Fox Broadcasting Upbeat Over Its Saturday Kiddie Schedule : Television: What reporters wanted to hear at fall preview was a retaliation against Brandon Tartikoff’s criticism of Fox programming. They didn’t get it.

The excitement building over the fall TV season may be all about Fox Broadcasting’s move into five nights of programming and its plan to pit “The Simpsons” against NBC’s “The Cosby Show” on Thursday nights.

But in going through their program plans Tuesday for 225 television critics from across the country, Fox executives seemed tentative about their prime-time schedule but particularly giddy over prospects for their first-ever Saturday morning kiddie schedule, which includes six half-hour series, five of them animated. Premiere date is Sept. 8.

In addition, the network will “strip” a new animated series--”Peter and the Pirates”--for its 125-or-so affiliates in late weekday afternoons, starting Sept. 17.

The latter series, which will feature Tim Curry’s voice as the bellowing Capt. Hook, was approved over the protestations of the Walt Disney Co., whose “Peter Pan” is one of its classic features. But the 1911 James M. Barrie novel became public domain after its copyright ran out.

The Fox presentation, which kicked off more than two weeks of meetings and screenings for the reporters who are here to preview the fall TV season, began with billowing stage smoke, a light show, thunderous music and a mini-film, “Two Men and a Vision,” in which multimedia mogul Rupert Murdoch and Fox Chairman Barry Diller reflected on their dreams for the network.

Most of the press seemed to be eagerly awaiting a retaliatory comment from Fox on a statement made last month by Brandon Tartikoff, president of NBC Entertainment, who said that Fox programs “pander to the worst aspects of the American TV audience.” The remark came up in a question-and-answer session with Peter Chernin, president of Fox Entertainment Group.

His response: “I don’t have any response. I don’t think he meant it.” There was snickering in the audience. He added, “He’s a nice man and I admire him.” There was hearty laughter.

Margaret Loesch, president of the Fox Children’s Network, detailed her Saturday schedule, commencing at 8 a.m. with “Zazoo U,” about a lot of silly animals; “Tom and Jerry Kids,” about a younger Tom and Jerry and their legendary cat-and-mouse games; “Bobby’s World,” featuring Howie Mandel as the voice of a ragingly imaginative 4-year-old boy; “The Attack of the Killer Tomatoes,” about zany vegetable adventures; “Piggsburg Pigs,” about the residents of a pig city, and “Fox Funhouse,” with games and funny stunts.

Jamie Kellner, president of Fox Broadcasting and a key architect of the aspiring network, said that his affiliates tend to dominate children’s programming in their markets and thus have a “circulation advantage” over the other network-affiliated stations when it comes to promoting children’s shows.

“Every year you’ll read or write about one or two of the networks getting out of the animation business on Saturday morning,” he said. “We believe that children’s programming is not an important part of the future of the three networks. . . . We anticipate one will drop out. They’re not making any money. It’s not doing anything strategically important for them.”

Kellner said that Fox will be there waiting and will be “quite successful because of the promotional advantage we have.”