The ABC Weekend Special is a weekly 30-minute anthology TV series for children that aired Saturday mornings on ABC from 1977 to 1997. It featured a wide variety of stories that were both live-action and animated. Similar to both the ABC Afterschool Special and The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie that had started five years previous, the ABC Weekend Special differed in that it was primarily aimed at younger viewers following ABC's Saturday Morning cartoon lineup, whereas the ABC Afterschool Special was known for its somewhat more serious, and often dramatic storylines dealing with issues concerning a slightly older teen and pre-teen audience. With the debut of the ABC Weekend Special, some of the early ABC Afterschool Specials that had been targeted towards younger viewers were subsequently repackaged and re-run instead as ABC Weekend Specials.
Weekend Special (Season 5)
The Puppy Saves the Circus (Episode 1)
Air date: 1981-09-12
Runtime: 30 min
The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County (Episode 2)
Air date: 1981-09-19
Runtime: 30 min
Bunnicula, the Vampire Rabbit (Episode 3)
Air date: 1982-01-09
Runtime: 30 min
Overview: After a family adopts an abandoned baby rabbit, Bunnicula, mysterious happenings lead the family cat Chester (voiced by Howard Morris) and dog Harold (voiced by Jack Carter) to suspect their new peer is a vampire.
Miss Switch to the Rescue (1) (Episode 4)
Air date: 1982-01-16
Runtime: 30 min
Overview: When Amelia (voiced by Nancy McKeon) is kidnapped by Mordo the warlock (voiced by Hans Conried), Miss Switch (voiced by Janet Waldo) returns to help Rupert (voiced by Eric Taslitz) rescue his friend.
Miss Switch to the Rescue (Part 2) (Episode 5)
Air date: 1982-01-23
Runtime: 30 min
Overview: Saturna the wicked witch (voiced by June Foray) is the real power behind this diabolical plot. Amelia begins to fade away and vanishes – a disappearance Miss Switch knows will be permanent, unless Amelia is rescued by nightfall.
The Joke's on Mr. Little (Episode 6)
Air date: 1982-02-06
Runtime: 30 min
Stanley, the Ugly Duckling (Episode 7)
Air date: 1982-05-01
Runtime: 30 min