ABC Weekend Special
A Saturday-morning anthology encouraging children to read.
ABC Weekend Special was a weekly 30-minute anthology series for children that aired Saturday mornings on ABC from 1977 to 1997. It featured both live-action and animated stories and was designed to encourage reading among younger viewers. The series differed from ABC Afterschool Special by targeting a younger audience following the Saturday-morning cartoon lineup.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Saturday morning anthology
- Theme music
- Tommy Leonetti (1977–90)
- Starring
- Cap'n O. G. Readmore
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Seasons
- 17
- Episodes
- 132
- Runtime
- 30 minutes
Facts from the source article.
Presenters/hosts
From 1979 to 1981, Michael Young served as host. Willie Tyler and his dummy Lester hosted from 1981 to 1984, introducing each episode and recommending the book it was based on. From 1984 to 1989, the puppet Cap'n O. G. Readmore hosted, often alongside Jon "Bowzer" Bauman or other celebrity co-hosts. Cap'n O. G. Readmore also starred in five animated episodes and appeared in Saturday morning PSAs promoting reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes of ABC Weekend Special are there?
ABC Weekend Special has 132 episodes across 17 seasons.
When did ABC Weekend Special first air?
ABC Weekend Special first aired on 10 September 1977.
When did ABC Weekend Special end?
ABC Weekend Special last aired on 30 August 1997.
More in American Television Shows Featuring Puppetry
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced