The Most Unforgettable '80s Cartoons
- 1September 5, 1983
- Actors: John Erwin, Alan Oppenheimer, Lou Scheimer, Linda Gary
Prince Adam, through the Sword of Power, transforms into He-Man and is endowed with magical powers. Along with his closest ally Battle Cat, He-Man must defend Eternia from the evil Skeletor. The wildly successful show spawned the spin-off She-Ra: Princess of Power.
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- 2September 17, 1984
- Actors: Frank Welker, Peter Cullen, Corey Burton, Chris Latta, John Stephenson
Inspired by Japanese toyline Microman, Hasbro's second attempt at a product-based television show (after G.I. Joe) was even more successful. Alien robots fighting each other was a no-brainer and the popularity of the Autobots and Decepticons was immense upon release. To this day, the franchise remains in the mainstream.
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- 3December 28, 1987
- Actors: Rob Paulsen, Cam Clarke, Barry Gordon, Townsend Coleman, Renae Jacobs
One of the most popular animated series in television history, the series launched the merch boom of the Ninja Turtles in the late 80s. The show follows Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Rafael as they battle Shredder, Krang, and other bad guys. Interestingly, though the show started off lively with inept villains, the last three seasons of the cartoon were notably darker and more mature and the action was turned up several notches.
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- 4January 23, 1985
- Actors: Peter Newman, Gerrianne Raphael, Robert McFadden, Larry Kenney, Earl Hammond
After the ThunderCats flee their dying home planet, they reach Third Earth and establish a lair. When the Mutants follow them there, they must fight them off to ensure their survival as well as the safety of Third Earth. Several comic series and video games were made based on the show, contributing to its lasting popularity.
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- 5September 18, 1987
- Actors: Alan Young, Russi Taylor, Chuck McCann, Terence McGovern, Frank Welker
Scrooge McDuck and his grandnephews go treasure hunting (after Donald enlists in the Navy) in this classic Disney show. The popularity of DuckTales can be attributed partially to its homages to classic stories and popular culture, as they parodied Shakespeare, Indiana Jones, Sherlock Holmes, and more.
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- 6September 12, 1983
- Actors: Michael Bell, Gregg Berger, Chuck McCann, Arthur Burghardt, Dick Gautier
In the early 1980s, Marvel Productions was commissioned to produce commercials for the G.I. Joe Marvel Comics series. The subsequent popularity of those commercials led to the "The M.A.S.S. Device" special and later G.I. Joe was promoted to a full television series.
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- 7September 10, 1983
- Actors: Don Adams
Cyborg police inspector Inspector Gadget tries his best to foil the schemes of M.A.D., a crime organization whose acronym stands for “Mean And Dirty.” Though he's equipped with dozens of gadgets, the poor inspector is generally incompetent.
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- 8October 11, 1960
- Actors: Mel Blanc
Essentially just a compilation of classic shorts, The Bugs Bunny Show was still insanely popular in the 1980s. The rights for these old cartoons was shuffled around between stations as well as merged with other popular characters to make blocks like The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Show and The Bugs Bunny & Tweety Show.
- 9September 12, 1981
- Actors: Frank Welker, Don Messick, Michael Bell, Paul Winchell, June Foray
The Smurfs became one of NBC's most successful and long-running animated series, even winning an Emmy in 1983. The cartoon observes the community of Smurf Village as they fight against the evil Gargamel.
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- 10March 4, 1989
- Actors: Corey Burton, Tress MacNeille, Jim Cummings, Peter Cullen
Detectives Chip and Dale investigate crimes through their detective agency named Rescue Rangers. These crimes were often deemed too small for the regular police and involved animal clients.
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- 11December 17, 1989
- Actors: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria
Premiering in the very last month of the decade, The Simpsons is now a staple in animation and the longest running American sitcom of all time. Following the mishaps of the Simpson family, the show serves as a time capsule of mainstream American pop culture.
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- 12September 13, 1986
- Actors: Maurice LaMarche, Dave Coulier, Frank Welker
Due to a title dispute, “The Real” was added to the original title of just Ghostbusters. A spin-off of the popular movie, the show continued the adventures of the foursome as well as secretary Janine and Slimer.
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- 13September 17, 1988
- Actors: Lorenzo Music, Thom Huge, Gregg Berger, Howard Morris
This animated adaptation of the iconic comic strip featured Garfield, Jon, and Odie along with Sheldon, Orson, Wade, and Booker. Each episode was a new storyline independent of the source material.
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- 14September 17, 1983
- Actors: Ross Bagdasarian, Janice Karman
Already being a popular entity, The Chipmunks were enlisted for their own show. Running eight seasons, the series is a follow-up to The Alvin Show and introduced the world to The Chipettes.
- 15September 14, 1985
- Actors: Corey Burton, June Foray, Lorenzo Music, Katie Leigh, Noelle North
When Cavin the human stumbles upon the Gummi Bear race, a series of events is thrown into motion. Following the exploits of six Gummi Bears including Zummi, Gruffi, Grammi, Tummi, Sunni, and Cubbi, the magical medieval series spearheaded the iconic style of Disney animation that followed.
- 16September 10, 1984
- Actors: Peter Cullen, Michael Bell, Jack Angel, Neil Ross, Lennie Weinrib
The premise of Voltron summed up is that five robot lions controlled by individual pilots can come together to form Voltron. Some might not know that this series is actually an adaptation of Japanese series Beast King Go-Lion, which was edited and dubbed over.
- 17September 15, 1984
- Actors: Greg Berg, Barbara Billingsley, Dave Coulier, Frank Welker, Laurie O'Brien
Similar in concept to Baby Looney Tunes, Muppet Babies follows everyone's favorite muppets but in nursery form. The creative series incorporates hand-drawn and live-action backgrounds to bring to life the imaginary escapades of the group.
- 18September 12, 1981
- Actors: Dan Gilvezan, Kathy Garver, Frank Welker
Comic book legend Stan Lee had a huge hand in the creative direction of Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, which saw Spider-Man, Iceman, and Firestar team up to fight bad guys. New character Firestar, who stood in for the Human Torch due to copyright issues, became so popular that she is now a part of the mainstream Marvel Universe.
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- 19February 14, 1985
- Actors: Mickey Rooney, Tara Strong, Melleny Brown, Cree Summer, Luba Goy
Living in the clouds in the Kingdom of Caring, The Care Bears spread their message of joy and caring around the world. They also seek to avoid the evil Professor Coldheart.
- 20September 17, 1983
- Actors: Willie Aames, Don Most, Adam Rich, Peter Cullen, Teddy Field III
After taking a magical ride on an amusement park roller coaster, six friends are transported to the world of Dungeons & Dragons. The group is primarily trying to find their way home, but of course side quests mean detours and more adventures as they battle against powerful evil wizard Venger.
- 21September 8, 1973
- Actors: Danny Dark, Olan Soule, Casey Kasem, Shannon Farnon, Norman Alden
In the realm of classic animated television, one show stands out as a nostalgic tribute to the superhero genre. Super Friends, an iconic series that ran from the 1970s to the 1980s, brought together a team of DC Comics' most beloved heroes, including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman. With its distinctive animation style and engaging storylines, the series garnered a dedicated fan base and earned a place in pop culture history. The show's memorable characters, such as Batman (voiced by Olan Soule) and Robin (Casey Kasem), tackled various challenges, often with the help of their trusty sidekicks. Notably recognized for its impact on the superhero genre, Super Friends remains a cherished piece of entertainment history.Available On:
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- 22September 9, 1985
- Actors: Melendy Britt, George Di Cenzo, Linda Gary, Erika Scheimer, Alan Oppenheimer
Princess Adora raises her magic sword and becomes She-Ra.Available On:
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- 23September 16, 1985
- Actors: Doug Stone, Mark Halloran, Brendan McKane
The group M.A.S.K. consists of many secret agents and is tasked with protecting the earth from evil.Available On:
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- 24October 4, 1980
- Actors: Mel Blanc, Henry Corden, June Foray
Heathcliff is an animated TV series that debuted on October 4, 1980. It was the first series based on the Heathcliff comic strip and was produced by Ruby-Spears Productions. It ran until September 18, 1982 with a total of 26 episodes, under two different names. - 25September 15, 1984
- Actors: Michael Bell, Frank Nelson, Patricia Alice Albrecht
Snorks is an animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera which ran on NBC from September 15, 1984, to May 13, 1989. Although not as popular as the animated series The Smurfs, the program continued to be available in syndication from 1986 to 1989 as part of The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera 's 3rd season, on USA Network in the late 1980s and early 1990s, on the BBC in the late 1990s, and from 2009 to 2011 and again from time to time on Cartoon Network's sister channel Boomerang. - 26
Heathcliff & the Catillac Cats
September 5, 1984- Actors: Mel Blanc, Marilyn Lightstone, Derek McGrath, Stan Jones, Donna Christie
The adventures of the cartoon cat Heathcliff and his friends.Available On:
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- Actors: Casey Kasem, Frank Welker, Nancy McKeon, Don Messick, Michael Bell
The Scooby & Scrappy-Doo/Puppy Hour is a 60-minute package show co-produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and Ruby-Spears in 1982. The show premiered September 25, 1982 and ran on ABC as part of its Saturday morning schedule for the 1982-1983 season. It contained the following segments: Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo: Scooby-Doo, Scrappy-Doo and Shaggy Rogers travel across the country as the "Fearless Detective Agency" and get involved in typical spy or criminal cases. Scrappy and Yabba-Doo: Scrappy-Doo's adventures with his uncle Yabba-Doo and Deputy Dusty in the wild west. The Puppy's New Adventures: Featuring the adventures of Petey the Puppy and his friends Dash, Dolly, Duke, and Lucky. The first half-hour consisted of three 7-minute shorts of Scooby and Scrappy-Doo and Scrappy and Yabba-Doo, with a 30-minute episode of The Puppy's New Adventures in the second half-hour. The Scooby/Scrappy-related shorts were written and voiced at Hanna-Barbera Productions, but animated and edited by Ruby-Spears Enterprises.- 28September 10, 1988
- Actors: Jim Cummings, Paul Winchell, John Fiedler, Peter Cullen, Ken Sansom
The lovable bear and friends have fun adventures.Available On:
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- 29September 28, 1981
- Actors: David Jason, Terry Scott, Edward Kelsey, Brian Trueman
The greatest secret agent and his clumsy sidekick continue their fight against Baron Greenback.Available On:
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- 30September 8, 1986
- Actors: Robert McFadden, Peter Newman, Earl Hammond, Larry Kenney
Bionic policemen fight an escaped alien mob boss and his gang in space.Available On:
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- 31October 4, 1980
- Actors: Stacy Keach, Joan Van Ark, Anne Lockhart, Alan Oppenheimer, Henry Corden
Thundarr the Barbarian is a Saturday morning animated television series, created by Steve Gerber and produced by Ruby-Spears Productions. The series ran 2 seasons, 1980–1981 and 1981–1982. Action figures of the three main characters were released by Toynami in 2004. - 32September 9, 1989
- Actors: Stephen Ouimette, Alyson Court, Tabitha St. Germain
Adventures of the ghostly con-artist and his 12-year-old pal, Lydia. - 33October 6, 1985
- Actors: Samantha Newark, Britta Phillips, Kath Soucie, Marlene Aragon, Susan Blu
A music executive keeps her identity as a rock star secret.Available On:
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Dennis the Menace
1986- Actors: Phil Hartman, Maurice LaMarche, Bob Bergen, Jeannie Elias, Jack Angel
Dennis the Menace is an American animated series produced by DIC Entertainment, based on the comic strip by Hank Ketcham. The young blond boy with a cowlick and a mischievous personality, Dennis the Menace, gets into numerous scrapes and adventures with his dog Ruff and his friends Joey, Margaret, Gina, Tommy, PeeBee and Jay. Dennis is an impulsive, angel-faced little devil who is always getting into scrapes which end up tormenting his hapless next-door neighbor, Mr. Wilson. Dennis finds himself involved in all kinds of wild adventures but always manages to save the day. The series was originally aired in syndication in the U.S., distributed by The Program Exchange. The second season aired on Saturday mornings on CBS. Each half-hour show consists of three six or seven-minute shorts. The show was sponsored by General Mills. - 35September 14, 1987
- Actors: Pat Fraley, Charlie Adler, Erika Scheimer, Susan Blu, Lou Scheimer
A cowboy and his sidekick maintain law and order on the planet of New Texas.Available On:
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- 36September 18, 1982
- Actors: Michael Bell, Bob Holt, Michael Horton
Dr. Bruce Banner attempts to cure himself of his transformation into the Hulk.Available On:
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Pound Puppies
September 13, 1986- Actors: Danny Cooksey, Frank Welker, Ruth Buzzi, Nancy Cartwright, Pat Carroll
Pound Puppies is a 1986 animated series made by Hanna-Barbera Productions, based on the famous toy line by Tonka. It is the sequel to the 1985 television special. The show was broadcast on ABC between September 1986 and December 1987. In this series, no mention was made of Violet's whereabouts. The show found itself under a lot of competition from competitors, such as Disney's Fluppy Dogs, which was also adapted into a special, but unlike Pound Puppies, was not made into a regular series. It was the first cartoon adaptation of the property, the second being the 2010 series. - 38September 4, 1989
- Actors: "Captain" Lou Albano, Danny Wells, Harvey Atkin, Jeannie Elias
After being sucked into a drain pipe, Mario and Luigi defend the Mushroom Kingdom from King Koopa.Available On:
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- 39September 1, 1972
- Actors: Bill Cosby, Jan Crawford, Lou Scheimer, Gerald Edwards, Erika Scheimer
Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids is an animated series created by and featuring the voice of Bill Cosby. The show follows the adventures and misadventures of Fat Albert and his gang of friends in North Philadelphia. It is filled with humor and heart, and addresses a variety of social issues and life lessons, from honesty and respect to the importance of education. Each episode often includes a live-action segment where Cosby discusses the day's story. The educational and entertaining content, along with its memorable characters, made it a valuable addition to Saturday morning cartoon line-ups for a generation. The show was notable for its multi-ethnic cast, propelling it to become a pop culture staple in the 1970s. - 40September 10, 1983
- Actors: Jimmy Keegan, Bettina Bush, Alvy Moore
The Littles is an animated television series, originally produced between 1983 and 1985. It is based on the characters from The Littles, a series of children's novels by American author John Peterson, the first of which was published in 1967. The series was produced for the American broadcast network ABC by a French/American/Canadian animation studio, DIC Entertainment, and as standard practice for TV cartoons of the period, the animation production was outsourced overseas to the Japanese studio TMS Entertainment. It was post-produced by a Canadian Animation studio, Animation City Editorial Services. - 41June 27, 1984
- Actors: Peter Cullen, Pat Fraley, Mona Marshall, Scott Menville, David Mendenhall
Rainbow Brite is a media franchise by Hallmark Cards, introduced in 1983. The animated television series of the same name was started in 1984. - 42April 14, 1984
- Actors: Cree Summer, Elizabeth Frazer, Tabitha St. Germain, Sherry Lynn, Ellen Gerstell
Mystical ponies and their human friends defend the peaceful land of Paradise Estate from monsters.Available On:
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- 43February 6, 1988
- Actors: David Jason, Ruby Wax, Jimmy Hibbert, Brian Trueman, Jack May
The comic adventures of a vegetarian vampire duck. - 44September 6, 1986
- Actors: Lennie Weinrib, Julie McWhirter, Hamilton Camp, B.J. Ward, Scott Menville
Freddy, Barney, Wilma and Betty are 10-year-olds in Bedrock.Available On:
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- 45March 4, 1985
- Actors: Robert Axelrod, Bill Capizzi, Frank Catalano
An alien ship crashes on Earth and the secrets it bears lead Earth into three interplanetary wars.Available On:
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- 46April 26, 1989
- Actors: Masako Nozawa, Toshio Furukawa, Mayumi Tanaka, Takeshi Aono, Hiromi Tsuru
The adventures of a powerful warrior named Goku and his allies who defend Earth from threats.Available On:
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- Actors: Scott Menville, Don Messick, Rob Paulsen
The New Adventures of Jonny Quest is a 1980s continuation of Hanna-Barbera's Jonny Quest animated television series from the 1960s. Debuting in 1986 as part of The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera's syndication package, this new Jonny Quest series could be seen as the second season to a program that originally aired from 1964-1965 on ABC.- 48April 7, 1985
- Actors: Vince Edwards, Pat Fraley, Neil Ross, Ed Gilbert, Diane Pershing
Centurions is a syndicated 30 minute American science fiction animated television series produced by Ruby-Spears and animated in Japan by Sunrise. Comic book legends Jack Kirby and Gil Kane contributed to the design and concepts of the show. The series began in 1986 as a five-part miniseries and was followed with a 60 episode series. The series was story edited by Ted Pedersen and written by several authors, including prolific science fiction writers Michael Reaves, Marc Scott Zicree, Larry DiTillio and Gerry Conway. The series theme and soundtrack were composed by Udi Harpaz. There was also a line of tie-in toys by Kenner, and a comic book series by DC Comics. - 49September 17, 1983
- Actors: Mr. T
Mr. T and a gymnastics team solve mysteries around the world.Available On:
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- 50July 4, 1985
- Actors: John Schneider, Leo Sayer, Dottie West, Rich Little, Len Carlson
Bert and Melissa Raccoon try to save the Evergreen Forest from Cyril Sneer. - 51October 29, 1985
- Actors: Matilde Conesa, Jane Woods, José María Cordero
The World of David the Gnome, originally titled David, el Gnomo, is a Spanish animated television series based on the children's book The Secret Book of Gnomes, by the Dutch author Wil Huygen and illustrator Rien Poortvliet. The program was originally created in Spain by BRB Internacional titled David el Gnomo, and retains a sense of the lush illustrations of the original books. Twenty-six episodes were produced. There was also a spin-off series entitled Wisdom of the Gnomes. The English language dub The World of David the Gnome was produced by Canadian studio CINAR, in association with Miramax Films. Christopher Plummer narrated, with the voice of David the Gnome being provided by Tom Bosley. David the Gnome came to US television in 1987, airing Sundays on the Nickelodeon cable channel, and was part of the fledgling Nick Jr. lineup when that was created shortly thereafter until 1996. It also aired on TLC on It's Ready Set Learn block from October 7, 1996 until March 27, 1998. It also aired on Discovery Kids on It's Ready Set Learn block from September 30, 1998 until October 9, 2010. The series is still frequently airing weekday mornings on Irish channel RTÉ Two as of 2006. - 52September 26, 1987
- Actors: Paul Fusco
ALF: The Animated Series is an animated cartoon spin-off based on the live-action sitcom series ALF. It premiered on September 26, 1987 and ran for 26 episodes. ALF Tales was a spinoff from the series that ran on the NBC television network on Saturdays from August 1988 to December 1989. The show had characters from that series play various characters from fairy tales. The fairy tale was usually altered for comedic effect in a manner relational to Fractured Fairy Tales.Available On:
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The Wuzzles
September 14, 1985- Actors: Henry Gibson, Jim Cummings, Tress MacNeille, Jo Anne Worley, Stan Freberg
Disney's The Wuzzles is an animated television series created for Saturday morning television, and was first broadcast on September 14, 1985 on CBS. An idea of Michael Eisner for his new Disney television animation studio, the premise is that the main characters are hybrids of two different animals. The original thirteen episodes ran on CBS for their first run. With only 13 episodes of The Wuzzles, it was one of the shortest running animated series produced by Disney. One season later, Wuzzles moved to ABC for reruns, and disappeared from network television after that. - 54September 14, 1985
- Actors: Charles Adler, Lewis Arquette, James Avery
Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling is an American animated television series that originally aired on CBS Saturday mornings from September 14, 1985 to December 6, 1986, with reruns airing until June 27, 1987. - 55
Dino-Riders
October 1, 1988- Actors: Dan Gilvezan, Peter Cullen, Frank Welker
Dino-Riders is a cartoon television series that first aired in 1988. Dino-Riders was primarily a promotion to launch a new Tyco toy line. Only fourteen episodes were produced, three of which were produced on VHS for the United States. It aired in the U.S. as part of the Marvel Action Universe. The series focuses on the battle between the good Valorians and evil Rulons on prehistoric Earth. The Valorians were a super human race, while the Rulons were a mixture of humanoid creatures — both of which came from the future, however ended up transported back in time to the age of Dinosaurs. Once on Earth, the Valorians befriended dinosaurs while the Rulons brain-washed them. - 56
Star Wars: Ewoks
September 7, 1985- Actors: Cree Summer, Don Francks, John Stocker, Alyson Court, George Buza
Star Wars: Ewoks is an American/Canadian animated television series featuring the Ewok characters introduced in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. It aired for two seasons between 1985 and 1986. The series was produced by Nelvana on behalf of Lucasfilm and broadcast on ABC, both by itself and later, as part of The Ewoks and Droids Adventure Hour. The first season was advertised as simply Ewoks, but the second season was advertised as The All New Ewoks. The series lasted 35 episodes.Available On:
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Pac-Man
1982- Actors: Marty Ingels, Barry Gordon, Barbara Minkus
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Popples
1986- Actors: Jeannie Elias,Louise Vallance,Valri Bromfield,Maurice LaMarche
Popples is a series of fantasy characters created by Those Characters From Cleveland, a subsidiary company of American Greetings. Popples resemble brightly colored teddy bears or marsupials and have long tails with pom-poms on the tip, they have pouches on their backs that they can go into to resemble brightly colored balls. - 59
Challenge of the GoBots
October 29, 1984- Actors: Lou Richards, Bernard Erhard, Marilyn Lightstone
Challenge of the GoBots, is an American animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera, based on the Gobots toy-line released from Tonka. The show originally debuted in animated form as a five-part miniseries, which aired in syndication from October 29 - November 2, 1984. A regular series followed the next year, premiering on September 16, 1985 as part of the weekday and weekend morning programming block The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera. The series was later rerun on the USA Cartoon Express. - 60September 8, 1989
- Actors: Cynthia Preston, Tabitha St. Germain, Len Carlson, Don Francks, Colin Fox
Princess Zelda and Link try to defend the kingdom of Hyrule from the evil wizard Ganon.Available On:
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