First Row Features
First Row Features is an American anthology series that premiered on the television network Nickelodeon in February 1980[1] and continued to air until January 1982. It mainly carried British television films for children and family audiences, most of which were filmed in the 1950s–60s. It featured a claymation title sequence created in-house at Nickelodeon's temporary headquarters in Buffalo, New York. First Row Features was a predecessor to the similarly-formatted Special Delivery, which debuted later in the same year and eventually replaced it.
First Row Features | |
---|---|
Country of origin | United States |
Original language(s) | English |
Production | |
Running time | 1 hour |
Distributor | Nickelodeon |
Release | |
Original network | Nickelodeon |
Picture format | NTSC |
Audio format | Stereo |
Original release | February 1980[1] – January 1982 |
Overview
The program featured made-for-TV films from the United Kingdom, which were selected by employees at Nickelodeon.[2] In January 1982, the Gannett newspaper The Times described the show as a collection of "one hour feature films for children ranging from comedies and adventures to dramas and semi-documentaries."[3] Although most of the content on First Row Features had been filmed and released in Europe decades earlier, the films were marketed as new to U.S. viewers.[4] New films premiered on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. At the time of its creation, First Row Features was one of only five programs that were aired in a loop to fill the entire Nickelodeon schedule.[5] It was non-commercial and advertisements were never played between features.
Films featured
Title | Year of film | Nickelodeon airdate | Reference |
---|---|---|---|
Title sequence | 1980 | August 27, 1980 | [6] |
What Next? | 1974 | November 9, 1980 | [7] |
Cup Fever | 1965 | December 30, 1980 | [8] |
The Rescue Squad | 1963 | December 31, 1980 | [8] |
Anoop and the Elephant | 1972 | January 1, 1981 | [8] |
The Kid from Canada | 1958 | January 2, 1981 | [8] |
All at Sea | 1969 | January 10, 1981 | [9] |
Juvenile Justice | Unknown | July 12, 1981 | [10] |
Lone Wolf | Unknown | July 13, 1981 | [11] |
Mischief | Unknown | July 15, 1981 | [11] |
Operation Third Form | 1966 | July 17, 1981 | [11] |
The Hunch | 1967 | July 20, 1981 | [12] |
Adventure in the Hopfields | 1954 | August 5, 1981 | [13] |
Bungala Boys | 1961 | December 6, 1981 | [14] |
The Christmas Tree | 1966 | December 25, 1981 | [15] |
See also
References
- "At Last. Children's Programming That's Fit for Children". Toledo Blade. February 21, 1980. Retrieved 2019-04-13.
- Ogilvy & Mather (1981). Ogilvy & Mather cable fact book. WPP plc.
- "TV Times: Daytime Television". The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana: Gannett Company. January 3, 1982.
- "Some of this week's highlights". Statesman Journal. Salem, Oregon: Gannett Company. November 16, 1980.
Nickelodeon: First Row Features. Enjoy many new and exciting features in November.
- Hendershot, Heather (February 1, 2004). Nickelodeon Nation: The History, Politics, and Economics of America's Only TV Channel for Kids. New York University Press. p. 135. ISBN 0814736513.
- "Wednesday Television". Galveston Daily News. Galveston, Texas: Southern Newspapers. August 27, 1980.
- "Sunday, November 9". Iowa City Press-Citizen. Iowa City, Iowa: Gannett Company. November 8, 1980.
- "Weekdays". Iowa City Press-Citizen. Iowa City, Iowa: Gannett Company. December 27, 1980.
- "Saturday listings". Newspapers.com. McHenry, Illinois: The McHenry Plaindealer. January 9, 1981.
- "Cable/Pay TV". Newspapers.com. Detroit, Michigan: Detroit Free Press. July 12, 1981.
- "Weekdays". Newspapers.com. Iowa City, Iowa: Iowa City Press-Citizen. July 11, 1981.
- "Tele-Pulse schedule". Newspapers.com. McHenry, Illinois: The McHenry Plaindealer. July 17, 1981.
- "More Wednesday Evening". Google News. Boca Raton, Florida: Boca Raton News. July 31, 1981.
- "For the children". Democrat and Chronicle. Rochester, New York: Gannett Company. November 29, 1981.
- "December 25/Friday". Akron Beacon Journal. Akron, Ohio: Black Press. December 20, 1981.