disney origin. Sabrina followed the popular teenage witch and her spellbinding adventures, which had previously been adapted into a live-action TV show. Usually more associated with Archie Comics, Sabrina found herself hanging around with the Disney crowd on ABC due to her universal appeal and lasting popularity. The fact that her sassy cat, Salem, definitely belongs in a Disney film probably helped matters.

It’s tough to stand out as a space adventurer when you share a programming block with Buzz Lightyear, but Lloyd managed to carve out a niche for himself. Set in the far flung future, Lloyd in Space starred Lloyd Nebulon, an ordinary teenage boy who just so happened to belong to a green-skinned alien race, the Verdigreans. Lloyd had a human friend, but most of his friends were bizarre aliens, like the giant brain with arms known as Douglas McNoggin. Their adventures were pretty standard fare, but the intergalactic setting helped make them memorable.