The 1980s was an integral period in the history of animation. Thanks to technological innovations and the rise of new animation companies, the medium was able to begin branching away from the minimalist styles that dominated the previous decades and produce higher-quality products in a wide variety of genres. This set the medium up for a renaissance in the 1990s.
It should come as no surprise then that many fantastic animated shows were produced in the 1980s, especially under the umbrella of Saturday Morning Cartoons. Along with more detailed character designs, these shows had solid character writing and creative concepts, which caused many of these shows to spawn long-running franchises.
10 ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ (1983-1985)
Written by Mark Evanier and Michael Reaves
While attending an amusement park, six kids get on a Dungeons & Dragons ride and are transported to a fantasy world called the Realms. They meet an omnipotent being called Dungeon Master (Sidney Miller), who gifts them with magic items to help them survive the Realms’ many dangers as they try to find a way home. The chief of these threats is Venger (Peter Cullen), a dark sorcerer who wants to use their magic items to enhance his powers so he can conquer the multiverse.
Dungeons & Dragons could have just been an elaborate commercial for the tabletop roleplaying game, but the writers put effort and care into the show, resulting in some very memorable and creative stories. They follow a monster of the week formula, with the kids encountering a new challenge that requires a unique solution to the problem, usually locked behind one of Dungeon Master’s cryptic riddles. The large cast also allowed for many different character interactions, from Presto’s (Adam Ritch) bumbling attempts to use magic, Eric’s (Don Most) constant snark, and Diana’s (Tonia Gayle Smith) bravery in the face of any danger.
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9 ‘Inspector Gadget’ (1983-1985)
Created by Andy Heyward, Jean Chalopin, and Bruno Bianchi
Whenever the evil Dr. Claw (voiced by Frank Welker) and his M.A.D agents concoct a plan to take over the world, Chief Quimby (Dan Hennessey and Maurice LaMarche) assigns his best agent, Inspector Gadget (Don Adams), to stop them. Though he is armed with many cybernetic enhancements, Gadget’s bumbling nature hinders his investigation and prevents him from recognizing M.A.D agents even when he meets them. Fortunately, his niece Penny (Cree Summer and Holly Berger) and her dog, Brain (Frank Welker), are able to solve the case while Claw focuses on Gadget.
Inspector Gadget has a simple formula, but it works thanks to how likable the characters are. Adams brings the exact same level of charisma and charm to the character as he did to Maxwell Smart from Get Smart, and Penny sets a good role model for young audiences thanks to her humility and bravery. The show is also very funny, with lots of great physical comedy and spy-themed jokes, including Gadget’s gadgets malfunctioning or explosive telegrams going off in Chief Quimby’s face.
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8 ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ (1987-1996)
Created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird
Betrayed by his student, Oroku Saki (James Avery), Hamato Yoshi (Peter Renaday) is banished from the Foot Clan of ninjas and goes to live in the sewers of New York City. There, he and four baby turtles are exposed to a mutagenic ooze, turning them into humanoid turtles, and Yoshi into a humanoid rat whom the turtles call Splinter. As the turtles age, Splinter names them after Renaissance painters and teaches them ninjutsu, which they use to protect New York City from Saki, now called the Shredder, and his allies.
By departing from the darker and more satirical nature of the original comics, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was able to reach a wider audience and become the major TMNT franchise fans know today. While overshadowed by newer Turtles cartoons, it still has a lot of creativity and fun with its campy style and on-the-nose product placement. Some of the changes, such as making Raphael (Rob Paulsen) a cynical wise-guy instead of an angry loner, further helped the show have its own unique identity that remains iconic to this day.
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7 ‘The Raccoons’ (1985-1992)
Created by Kevin Gillis
Within the Evergreen Forest lives Bert Raccoon (Len Carlson), a fun-loving raccoon who lives with his childhood best friends, Ralph (Bob Dermer) and Melissa (Linda Feige and Susan Roman). When not helping Ralph and Melissa with their newspaper, Bert attempts to live life to its fullest, though his impulsive and immature nature tends to get him into trouble. The trio also work to undermine the efforts of the industrial aardvark Cyril Sneer (Michael Magee), who is always looking to tear down the woods and increase his profits.
One of the best Canadian cartoons, The Raccoons stood out thanks to its strong environmental message and interesting themes. It introduced children to some major issues at the time, such as adoption, divorce, gambling addictions, and the importance of protecting the environment for future generations. While every character stood out in some way, Cyril Sneer was the real star of the show thanks to his development, going from a standard greedy businessman to a multi-layered anti-hero willing to swallow his pride and loosen his wallet to help those he cared about.
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6 ‘The Smurfs’ (1981-1989)
Created by Peyo (Pierre Culliford)
Based on the Belgian comic series of the same name, The Smurfs follows the titular blue characters, who live in a hidden village. Led by the wise Papa Smurf (Don Messick), the Smurfs go on all sorts of adventures and learn valuable life lessons about community, friendship, and teamwork. Not all is good in the Smurf’s lives, however, as the evil wizard Gargamel (Paul Winchell) wants to capture them and either eat them or turn them into gold.
One of the most iconic Hanna-Barbera cartoons, The Smurfs found major success thanks to its simplicity. The storylines were straightforward with good messages attached, and the characters stood out thanks to phenomenal voice acting and a few distinguishing personality traits. The show is also notable for promoting Smurfette (Lucille Bliss) from a one-off to a major character, something continued in the franchise to this day.
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5 ‘The Transformers’ (1984-1987)
Created by Hasbro and Takara Tomy
On the planet Cybertron, two factions of sentient robots called Transformers, the Autobots and the Decepticons, fight to decide the future of their species. While attempting to find new energy sources, Autobot leader Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen), Decepticon leader Megatron (Frank Welker), and their loyal troops crash on prehistoric Earth. They awaken in the 1980s and re-start the war, with the Autobots trying to protect humanity and prevent the Decepticons from draining Earth of its resources.
The Transformers might not be of the same quality as later Transformers media, but it has a lot of charm to it. The designs of the Transformers are creative and stylistic, giving the show a unique look that lends itself well to action sequences. While most of the characters have lackluster personalities, the core characters, such as Optimus, Megatron, and the deceptive Starscream (Chris Latta), are solidly executed and have many memorable exchanges between each other.
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4 ‘The Real Ghostbusters’ (1986-1991)
Written by J. Michael Straczynski
After saving New York City, the Ghostbusters find themselves busier than ever as more and more spooks and specters rise from their graves. Sometimes they’re non-malicious entities looking to complete unfinished business, but more often than not, they’re tricky and troublesome spirits who need to be busted. Aiding the Ghostbusters is a green, food-obsessed phantom named Slimer (Frank Welker) and their secretary, Janine Melnitz (Laura Summer and Kath Soucie).
The Real Ghostbusters was so named to distinguish it from the FIlmation cartoon, Ghostbusters, and ensure audiences knew this one was based on the 1984 film. The series does a wonderful job keeping true to the spirit of the original, retaining the character’s personalities and very strong writing, allowing older audiences to enjoy it alongside kids. The animation is also top-notch, which helps to bring all the various ghosts to life with unique designs.
3 ‘DuckTales’ (1987-1990)
Created by Jymn Magon
When Donald Duck (Tony Anselmo) joins the Navy, he sends his nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie (voiced by Russi Taylor), to stay with his uncle, self-made billionaire Scrooge McDuck (Alan Young). Though at first reluctant to take them on, Scrooge warms up to the boys when he realizes how resourceful they are, and agrees to take them with him on numerous adventures to amass more wealth. They frequently have to clash with villains seeking Scrooge’s fortune, such as the Beagle crime family, Scrooge’s rival Flintheart Glomgold (Hal Smith), and the eccentric witch Magica De Spell (June Foray).
DuckTales introduced casual audiences to the wacky and expansive world of the Donald Duck Universe comics. Along with fantastical adventures that included time travel, magic, and massive robot fights, the show was carried thanks to the well-defined personalities of its characters, best seen with Scrooge and his accident-prone pilot, Launchpad (Terry McGovern). Thirty years later, Disney released a reboot starring David Tennant as Scrooge, and it proved to be just as popular as the original.
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2 ‘The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh’ (1988-1991)
Created by Karl Geurs
Deep in the Hundred Acre Woods, a boy named Christopher Robin (Tim Hoskins) goes on adventures with his various stuffed animals. These include the honey-loving bear Winnie the Pooh (Jim Cummings), the timid Piglet (John Fiedler), the garden-loving and bossy Rabbit (Ken Sansom), and the always-bouncing Tigger (Paul Winchell and Jim Cummings). Together, they explore the woods to collect honey, find hidden treasures, and learn important lessons regarding childhood fears.
The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is one of Disney’s best shows and one of the best cartoons to introduce mature themes for young children. Each episode was written from a child’s point of view, so the writers approached difficult topics like self-worth, fear of abandonment, and separating fantasy from reality, in a way that children can understand and apply to their day-to-day lives. It also boasted one of the best voice casts of any TV show, and the actors voiced the characters up until the 2011 film, Winnie the Pooh.
1 ‘He-Man and the Masters of the Universe’ (1983-1985)
Created by Roger Sweet
On Eternia, a world of advanced technology and powerful sorcery, the evil Skeletor (Alan Oppenheimer) plots to conquer Castle Greyskull and attain the power to conquer the universe. Unfortunately for him, the crown prince of Greyskull, Prince Adam (John Erwin), was given a magic sword by the castle’s Enchantress (Linda Gary). Using its power, Adam can transform himself into a mighty warrior called He-Man, strong enough to overpower any of Skeletor’s machinations.
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is the perfect representation of 1980s cartoons thanks to its campy style, simple but effective characters, stellar voice acting, and focus on selling merchandise to impressionable children. Though its writing isn’t as strong as shows from later decades, it’s still found longevity in the form of parody and memes. At its height, it even saw the creation of a spin-off series, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, which focused on Adam’s sister, Adora (Melendy Britt).
