1982 9:30 on ABC: PAC-MAN

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Okay, this is just terrible. Check this out.

On Saturday morning in 1982 on ABC, at 9:30, right after the Richie Rich/Little Rascals/Pac-Man hour, you know what was scheduled? What was officially sent to each and every ABC affiliate in 1982?

PAC-MAN.

"Oh good" you may be thinking. "Another half-hour of Pac-Man cartoons at the height of Pac-Mania!" But NO. It's not like that... not like that AT ALL.

EVERYBODY in 1982 wanted to advertise during the new Pac-Man cartoon, and ABC (not wanting to upset any advertisers) obliged not by providing MORE PAC-MAN, but by stretching each half-hour episode over the course of an hour-and-a-half with Richie Rich and Little Rascals. This made some advertisers very happy ("HOORAY FOR MORE COMMERCIALS!"), angered other advertisers ("BOOO! WE PAID TO ADVERTISE DURING PAC-MAN, NOT RICHIE RICH!") and so they added a second show, titled simply "Pac-Man", that rarely had any Pac-Man in it. YOU'RE WELCOME, CHILDREN OF THE 80'S!