I decided to put out a list of my favorite Saturday Morning cartoons last month after the CW was the last hold out for Saturday Morning cartoons on non-cable networks. 50 years of tradition came to an end. I put a list of non-animated Saturday shows and I had intended to make this list.
It took me a while to narrow down this list to only 10. These cartoons are very boy centric for obvious reasons. My sisters would have a vastly different list than mine.
They may not have been the best cartoons ever (even thought I remember then as the best) but they were clearly my favorites. Cartoons like He-Man, G.I. Joe, Voltron, and Transformers didn’t make this list because they weren’t on Saturday morning television (at least not on the major networks).
Saturday morning cartoons were a staple of my childhood in the 70s and 80s. I planned my weekend around watching these on Saturday mornings. I would scour the comic book ads in August looking for the new Fall Cartoon lineups of ABC, NBC, and CBS.
All Ten of these cartoons have a very Special place in my heart. I moved around the order several times but I finally settled on this order. It was an extremely difficult assignment for me.
10) Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels
Captain Caveman was a fun character. I remember being intrigued with the idea and cavemen. When you add a caveman with super powers with a group of teenage girls, it was a hit for me.
9) Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids
Hey, Hey, Hey! Fat Albert was a great show where I learned lessons about dealing with other people who were different than me. I was poor white country boy. Fat Albert was my first exposure to people of different ethnicity and race and it was delightful. I loved this show.
8) Thundar the Barbarian
When you combine Conan the Barbarian with science fiction, fantasy, and a laser sword (like a light saber), it was show tailor made for my ten year old self. This show is still a ton of fun and the writing is better than most cartoons of that day. It developed a ton of mythos around the core characters and some of the villains.
7) Hong Kong Phoey
I realize this show isn’t politically correct and maybe offensive to some people. But as a kid, I loved Hong Kong Phoey. I loved the bumbling hero with sidekick cat that saves his rear. I loved Kung Fu and Karate as a kid. Who wouldn’t want a car that can transform by ringing a gong? Oh the memories.
6) Bugs Bunny / Road Runner Hour
Here is a classic that most people my age will agree on. Bugs Bunny and Road Runner Cartoons are classic and perfect. They don’t make cartoons like this any more. We got to see the Coyote fall and become an accordian. This was a staple of 2 decades of cartoon watching. I had this cartoon as high as #2 at one point on my list.
5) Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends
I love Spider-Man. He is my favorite fictional character. The original Spider-Man cartoons are awesome but they were in the 60s so they didn’t qualify and I only saw them in re-runs. This fun cartoon brought Spidey together with Ice Man from the X-Men (still my second favorite X-Men – next to Kitty) and the new character of Firestar. Firestar looked a lot like Mary Jane Watson but had great microwave powers. Firestar was so popular that they introduced her into Marvel Comics after the series.
4) Dungeons and Dragons
Here is a cartoon that is based off the first role playing game, Dungeons and Dragons. I was already a fan of the game and had read the Red Box manuals. The cartoon took my imagination by storm. I loved this cartoon that had a short run. It was awesome and fun.
3) Scobby Doo Where Are You?
These next three cartoons were all number one on my list at one point. I wish I could have given them a 1A,1B, and 1C but I had to pick an order.
When I think of Scobby Doo, this is the incarnation that I think about. I love this cartoon. It is a scary fun for a little kid and still fun for an adult. It is witty and well written. The theme song will pop into my head regularly. I would have sang along with it if it wasn’t for those meddling kids.
2) School House Rock
School House Rock was pure education put to music and it worked like a charm. My sisters and I would change the channels after a show on a different channel in an attempt to catch School House Rock. We hoped for our favorite ones like “I Am Just a Bill”, “Conjunction Junction”, “Lolly, Lolly, Lolly”, “Interjections!” and “The Shot Heard ‘Round The World”. I learned so much history, math, and science by watching these cartoon shorts and I Loved it.
1) Superfriends
I used to get up way early on Saturdays because Superfriends were often an early cartoon. I loved every rendition of this cartoon from the original to the Battle of the Superfriends. I do fondly remember Marvin, Wendy, and Wonder Dog and I still like them better than the Wonder Twins. The Hall of Justice was created for this series. The superheroes weren’t allowed to actually hit anyone but they still rocked my Saturday mornings.
Well that is my List. Tell me what you think. What did I leave off or get in the wrong order? What is your favorite Saturday Morning Cartoon?
Stay Geeky My Friends!
