Whether you’re an executive accountant, work in a factory, or maybe a policeman, you share something with many other people of your generation – the experience of watching cartoons as kids. At some point in our lives, no matter how grown-up or mature we become, we can look back (hopefully with some fondness) when we could sit in front of the TV and tune into our favourite afternoon shows after school. In celebration of the animated characters and worlds that shaped us, we’ll list some of the best old classic cartoons for your sentimental pleasure.
Let’s start with a question:
How many of these classic old cartoons from our list do you remember?
Classic cartoon list:
101 Dalmatians, 2 Stupid Dogs, Action Force, Aladdin, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Animaniacs, Arthur, Astro Farm, Babar the Elephant, Banana Man, Batman, Battle of the Planets, Beetlejuice, Biker Mice from Mars, Bill Nye the Science Guy, Bionic Six, Bonkers, Brakenjan, Bravestarr, Bump in the Night, Calvin and Hobbes, Captain Planet, Care Bears, Casper and Friends, Centurions, Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show, Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers, Conan the Barbarian, Creepy Crawlers, Danger Mouse, Darkwing Duck, Davie Crocket, Dennis the Menace, Denver the Last Dinosaur, Dino Riders, Dinosaucers, Doug, Double Dragon, Dr. Snuggles, Droopy, Ducktales, Earthworm Jim, Ewoks, Exosquad, Fang Face, Fantastic Four, Felix the Cat, Flash Gordon, Fraggle Rock, Freakazoid, G.I. Joe, Galaxy Rangers, Garfield and Friends, Gargoyles, Get Along Gang, Ghostbusters, Gobots, Gooftroop, Goosebumps, Grady Greenspace, Gumby, Gummi Bears, Heathcliff, Heidi, He-Man, Hercules, House of Mouse, Huckleberry Hound, Hulk, Huxley Pig, Inspector Gadget, Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors, Jimbo and the Jet Set, Johnson and Friends, Kideo, Looney Tunes, M.A.S.K., Magilla Gorilla, Mario and Luigi, Marsupilami, Maya the Bee, Mega Man, Men in Black, Mightor, Mighty Man and Yuck, Mighty Max, Mighty Mouse, Mina Moo, Moemin, Monchichis, Monster Force, Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm, Mr. Bogus, Mucha Lucha, Mummies Alive, My Little Pony, My Pet Monster, Nello en Patrasche, Once Upon a Time…Man, Paddington Bear, Panda Tao Tao, Paw Paw, Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm, Pinky and the Brain, Pirates of Dark Water, Pokel, Pole Position, Popeye, Popples, Pumpkin Patch, Punky Brewster, Quick Draw McGraw, Raggy Dolls, Rainbow Brite, Recess, Ricochet Rabbit, Ring Raiders, Robocop, Rocket Power, Ruff and Reddy, Saber Riders, Samurai Pizza Cats, Scooby-Doo, Secret Squirrel, Sharky and George, She-Ra Princess of Power, Shoe People, Silverhawks, Skybolt, Sonic the Hedgehog, Spiderman, Spiral Zone, Starchaser, Street Sharks, Super Campeones, Super Ted, Superman, Swamp Thing, Swat Kats, Talespin, Tasmanian Devil, Teddy Ruxpin, The Addams Family, The Adventures of Tin Tin, The Angry Beavers, The Animals of Farthing Wood, The Care Bears, The Family-Ness, The Flintstones, The Little Mermaid, The Jetsons, The Lone Ranger, The Magic Schoolbus, The Mask, The MuskerHounds (Brak en Jan), The Mysterious Cities of Gold, The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, The Pink Panther, The Poddington Peas, The Power Team, The Raccoons, The Rugrats, The Silver Surfer, The Smurfs, The Tick, The Tigersharks, The Wombles, The World of David the Gnome (Dawie die Kabouter), The Wuzzles, Thundercats, Timon and Pumbaa, Tiny Toon Adventures, Tom and Jerry, Top Cat, Transformers, Turbo Teen, Vicky the Viking, Voltron, Whacky Races, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego, Where’s Wally, Widget the World Watcher, Wild C.A.T.S. Woody Woodpecker, Yogi Bear, and, finally, X-men.
There are several others that I cannot recall, two of which bug me. The first is an old cartoon about a kid playing a video game who is then transported into the game world. There are three characters: a Blue Big Foot 4×4 Truck, a tomato with green hair, and the hero with a sword. The second cartoon involves singing green mice, which have pointy alien ears. These mice sing opera most of the time.
The Best Old Classic Cartoons
Many people have distinct memories of waking up early on weekends (with a willingness and speed never seen during the week) and plopping themselves in front of the TV to watch early Saturday morning cartoons. It was a great way to start the day and entertain you until your parents kicked you outside.
Let’s take a trip down memory lane and watch some old favourite cartoons.
1. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies
Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies were partners that featured shorts with numerous beloved characters. These included the stuttering Porky Pig (one of the first characters ever created for Looney Tunes), the flippant trickster Bugs Bunny and the unrestrained and assertive Daffy Duck.
Many cartoon shorts featured a hunted-hunter dynamic with elaborate traps gone wrong, in which one character would give chase while the other would avoid capture. Some of the most memorable duos were Wile E Coyote and the Road Runner, Sylvester the Cat and Tweety Bird, and Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny.
Mel Blanc voiced the abovementioned characters and several others, including Taz the Tasmanian Devil, Yosemite Sam, Marvin the Martian and Pepé la Pew. The cartoons were so famous that they inspired several films, including Space Jam and a more modernised series called The Looney Tunes Show, centring around Bugs and Daffy and their move to the suburbs.
Fans of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies can find dozens of old cartoons on HBO Max.
2. Johnny Bravo
This beloved cartoon focused on the titular character, a self-proclaimed womaniser loosely based on Elvis Presley and James Dean. He’s muscular, wears sunglasses and lives with his mother, Bunny “Momma” Bravo. Be spends much of his time trying to get women to date him but usually fails miserably and is beaten up comedically.
The cartoon series features a small cast of characters who pop in during Bravo’s adventures. These include Little Suzy, who is quite intelligent and goes out of her way to annoy Johnny; Carl Chryniszzswics, the poor geek who Johnny bullies; and Pops, the owner of a diner who gives Johnny advice and food.
The series would often feature guest star appearances from celebrities and sometimes other cartoons, including characters like Fred Flintstone and Yogi Bear.
The creators behind Johnny Bravo (who once considered The Rock for a live-action Johnny Bravo movie) weren’t too concerned about the content of their episodes when it came to adult humour. “No one was really watching Cartoon Network,” Van Partible said. “As far as content, they were pretty lenient on all the kinds of things that were going on.”
3. The Powerpuff Girls
This cartoon featured the adventures of three superpowered sisters who Professor Utonium created using a combination of sugar, spice, everything excellent, and Chemical X. Blossom is the red-headed leader of the group. She is often the most level-headed and the master strategist behind the girl’s victories. Bubbles is the sweet blonde one. She can communicate with animals and go into a terrible rage if pushed far enough. Finally, Buttercup is the black-haired tomboy. She doesn’t think twice before rushing into a fight and is more of a punch first, asking questions, never character.
The girls are raised by Professor Utonium and often protect the city of Townsville from monsters and several recurring villains at the mayor’s request. While they are responsible enough to take on villains regularly, the girls must also deal with issues regularly faced by young children, including bed wetting, going to school, loose teeth, and sibling rivalries.
The original series ran from 1998 to 2005 and aired three specials between 2003 and 2014. Cartoon Network rebooted the Powerpuff Girls in 2016. In 2023, Nike dropped Powerpuff Girl sneakers, which sold out in minutes, a testament to the characters’ popularity today.
4. Dexter’s Laboratory
This animated series follows the adventures of the boy genius Dexter, a scientist with a laboratory hidden behind a bookcase in his room. He manages to keep his activities hidden from his clueless parents. Dexter can only access his lab through a password or hidden switches, but his older sister Dee Dee manages to find her way into the lab and mess up his experiments every single time, much to his annoyance.
Dexter has an intense rivalry with his fellow boy genius and neighbour, Mandark. The two often try to outdo each other, and when Dexter’s inventions prove to be objectively better, Mandark resorts to stealing his plans. His one weakness is the unrequited love he feels for Dee Dee.
Many people questioned the origin of Dexter’s accent. Christine Cavanaugh (the voice behind Dexter) described his accent as “an affectionate, kind of accent, we’re not quite sure. He’s a scientist, he knows he needs (a) kind of accent.” by Dexter’s voice actor, Christine Cavanaugh. Genndy Tartakovsky, the show’s creator, has said that “he’s a scientist. All scientists are foreign and have accents… It’s not really a German accent. It’s just Eastern European.”
The series ran from 1996 to 1998 and was rebooted from 2001 – 2003
5. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Based on the comic book characters Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird created, the show follows the adventures of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and others as they battle villains like Shredder and Krang. The creators dropped the darker tone from the comics to make the show more suitable for children.
The Turtles’ adoptive father, Splinter, was originally a man, but after being exposed to mutagen, he became more rat-like, while the turtles became more human-like. So he decided to name the turtles after his favourite artists and trained them in ninjitsu.
Soon, The Turtles befriend April O’Neil, a Channel 6 reporter who does all she can to portray The Turtles in the best light. They become vigilante crime fighters and thwart the plans of Shredder and other criminals.
The show ran from 1988 to 1996 and has inspired several films and movies.
6. The Addams Family
The creators behind this animated series based it on the dark comedy TV series that gave the characters created by Charles Addams their names and backstories before putting them in a household setting. It followed the many entertaining adventures of the close-knit supernatural family and their clashes with the modern world.
This time, the family goes on a cross-country adventure in their creepy Victorian-style camper, which closely resembles their beloved mansion. While stopped at different locations, they often accidentally cause mayhem and get involved in criminal schemes without realising it.
The series features head over heels in madly in-love parental duo Gomez and Morticia Addams, Wednesday, Pugsley, the eccentric Uncle Fester, Cousin Itt and Grandmama. The most silent butler, Lurch, and the disembodied hand, Thing, serve the Addams Family.
The series ran for a couple of episodes in 1973.
7. Teen Titans
The beloved TV show was based on the superhero team of the same name from DC Comics. Its first two seasons aired on WB Kids, and its popularity earned it five seasons and a movie. It was the most praised Cartoon Network show, specifically for the way it handled its character development, humour and serious themes, which were focused on with care rather than wholly brushed over.
The show followed the stories created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez and features five prominent members: Robin, the intelligent leader; Starfire, the sweet and quirky alien princess; Cyborg, the fun-loving and cheerful tech-expert who loves playing video games and is known for his strength, Raven, the stoic half-demon with a dark sense of humour, and Beast Boy, a light-hearted prankster who can change into any animal and is the best friend of Cyborg.
The five prevent many threats to the city and criminal activity while also dealing with their struggles surrounding adolescence, limitations and mutual friendships.
After the series ended, a series of shorts known as New Teen Titans aired from 2011 to 2012, featuring the original characters in a chibi animation style. Many fans thought Cartoon Network was reviving the old series, but they received Teen Titans Go! instead.
8. Samurai Jack
Genndy Tartakovsky drew inspiration from the 1972 television drama Kung Fu and his fascination with samurai culture when creating this animated Cartoon Network series. It follows the story of Jack, formerly an unnamed samurai prince who wields a magical katana that can cut through almost anything.
After the evil demon lord Aku overran his kingdom, the samurai prince trained with his father’s sword before fighting Aku. Unfortunately, before the prince could land the killing blow, Aku sent him to a dystopian future where the demon lord ruled with unmatched strength.
Upon arriving, the samurai adopts the name Jack and begins the quest to find his way back to his own time and finally defeat Aku before the demon lord takes over the world.
Samurai Jack ran from 2001 to 2004, and the ending was left mostly open-ended because the creators didn’t want to rush the story. Unfortunately, according to the art director Scott Willis, they didn’t have time to “think about it” because they were moving on to Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Fortunately for fans, Cartoon Network briefly revived the series with a more cohesive narrative and mature elements in 2017 to conclude the story officially.
9. Dragon Ball Z
This anime series is a sequel to the 1986 anime Dragon Ball and follows the final 325 chapters of the original manga series.
It continues with the adventures of Son Goku. Now, as an adult, he and his companions work together to protect Earth against the invasion of several villains, including androids, aliens and magical creatures. It touches on the life and development of his son Gohan and the path of his rivals Piccolo and Vegeta.
The anime initially ran from 1989 to 1996 and is still popular today. Its success in the United States led to the show becoming a cultural icon. As a result, it has had several releases and adaptations over the years, along with two sequels, Dragon Ball GT and Dragon Ball Super.
10. Inspector Gadget
This animated TV series follows the adventures of the clumsy and incompetent Inspector Gadget, a cyborg police inspector who often unintentionally causes trouble for those around him. His boss often sends him on missions to take down the sinister Dr Claw and his criminal organisation, M.A.D.
Unbeknownst to him or Claw, Gadget’s niece Penny is usually responsible for ruining M.A.D.’s plans. With her technology and her beloved dog Brain, who often follows Gadget on his adventures to ensure he stays out of harm’s way, she regularly takes down M.A.D. while ensuring her uncle is the one seen solving the crimes.
The show ran from 1983 to 1986 and inspired the release of several TV series and movies based around the titular character’s adventures.
11. SpongeBob SquarePants
This beloved animated series follows the adventures of the main character, SpongeBob SquarePants. The sponge and his friends get into trouble at Boating School, The Krusty Krab, Jellyfish Fields, at home or even out of water.
The series is one of the longest-running animated series in America. It was first released in 1999 and was renewed for its fourteenth season in 2022.
The series has inspired two spin-off shows (Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years and The Patrick Star Show) and several movies, including The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, which was released in 2004, Sponge Out of Water which was released in 2015 and Sponge on the Run which released in 2020. In addition, Paramount+ is developing four new films.
12. The Pink Panther Show
This animated show featured a series of shorts starring the Pink Panther character that was introduced to audiences at the end of the original live-action films. The shorts follow the Pink Panther on his many little adventures as he causes problems for other characters and escapes the consequences.
A couple of shorts include the character known as The Inspector, who attempts to bring the Pink Panther to justice but fails miserably.
In early 2022, Warner Bros announced they had been discussing potentially reviving The Pink Panther and The Flintstones. Both are set to premiere in 2024
13. Top Cat
William Hanna and Joseph Barbera produced the show, which followed the titular character’s adventures and his gang of alley cats: Benny the Ball, Brain, Choo-Choo, Fancy-Fancy, and Spook. They spend much time attempting to develop get-rich-quick schemes but often fail.
Charles “Charlie” Dibble spends much of his time trying to get the cats evicted from the alley or arrested. When he can’t do that, he has them clean the alley and tells them to stop using the police box phone. Unfortunately for them, this usually doesn’t last very long, and the cats are quickly back to scamming people.
The show ran from 1961 to 1962.
14. Pokémon
The anime series follows the story of Ash Ketchum, a young boy from Pallet Town who is determined to become the Pokémon Master. At the beginning of his journey, Professor Oak gifts him an uncooperative Pikachu with whom he soon bonds. Together, Ash and Pikachu travel to different regions of the Pokémon world and battle against various Gym Leaders to get into a tournament known as the Pokémon League. Ash can finally become the Pokémon Master.
Along his journey, Ash meets several interesting characters and often thwarts the nefarious plans of Team Rocket, who constantly tries to steal Pikachu from him.
The series began in 1997 and has been running ever since. It currently has 1223 and is on its 25th season.
15. Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy
This animated series follows the adventures of an overly enthusiastic, dim-witted boy named Billy, a cynical, unfeeling girl named Mandy and their “best friend forever” by force, Grim the Grim Reaper. Billy and Mandy earned Grim’s “friendship” after beating him at a game of limbo for Billy’s pet hamster. Grim slowly begins to care for Billy and Mandy reluctantly but ultimately desires to be free of their friendship.
Thanks to Grim’s supernatural abilities, the three often go on exciting adventures and meet several famed monsters, including the Bogeyman, Dracula, and the Wolfman. They even meet Jeff, a giant spider who always tries to win Billy’s affection and approval and whom he believes to be his father.
The show ran from 2003 to 2007. It received two movies (Billy & Mandy’s Big Boogey Adventure and Billy & Mandy: Wrath of the Spider Queen) and a crossover special with its fellow animated series Codename: Kids Next Door. The special was called The Grim Adventures of the KND.
16. Danger Mouse
This animated series was created to parody British spy fiction, specifically Danger Man and James Bond. It followed the adventures of Danger Mouse, a secret mouse agent with a code name for his code name, and his assistant and sidekick Ernest Penfold, a hamster who audiences would often confuse for a mole.
The two would work together to bring down several enemies, the most notable of whom was Danger Mouse’s archnemesis, Baron Silas Greenback, a toad who began his life of crime when he was still very young.
The series ran from 1981 to 1992 and inspired the spin-off Count Duckula from 1988 to 1993. Danger Mouse was revived in 2015 and ran until 2019.
17. Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids
When I say, “Hey! Hey! Hey!” the first thing that comes to mind must be the iconic Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids. The show, produced by comedian Bill Cosby, graced TV screens from 1972 until 1985, often featuring appearances by Cosby himself. Before all the horrible things that we came to learn about Cosby, to us as kids, he was on his ascent to being ‘America’s Dad’, and that came across in Fat Albert. Besides having a whacky and exciting cast of animated characters, the show had a solid educational element – something Bill Cosby was passionate about.
The show centered around a group of inner-city Philadelphia teens—Fat Albert, the leader with his beloved catchphrase, alongside friends like Mushmouth and Weird Harold. Apparently, the Cosby Kids were inspired by Bill Cosby’s childhood friends. Each episode tackled relatable childhood issues, from academic struggles to peer pressure, all wrapped in humour. Besides being the show’s creator, Bill Cosby was the voice of Fat Albert and other characters.
A movie adaptation was released in 2004 but was not very well received. The review site Rotten Tomatoes described it as ‘bland’.
18. The Flintstones
There are few cartoon shows with as iconic a theme song as this one. Listening to it felt a bit like being in a full jazz concert in an expensive venue, but it was just meant for TV and was relatable and fun. And, of course, who can forget that famous line, “Yabba-Dabba-Doo!”?
Brought to life by the legendary Hanna-Barbera Productions in 1960 and lasting six seasons till 1966, The Flintstones took viewers to Bedrock. In this prehistoric city, dinosaurs served as cars and clothes were made from animal skins. Fred Flintstone, the lovable but quick-tempered patriarch, lived next door to his best friend Barney Rubble. Their families, complete with wives Wilma and Betty and eventually children Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm, were the show’s heart. Many people (like me) who watched this series decades after its original release don’t know that The Flintstones was the first animated series to get a prime-time slot on American TV.
The Flinstones, like many shows on this list, also got its own movie adaptation in 1994 starring John Goodman who, quite honestly, looked like he was born for this role.
19. The Smurfs
No list of old classic cartoons deserves to exist unless it mentions The Smurfs, that community of beautiful, blue do-gooders led by the inimitable Papa Smurf, the tiny creature who made white beards look cool again, and featuring Smurfette, who just felt the need to be sassy for no reason.
The Smurfs originated in Belgium as a French comic strip created by Peyo (real name Pierre Culliford) in 1958. To this day, I can’t get over the fact that the French word for ‘Smurfs’ is ‘Schtroumpfs’. The little blue characters quickly gained popularity, and the jump to animation wasn’t far behind. This is another series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, the animation powerhouse that was killing it at the time with classics like Scooby-Doo and The Flintstones. The show ran for an impressive nine seasons, from 1981 to 1989.
20. ThunderCats
I will assume this is a safe space and confess that something about the ThunderCats series spooked me slightly. To this day, I’m not sure what exactly it was that made me feel uncomfortable. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, what’s left to say is that this is one of the most memorable shows of the 1980s, even though it only lasted two seasons.
The series follows the ThunderCats, lion-like humanoid aliens forced to flee their dying planet, Thundera. When they get to Plun-Darr, they are attacked by the vicious Mutants there, led by Mumm-Ra. The ThunderCats then crash-land on Third Earth, where they befriend native creatures and establish a hidden home called the Cat’s Lair. Lion-O, the young and impulsive leader, wields the legendary Sword of Omens, the key to their power. He’s guided by the wise mentor Jaga and supported by a team of remarkable ThunderCats, including Tygra, Cheetara, Panthro, and the naughty twins WilyKit and WilyKat, along with their pet Snarf.
21. Adventures of the Gummi Bears
Of all the warmest, fuzziest shows I watched as a kid, this one ranks near the top. From the catchy theme song, which finds its onto another list of mine further down, to the adorable characters who all got along so well (except when Gruffi wanted to be a party-pooper), Adventures of the Gummi Bears (or just Gummi Bears) belongs on this list.
Nestled in the hidden paradise of Gummi Glen lived a particular group of bears, a family of Gummi Bears who were the last of a race with the secret to Gummiberry Juice. This magical potion gave them bursts of strength and agility. Leading the pack was the wise old Gummi, Zummi, the keeper of Gummi lore. Then there was Gruffi, the grumpy oner, and Grammi, the resourceful Gummi matriarch. Grammi’s grandkids were Cubbi, Sunni, and the twins Tummi and Gummi (notice how twins are always up to no good in these shows?). Together, they’d face off against grumpy ogres and outwit Duke Igthorn, the bad guy of the series. They’d sometimes need to form unlikely friendships with humans for survival while keeping their Gummi secret safe.
Gummi Bears lasted six seasons from 1985 to 1991.
22. Popeye
As a kid who didn’t want muscles – though he seemed a little deformed in hindsight – as big as Popeye’s? Popeye was a parents’ favourite, too. He got big and strong after eating spinach, so parents convinced their kids to eat their veggies so they could be like Popeye.
Popeye was a tough sailor who always seemed to be in trouble, especially with Bluto, a bully who liked to steal Popeye’s girlfriend, Olive Oyl. Olive was always the damsel in distress but always got fed up with Popeye and Bluto’s antics. Whenever danger loomed, Popeye knew just what to do, and after eating that spinach, they would send Bluto packing and win back Olive’s heart, even if it was just for a little while. Popeye had two sidekicks called Wimpy and Swee’Pea. The show was fun to watch, with lots of slapstick humour, and it will always go down as a classic among old cartoons.
23. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
Recognized as one of the most popular animated series of the 1980s, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is about a prince named Adam who lives on a magical planet called Eternia. Adam uses a magical sword whenever danger strikes and summons its powers by saying, “By the power of Grayskull!” to transform into He-Man. He fights the evil Skeletor, who wants to take over Eternia with magic from a mysterious castle. Among He-Man’s allies are Battle Cat, who once used always to be scared but now answers the call to help He-Man on his adventures.
A reimagined series was released on Netflix in 2021 and was positively received, though some reviewers highlighted that it lacked nostalgia.
24. Strawberry Shortcake
The story behind this classic cartoon is interesting because the adorable Strawberry Shortcake wasn’t born on TV but first appeared on greeting cards in the 1970s. Her sweet personality was such a hit that she jumped to animation in the 1980s. But instead of a full-fledged series like the other cartoon shows in this article, Strawberry Shortcake starred in several specials, starting in 1980 with The World of Strawberry Shortcake and ending with Strawberry Shortcake Meets the Berrykins in 1985.
Though I haven’t personally watched any of the specials, I know that Strawberry Shortcake remains a beloved character, with new stories and merchandise finding fans not just with millennials who grew up with her but with a whole new generation – Gen Alpha. The first time I learned about this character was through my daughter, who clearly showed how timeless and beloved the character is.
25. Pinky and the Brain
One of the funniest cartoon series in the ’90s was Pinky and the Brain (one of the funniest kids cartoons), a series about lab mice on opposite ends of the intellectual spectrum. In each episode, Brain, a potential tyrant with a penchant for complicated inventions, hatches crazy plans to take over the world while Pinky, his good-natured but, shall we say, not-so-bright sidekick, unintentionally foil these plans with his goofy antics.
Despite the constant failure, the show’s humour can be found in the dynamic between the two, who have no place being friends of any kind. Brain’s frustration with Pinky’s interruptions is hilarious, and their wacky adventures, filled with brilliant dialogue and comedy, kept audiences entertained for years.
Tell us, what are your favourite old cartoons? How many old cartoons from our list do you remember?
Hi guys im looking for the catoon played near the sea. The characters live in boats and there is also a beaver who lives in a house made of twigs. The characters try to solve problems, they would sing a song along the lines doobie dooo ba… And a light bulb appears then one of the shouts i got it!
I think they played itaround 1997 or 1999 somewhere around there, on sabc1.
PB and J otter
Hi guys,
There’s this show… I think it was on SABC 2, if not encore. They lived on an island, had a Caribbean theme to it? The theme song at the end was just someone whistling or something and I still know exactly how the whistle tone went but no one remembers
I’ve been looking for the name of show that used to play on SABC back in the late 1990s or 2000s. It’s about a hamster and his family that drove a little land rover. They lived in these little huts around a watering hole, there was also a chameleon in it. Please help, it’s been bothering me for ages.
Hello, a cartoon I didn’t see on your list is Morf. Another I can’t think what the name was, was an illustrator drawing an animated white-line character who would get angry by making a fist at the illustrator.
This is animated white-line character is from La Linea
Hi , I’m looking for a cartoon that played on SABC 1 about teeneagers and some adults that had special superpowers that each one of them got from a stone . There was one guy that had a teleportation power and a villian that had the power to control you by showing you your deepest fears
This thread brings back memories. Does anyone remember a cartoon about a boy and a cat? Could have been Afrikaans Puss in Boots? I remember some of the theme lyrics actually: “Maar pasop! Hierdie kat maak dinge gebeur.” The cat’s master was calles Hans.
Back in the eighties, there was a kid’s show on SABC about two elves, Engelbert and Emaline. They had a magic kettle that would steam whenever the naughty gnome, Norris Novango, was near! I seem to remember it was humans dressed in costume. The elves lived in a mushroom house. I have been looking for AGES and I cannot find anything on it. I know I did not imagine it! Please help?!
According to AI
It sounds like you’re describing a children’s show called “The Magic World of the Elves,” which aired on SABC in South Africa during the 1980s. The show featured two elves, Engelbert and Emaline, and included the character Norris Novango, a mischievous gnome. The elves lived in a mushroom house, and the magic kettle was a key element of the show, signaling the presence of the gnome.
Unfortunately, information about older children’s shows can sometimes be scarce, especially if they were not widely distributed outside their original broadcasting region. You might try searching for fan forums or social media groups dedicated to nostalgic South African television, as other viewers may have similar memories and could provide more details or resources. Additionally, checking with SABC archives or local libraries might yield some results.
Yes. The theme song went something like this:
Engelbert and Emmaline
Engelbert and Emmaline
More beautiful than anything
Anything you’ve ever seen
Engelbert is (or keeps) a _____
You see he reads a lot
Emmaline’s a dancer
You will see ______
They have a magic kettle
Knows when to steam
And when it grows redder
You know what it means
Trouble, trouble
___________ trouble
Trouble, trouble,
The magic kettle steams
—
I hate that the Internet is calling us liars. I love that I’m not the only one who remembers this. I watched it on a tiny black and white TV. It was before 1986 because that’s when we had our house alterations and the TV was moved to a different room.
My favorite show was Open sesame before they brought takalani sesame.
Pepper anne,feather foot farm,fourways farm,courage the cowardly dog,spartacus.. Iliked the Afrikaans version of Bac and teria in mina moo..you brought so much memories friend…
Hi everyone. Hope you’re all good. I’m looking for a cartoon that played when I was probably 6 or 7 years old… so about 18 or 19 years ago. It revolved around 3 chicks who had staffs. The staffs had a moon on one, star on the other and a sun. When they used to activate their powers they would scream “Power of the Sun” etc. etc. They rode on horses. I don’t remember much else. It’s not Sailor Girls, or totally spies or anything that would just come to mind. I’m really struggling to find it. Please could you help me?
Hey everyone, perhaps someone can help.I’ve been looking for a cartoon with Falcon or Eagle or Hawk like characters(Not Silverhawks) who are very shiny and their costume is robotic (or perhaps they are android-like) cant remember 100% if they transform to some sort of birds but i do remember they are a team and their costumes have different colors. The cartoon played around 1994 and 2000 i’d say cant remember exact year though. Thanks in advance
Hi guys! Awesome thread! I’ve been searching for years now for any reference to a 90’s show I watched on SABC2 Tube in the afternoons (during the week sometime):
It was a live action sci-fi/fantasy about a young teenage boy who’s parents are murdered (?) and he’s taken in by some old crazy scientist (to a space station, I think) who tells him his family’s destiny was to protect some statue (?). Then a Darth Vader-esque villain attacks the station, kills the scientist (?) who, before dying, sends the fragments of the statue through portals to different planets. The rest of the series involved the youngster going to the different planets to reclaim the fragments and prevent the villain from acquiring them.
Does this ring any bells to anybody?! I’ve searched all over the web and the best I’ve been able to find is one or two other people who remember the premise.
Hi everyone! Maybe someone can help me, I’ve been looking for a cartoon shown in the 99s but could be from the 80s. I think it was an English cartoon (British) about an old man wearing brown plaid and he had a grey scottish terroir.
Another one I’m looking for was on tv in the early 2000s set in a forest, with puppet animals. I don’t have much to go by.
– I’ve also got some shows you might know The Fruitties ( https://youtu.be/Rz-w5aasEDM), Dognation (http://youtu.be/P-xO72s5EBY) Groundling Marsh (https://youtu.be/Rz-w5aasEDM)
I’ve been looking for a show that used to play on SABC 1 on Saturday mornings around the 2000’s. It was about space, there were factions and almost had a Star Wars/Mass Effect/Titan AE feel to it. There were a bunch of colonies of different species. The main character was human, the main bad character was some alien, in one of the episodes it tried to put out the sun with a giant ice comet.
I’m stumped. Can’t for life of me think of anything. But then again, I wasn’t watching SABC around that time.
i am here looking looing for the samed show, please tell me if you find it
Hi guys…does anyone remember a kids program called ‘Harry’s house?’ I think it’s South African made as there’s hardly any trace of it anywhere. Would love to know if anyone has it.
If you’re talking about the show with the dress-up dog, Harry, then yes. I still have that song pop into my head randomly at times.
You can find some info here and here. Doubt anyone has it though. Don’t even think SABC kept such tapes. I once appeared on TV myself, no trace of it anywhere…maybe for the better. :)
Hey kids, what’s going on
At Harry’s House
Harry Hound, the _____
You love to see play around
Has a little problem he wants you
To help him find an answer to
Nick something and Kim Kallie were the hosts.
Bringing up a dead thread!! Can somebody cure my Mandela effect? I’m almost positive that the SABC I think tv2 had a children’s slot in the 90s called Mini TV?? Am I right? Or in another realm?? Pleeease prove me right!!! There was an alien puppet thing called Horatio Nd there was December holidays activities at like sun city and the like. I have such vivid memories but can’t find a single ounce of it anywhere…..
Firstly, this thread is never dead. :)
Secondly, I have good news for you, Mini TV was I thing, I remember the jingle.
And, lastly, Horatio the “alien” was a character from The Nutshack cartoon…just Google it.
The other stuff I’m a bit vague on, but there were some on-site locations for holiday programmes I do recall.
hi guys can any of you list me any cartoons that used to play on SABC 2 which were about soccer, one of them the main character’s name was Phelezino.
Hi Rei, thank you so much. I have been looking so much to get hold of that TV show! Thanks again!
Rudolf. I think this was Captain Zee and the Zee Zone. Take a look and see if it’s familiar.
I think this was Captain Zed and the Zee Zone. Rudolf take a look and see if this looks familiar?
Hey. I also remember the one about the guy who saves the dreams. I was quite young but the sheep and clouds really stuck… I would love to know what show this was.
Rupert The Bear.
The Little Flying Bears.
The Berenstein Bears.
Glow worms – which I think was split with another program to make the half hour slot.
Raggedy Anne and Andy.
Ruud Dog. And the Dweebs.
Pound Puppies…?
There is a cartoon where some guy lived in a yellow place full of clouds or sheep and always had to go and save kids dreams that was bad. I cannot remember much more.
The show with the musical mice – Croque-Note Show ?
Oh my word, I’ve been looking for this for over 10 years. Thanks. Made my week. :)
There’s a anime I’m looking for the past 12 or 15 years.
it was on sabc 2 on a saturday afternoon when they used to show robocop and pokemon.
The anime was about a young boy that stumbles upon a giant white robot that’s been dormant for years.When the robot senses the boy,it awakens and chooses him as it’s pilot.To access the robot he uses some sort of scroll.During the series the giant white robot fights two guardian like robots…one is blue dog and the other is a bird or something.
I’ve asked fellow anime viewers and they can’t figure it out.
What about fangface, tazz, and where’s wally.
Added. Fang Face was already on the list. :)
Looking for one with raccoons (I think) and the one was a pink guy with a tap shaped nose
I think what you’re looking for is actually called “Raccoons”. :) Just do a search on Google, you can see their noses when viewing the images.
Does anyone know where i can get or view sandoekan die seerower , pokkel die eekhoring , niklaas die kind van vlare.
The problem with most South African dubbed shows is that unless it was released on DVD or VHS to the public, there’s almost no chance to find it online.
I remember watching a short cartoon back in early ninties which had green mouses(one of them played a violin). Its wasnt a great cartoon or popular but its opening theme song stuck in mind all these years. Also during that period, im trying to recall the name of a futuristic type cartoon. It had a more dramatic than comic feel to it. All i can recall is an image of humanoid(alien?) wearing a cape and standing inside a large spaceship during the opening theme. it probably lasted only one season but that cartoon blew my mind as a kid in the nineties
Cat147, think you are looking for “Die Bietjies”. I still have a episode on VHS.
Hi, still remember Patrasche n Nelo?
I didnt see
Power Rangers oi remember the original one with zack as the black ranger.
Bettleborgs as well
“Classics”, I think maybe not. ;) Haha.
I seem to recall another kids show I’m really keen to remember.
It had an Aztec or Mayan setting and their were four kids with spirit animals and they fought against an evil guy (pretty sure he was summoning demons or something).
The four kids went something like they were dressed according to their spirit animal colour.
There was a yellow lion kid who had a claw attack- Leo
A guy in red who turned into a bull and became a rolling boulder- Taurus?
A girl in green who became a stretchy iguana
And a chick in purple/blue? Who became an eagle or falcon or something….
I can’t seem to find it anywhere!
And no, it’s not Mucha Lucha
Afrikaans or English?
Great compilation brother. I’m looking for the name of the cartoon I watched as a kid in 90s. It was a fishing competition to catch mysterious fishes. They had all these high tech fishing sticks. Been searching for an year now. I suppose I watched it along with digimon or bey blade or I may be wrong too. Please does anybody know this?
Hi, I’m looking for an animation I watched as a child maybe 20-25 years ago about the human body and it showed white blood cells as being alive and viruses attacking the body, with a guy with a long white beard. It played on whats now sabc 2?? Also i’m looking for an animation I just can’t seem to find anywhere on flowers that gave the characters in the animation powers, I think it had a alien-ish feel to it, also from around that time, I think both might of had a european influence. Thanks.
Hi I remember the human body animated show. That was cool. It would play on Sunday afternoons I think. It was called Il Etait Une Fois.
I dont remember the second show.
no sorry :( the magic herself is not the right toon. Rose-Petal Place is a more closer to what I’m looking for but more forest. youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMfK-OGYBP0
I’m currently looking for a cartoon that was showing late 80’s or 90’s. group of faeries/pixies/ little people living in tree/s and had flowers and leaves as hats.
I wonder if you aren’t referring to The Magic of Herself the Elf?
Check it out on YouTube:
Let me know.
love classic cartoons!!! WUWO Magazine has an article on few cartoons that took me on a trip back to memory lane. Read on
“The first is a cartoon about a kid playing a video game of some sort then is transported into the game world.”
Could be either Kidd Video or Captain N: The Game Master
Hi Werner
I actually found out which cartoon it is…I was referring to The Power Team.
YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deVz26AP8Go
Enjoy
If you listen to the announcers voice for Voltron its actually the voice actor who did Optimus Prime in the Transformers cartoons and in the movies.
Don’t forget Voltron!! One of my favourites as a kid!
http://www.voltron.com
Yeah, thanks for the link.
I actually have this in my list of YouTube clips, but somehow overlooked it.
Very cool.
Lucky luke, Eks ‘n arme eensame cowboy, sonder sorge of probleem
I recall the first two, but not “Sonder Sorge of Probleem.”
Thanks for the comment, will add these to the list.
Isn’t that the theme song he is singing?
I am looking for the Afrikaans version of the ‘eensame cowboy’ do you know where I can find it? I have looked everywhere on YouTube but couldn’t find anything :(
Does anyone remember the Rescuers the movie? That, The Jungle Book & the animated Robin Hood typified my childhood.
Didn’t have a favorite cartoon growing up, I watched everything. Typical 90’s kid. Hell I still remember the initial K.tv crew.
Hell who remembers Scot Scott?
Yeah. “Fievel Goes West” is also another classic movie.
If you’re referring to the first KTV crew from the late 80s, then I still remember a few.
Most of those KTV kids were in South African movies as well, unlike the later kids.
La Linea, Wowser.
Haas Das –
Kerses –
Mina Moo – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeksTx8LGPU
Liewe Heksie –
Mannemarak – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeXWdtnEYS8
Brakenjan – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK3W6y8LyzU (Could not find the Afrikaans)
Moomin – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFrGzCtjFaE
You missed Robotech! Also these… Around the world in 80 days, Nils Holgersson, Vicky die Viking.