| First Row Features | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Running time | 1 hour |
| Original release | |
| Network | Nickelodeon |
| Release | February 1980 (1980-02)[1] – January 1982 (1982-01) |
First Row Features is an Americananthology series that premiered on the television networkNickelodeon in February 1980[1] and continued to air until January 1982. It mainly carried Britishtelevision films (mostly from theChildren's Film Foundation) for children and family audiences, most of which were filmed in the 1950s–60s. It featured aclaymation title sequence created in-house at Nickelodeon's temporary headquarters inBuffalo, New York.First Row Features was a predecessor to the similarly formattedSpecial Delivery, which debuted later in the same year and eventually replaced it.
The program featured made-for-TV films from the United Kingdom, which were selected by employees at Nickelodeon.[2] In January 1982, theGannett newspaperThe Times described the show as a collection of "one hour feature films for children ranging from comedies and adventures to dramas and semi-documentaries."[3] Although most of the content onFirst Row Features had been filmed and released in Europe decades earlier, the films were marketed as new to U.S. viewers.[4] New films premiered on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. At the time of its creation,First Row Features was one of only five programs that were aired in a loop to fill the entire Nickelodeon schedule.[5] It wasnon-commercial and advertisements were never played between features.
| Title | Year of film | Nickelodeon airdate | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Title sequence | 1980 | August 27, 1980 (1980-08-27) | [6] |
| What Next? | 1974 | November 9, 1980 (1980-11-09) | [7] |
| Cup Fever | 1965 | December 30, 1980 (1980-12-30) | [8] |
| The Rescue Squad | 1963 | December 31, 1980 (1980-12-31) | [8] |
| Anoop and the Elephant | 1972 | January 1, 1981 (1981-01-01) | [8] |
| The Kid from Canada | 1958 | January 2, 1981 (1981-01-02) | [8] |
| All at Sea | 1969 | January 10, 1981 (1981-01-10) | [9] |
| Juvenile Justice | Unknown | July 12, 1981 (1981-07-12) | [10] |
| Lone Wolf | Unknown | July 13, 1981 (1981-07-13) | [11] |
| Mischief | Unknown | July 15, 1981 (1981-07-15) | [11] |
| Operation Third Form | 1966 | July 17, 1981 (1981-07-17) | [11] |
| The Hunch | 1967 | July 20, 1981 (1981-07-20) | [12] |
| Adventure in the Hopfields | 1954 | August 5, 1981 (1981-08-05) | [13] |
| Bungala Boys | 1961 | December 6, 1981 (1981-12-06) | [14] |
| The Christmas Tree | 1966 | December 25, 1981 (1981-12-25) | [15] |
Nickelodeon:First Row Features. Enjoy many new and exciting features in November.
