Saturday, November 5, 2016

It Should've Been on a Saturday: The CBS Library (1979)

Before CBS Storybreak and the CBS Schoolbreak Special, the network had experimented with a mid-week series of specials to rival the ABC Afterschool Special and NBC's Special Treat.

The CBS Library existed for 4 years (1979-83), before giving way to Schoolbreak. Like the Afterschool Special, this Library had a mix of live-action and animated entries. Unfortunately, not much else is known about this series. I never got to see it, so there isn't going to be a rating this time.

12 comments:

Chris Sobieniak said...

Nick Bosustow, the son, presumably, of former UPA frontman Steven Bosustow, had opened his own studio and was commissioned to produce this special.

Although referred to as "Bosustow Entertainment" in the credits, the original name used to be "Stephen Bosustow Productions" for a number of years (perhaps founded by him or his son named it after him), who produced a number of short films during the 1970's, often based on children's books and other projects.

Here's a good playlist of titles to check out.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTnbwiCw-mMSPBTd9y5GxchRYvvxqEIhe

hobbyfan said...

From the list, "Why We Have Elections" is already here in the Archives. Thanks.

Chris Sobieniak said...

Glad to help.. I have another one of these "CBS Library" specials the company named called "The Wrong Way Kid", though it's on 16mm and I don't have a video copy of that at the moment.

hobbyfan said...

I've had to update the first post, as the video was deleted. If you can get "The Wrong Way Kid" up on YouTube, Chris, I'd appreciate it, as I'll move it here when you do.

Chris Sobieniak said...

Not sure if I want to personally, what I can do though is share this link to an upcoming DVD that will have many of these shorts on it!
http://www.millcreekent.com/classic-storybook-collection-with-hayley-mills.html

hobbyfan said...

I'll keep an eye out for it.

Jennifer L. Schillig said...

I loved these specials! Especially the one advertised here, which introduced me to the short story "The Ghost In The Shed," and the collection it was a part of: Encounters With The Invisible World by Marilynne K. Roach, ten stories about the supernatural in colonial and Revolutionary War-era New England.

hobbyfan said...

By the time CBS Library premiered, the standard programming habit at home was that after General Hospital, we'd leave the set on the ABC affiliate for whatever was airing at 4 at the time, so I never saw the Library.

Chris Sobieniak said...

Heh, my ABC affiliate would be playing cartoons at 4 back then.

hobbyfan said...

At various times, the local affiliates tried out afternoon toons before the development of the 1st run syndicated series of the 80's. IIRC, the current CBS affiliate tried running Tom & Jerry against whatever was on the other channels, and it didn't work.

Chris Sobieniak said...

It varied. Often small market stations often had cartoon blocks in the afternoon if there wasn't an indie station to pawn it of on. That's what happened over here once we got our pre-Fox station on the air in '85, the ABC affiliate immediately stopped the cartoon run shortly after.

hobbyfan said...

And when you mix in cable feeds from NYC & Boston, which I had for some 30 years, there were plenty of choices.