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If all Americans were as diligent about recycling as Saturday-morning TV producers, pollution would be a minor problem and "acid rain" would merely be a possible title for the next Prince album. Every new program this season is a revival, a retread, a spin-off or a clone of something else.
When the artists manage to find a fresh approach to a familiar premise, the result can be surprisingly entertaining. When they don't, it's pretty dismal: Flogging a dead horse has yet to attain the status of spectator sport. The 1988-89 lineup ranks as the most uneven since the Saturday-morning cartoon ghetto was created in 1966.
As most kidvid shows aren't written under WGA contracts, the new programs rolled out on schedule the past two weekends. Here, in no special order, is an overview of the new Saturday-morning season on the three major networks.
ABC
"Beany and Cecil." Bob Clampett's "Beany and Cecil" remains one of the best-loved shows of the baby-boom era, first as a puppet show (1949-58) and then as a cartoon (1962-67). This new version strives to maintain the familiar characters, but lacks the unbounded imagination and insouciant glee that distinguished the original. What's missing is the master's touch: Not even the most respectful creative team can replace Clampett's unique vision.
"The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" from Disney/TMS is not only the classiest new show of the season, but also one of the best-looking series ever...