<P> The name "animated cartoon" is generally not used when referring to full - length animated productions, since the term more or less implies a "short ." Huge numbers of animated feature films were, and are still, produced . </P> <P> Competition from television drew audiences away from movie theaters in the late 1950s, and the theatrical cartoon began its decline . Today, animated cartoons for American audiences are produced mostly for television . </P> <P> American television animation of the 1950s featured quite limited animation styles, highlighted by the work of Jay Ward on Crusader Rabbit . Chuck Jones coined the term "illustrated radio" to refer to the shoddy style of most television cartoons that depended more on their soundtracks than visuals . Other notable 1950s programs include UPA's Gerald McBoing Boing, Hanna - Barbera's Huckleberry Hound and Quick Draw McGraw, and rebroadcast of many classic theatrical cartoons from Universal's Walter Lantz, Warner Bros., MGM, and Disney . </P> <P> The Hanna - Barbera cartoon, The Flintstones, was the first successful primetime animated series in the United States, running from 1960 to 1966 (and in reruns since). While many networks followed the show's success by scheduling other cartoons in the early 1960s, including Scooby - Doo, Where Are You!, The Jetsons, Top Cat, and The Alvin Show, none of these programs survived more than a year (save Scooby - Doo, which, despite not being a primetime cartoon, has managed to stay afloat for over four decades). However, networks found success by running these shows as Saturday morning cartoons, reaching smaller audiences with more demographic unity among children . Television animation for children flourished on Saturday morning, on cable channels like Nickelodeon, Disney Channel / Disney XD and Cartoon Network, PBS Kids, and in syndicated afternoon timeslots . </P>

When was the first cartoon aired on television