Dexter's Laboratory started its new season this summer on Cartoon Network. © Cartoon Network.

In addition, the trend for the rest of the industry outside of Saturday network mornings is that programs are skewing a little older. Shows on Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon skew towards the 8-12 set whereas the current batch of Saturday morning shows still skew toward the 5-8 age group. That's not a problem, as there are still plenty of five to eight-year-olds. Yet if viewers are used to shows seeming a little sharper and edgier, they may find some of these network shows a little bland.

Whatever the age skew, the issue really is, "Is the show entertaining, and will it get and keep viewers?" With the FCC requiring educational television for children viewers, most of the shows have some pro-social lessons, either hidden or glaring. But the overall note is that most of these shows forgot to put the "funny" in, and since they are supposed to be funny on some level, that's not a good thing.

If you are an animation fan, what can you do? Be thankful that not all animation is on Saturday mornings. There are two major trends that will save us - funny cable animation and animation for adults. Thanks to cable, there is animation all over the schedule. Nickelodeon has finally premiered new episodes of Rugrats. Cartoon Network is running funny new episodes of Cow & Chicken, Johnny Bravo, and Dexter's Laboratory. There is also a new round of "sitcom" animation with Daria and King of the Hill. On top of that, cable's version of animation for adults just keeps getting stranger and stranger, with shows such as South Park, Spawn, and Spicy City.

Besides, if I stay up late enough on Friday night to watch Spawn, I may sleep through Saturday morning anyway.

Martha Day works in the television animation industry. In her spare time, she watches far too much television.