One Magnificent Morning (OMM) is an American programming block that is programmed by Hearst Media Production Group (formerly Litton Entertainment) and distributed by CBS Media Ventures, and debuted on October 4, 2014, as a replacement for the animation block Vortexx. It airs on Saturday mornings on the owned-and-operated stations and affiliates of The CW, the block features live-action documentary and lifestyle series aimed at teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18, the same style of programming that Litton provides for competing blocks seen on ABC, CBS, and NBC. All of the programs in the three-hour block are designed to meet federally mandated educational programming guidelines.
History On June 5, 2014, The CW announced that it would cancel its existing Saturday morning block Vortexx, which was produced by Saban Brands, in favor of One Magnificent Morning, a new, five-hour block produced by Litton Entertainment and distributed by CBS Television Distribution, that would feature live-action educational programming aimed teenagers and their parents. The move came as part of a growing shift by broadcast television networks towards non-fiction programming to fulfil the FCC-mandated requirement to air a quota of educational programming weekly. The previous year, Litton began producing CBS Dream Team, a similar E/I block for sister network CBS (former corporate parent CBS Corporation was a part-owner of The CW), and the company has also produced Litton's Weekend Adventure for ABC's affiliates since September 3, 2011.
Vortexx aired for the final time on September 27, 2014. It was thought to be the last conclusive Saturday morning block across the major U.S. commercial broadcast networks that primarily featured non-educational children's programming. Such content has gradually fallen out of favor because of the E/I rules, as well as shifts in viewing habits towards cable networks and online video on demand services for animation and youth-oriented content. One Magnificent Morning premiered the following week on October 4, 2014, following the cancellation of Vortexx in its 7:00 a.m. to Noon timeslot. As a consequence of the block launching three weeks after the traditional start of the syndication television season, Litton provided a temporary barter package of Everyday Health and Culture Click (which both formerly aired on Litton's Weekend Adventure) to CW stations, allowing those who depended on the OMM block to fulfill E/I guidelines to have programming before it started. Some initially announced shows that were not produced for the block were: America's Flavors, Social Media Mania, Swag, and Taste of Home.
On January 7, 2016, The CW and Litton announced a five-year renewal for the block, extending it through the 2020–21 broadcast season. On October 7, 2017, the block was reduced to the federally mandated minimum running time of three hours and began airing from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. local time. The CW gave its two hours of reclaimed time to its affiliate stations. The agreement was further extended in 2021.
Programming Although One Magnificent Morning provides the three-hour minimum requirement of E/I programming each week, which exceeds defined under the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)'s Children's Television Act, some of The CW's owned-and-operated stations and affiliates continue to provide E/I-compliant programs acquired from the syndication market, mainly due to existing program distribution contracts. The CW Plus, in particular, continues to supply two hours of E/I-compliant syndicated programs within its national schedule following the block on Saturday afternoons, which further alleviates the service's subscription-subchannel affiliates from the responsibility of purchasing the local rights to such programs (the service's carriage of seven hours of E/I-compliant programming, and the fact that most of its affiliates operate as subchannels, allow The CW Plus's broadcast outlets to carry an additional subchannel without E/I interruptions under the Children's Television Act's programming regulations, as the local CW Plus outlet would have enough E/I content to cover both).
Some stations also added additional E/I programming to their schedules during the run of Save to Win, a game show co-produced by Litton and the American retail chain Family Dollar which was criticized as hidden paid programming advertising the chain. Several stations refused to list Save to Win within their quarterly E/I reports, unsure of its true educational value and wanting to avoid FCC scrutiny over the matter due to past fines involving product placement within a product's own television program which violated the Children's Television Act of 1990.
Current programming +TitlePremiere dateJack Hanna's Into the WildOctober 5, 2019Ocean Mysteries with Jeff CorwinOctober 4, 2025
Former programming +TitlePremiere dateEnd dateReplacedReplaced byNotesDog Whisperer: Family EditionOctober 4, 2014September 29, 2018Vortexx programmingReady, Set, Pet!Welcome HomeThe Wildlife DocsDid I Mention Invention?The block's flagship series, and the longest running on the blockThe Brady Barr ExperienceDecember 27, 2014Reluctantly HealthyExpedition WildSeptember 26, 2015Dream QuestRock the Park HatchedLater aired as part of Litton's Weekend Adventure until March 27, 2021Calling Dr. Pol September 30, 2017Dog Town, USAJuly 4, 2015September 24, 2016Dinner Spinner Dream QuestOctober 3, 2015Unlikely Animal FriendsHatched Rescue MeDinner SpinnerSave Our Shelter September 30, 2017Rescue Me with Dr. LisaOctober 1, 2016December 31, 2016HatchedDinner SpinnerMarch 25, 2017Unlikely Animal FriendsUnlikely Animal Friends October 29, 2016Dream QuestSave to WinApril 1, 2017September 30, 2017Dinner SpinnerBrain GamesVacation Creation October 1, 2016This Old HouseSave to Win November 5, 2016September 30, 2017Unlikely Animal FriendsBrain GamesBrain Games: Family Edition October 7, 2017December 30, 2017Save to WinUnlikely Animal FriendsHidden HeroesThis Old House: Trade SchoolSeptember 25, 2021Vacation CreationInto the WildHosted by Kevin O'Connor Chicken Soup for the Soul's Hidden HeroesJanuary 6, 2018December 29, 2018Brain GamesAnimal TalesWelcome HomeOctober 6, 2018September 28, 2019Dog WhispererInto the Wild co-produced with BYU TVThe Wildlife Docs Into the WildFrom Litton's Weekend Adventure Did I Mention Invention? September 26, 2020Tails of ValorChicken Soup for the Soul's Animal Tales January 5, 2019June 27, 2020Hidden HeroesJewels of the Natural WorldJewels of the Natural World July 4, 2020December 26, 2020Animal TalesBest Friends FureverHosted by Nicole Gibbons Best Friends Furever with Kel Mitchell January 2, 2021September 25, 2021Jewels of the Natural WorldReady, Set, Pet!The Open Road with Dr. ChrisOctober 2, 2021December 30, 2023Tails of ValorInto The WildRemoved for the 2022-2023 season for 1 yearReady, Set, PetOctober 6, 2018September 24, 2022Dog WhispererBest Friends FureverPet Vet Dream TeamRemoved for the 2019-2020 season for 2 yearsTails of ValorOctober 3, 2020September 30, 2023The Open Road with Dr. ChrisDid I Mention Invention?Ready, Set, PetThe Open Road with Dr. ChrisInto The WildRemoved for the 2021-2022 season for 1 yearPet Vet Dream TeamOctober 1, 2022December 30, 2023Into The Wild
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