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Saturday Morning Cartoons

Chin Diesel

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For those who grew up in 70's and 80's pre-cable and basic cable, Saturday mornings were gold.

Sure many of us had sports going on but it wasn't insane like they are now.

You could get some cereal with whole milk, maybe some leggos with crappy Aunt Jemima syrup and have at it.

I also think there used to be weekday afternoon cartoons that ran ad nauseum so I'm not sure how all the go


Justice League
Deputy Dawg
Hong Kong Fuey
Tom and Jerry
Mighty Mouse
Speed Racer
Jetsons
Flintstones
Scooby Doo

I know I'm missing some but these were golden.


Cartoons were over when one of two things happened. WWF on Ch22 out of Springfield or BE GOTW came on.
 

Stainmaster

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Not the timeframe demanded in the OP, but Saturday morning CatDog on Nickelodeon was the only thing that ever got me to willingly wake up at 6:00 A.M.
 
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Woody woodpecker was on seemingly all afternoon

Saturday morning also had A Pup Named Scooby Doo, Shirt Tails and Pac Man
 
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I was so schooled by 60's cartoons. I was especially drawn to the more adult toons that combined topical social satire, puns and double entendre. Toons like these made it to prime time, high regard for a toon in those years.
My ratings of prime time cartoons (that I remember):

#1) Rocky and Bullwinkle (and other similar titles over the years) is possibly the greatest 60's toon of all time, along with its segments of Mr. Peabody and Sherman, Fractured Fairy Tales, Aesop and Son, Dudley Do-Right and Bullwinkle's eponymous Mr Know-It-All.
#2) The Flintstones. So much material and varied characters and a great Honeymooners ripoff. Especially loved the quick segues of talking stone age animals speaking to the camera about some dunderhead move by Fred.
#3) The Jetsons. Same Hanna Barbera look as Flintstones. Loved the modernistic tools and machines. Imagine today Cosmo Cog to George Jetson: "Jetson, you're Firrrrrrrrrrrrred!"
#4) Jonny Quest. Captivating early anime action adventure for Americans. Cels were like stunning Sunday morning comics. Cool, not so distant future gadgets. Not comedy so for older kids and adults.
#5) Top Cat. Vastly underrated. Had appearance of a kids toon but had a gang of cats filling the spectrum of smart alec (T.C.), brainy ('Brain'), lothario (Fancy), dumb (Benny the Ball), cool (Choo Choo).
#6) King Leonardo and his Short Subjects. This ran with R & B as back to back 15 minute shows for a while. Featured 'Itchy Brother' as the lion king's wayward beatnik brother. Current and cool. Surely a model for Lion King/Scar.
#7) Mr. Magoo. Hesitate to even add this but it was a prime timer if only because it was about a half blind adult in adult situations voiced by the great Jim Backus. He was funny because of the single blind gag and got tiring to me after a while

As with any show, great writing wins the day and everlasting props to Mel Blanc, the man of a million voices.
 
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My childhood was sitting in front of the TV, Saturday morning, a big lime green Tupperware bowl of Captain Crunch and the Bugs Bunny / Road Runner Hour. I can pull up a short right now and quote the lines. “Hassan, chop!!!!”

Schoolhouse Rock was also huge. Even “Figure Eight”.
 
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My childhood was sitting in front of the TV, Saturday morning, a big lime green Tupperware bowl of Captain Crunch and the Bugs Bunny / Road Runner Hour. I can pull up a short right now and quote the lines. “Hassan, chop!!!!”

Schoolhouse Rock was also huge. Even “Figure Eight”.
Hassan chop used on Billions last night!
 
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I was so schooled by 60's cartoons. I was especially drawn to the more adult toons that combined topical social satire, puns and double entendre. Toons like these made it to prime time, high regard for a toon in those years.
My ratings of prime time cartoons (that I remember):

#1) Rocky and Bullwinkle (and other similar titles over the years) is possibly the greatest 60's toon of all time, along with its segments of Mr. Peabody and Sherman, Fractured Fairy Tales, Aesop and Son, Dudley Do-Right and Bullwinkle's eponymous Mr Know-It-All.
#2) The Flintstones. So much material and varied characters and a great Honeymooners ripoff. Especially loved the quick segues of talking stone age animals speaking to the camera about some dunderhead move by Fred.
#3) The Jetsons. Same Hanna Barbera look as Flintstones. Loved the modernistic tools and machines. Imagine today Cosmo Cog to George Jetson: "Jetson, you're Firrrrrrrrrrrrred!"
#4) Jonny Quest. Captivating early anime action adventure for Americans. Cels were like stunning Sunday morning comics. Cool, not so distant future gadgets. Not comedy so for older kids and adults.
#5) Top Cat. Vastly underrated. Had appearance of a kids toon but had a gang of cats filling the spectrum of smart alec (T.C.), brainy ('Brain'), lothario (Fancy), dumb (Benny the Ball), cool (Choo Choo).
#6) King Leonardo and his Short Subjects. This ran with R & B as back to back 15 minute shows for a while. Featured 'Itchy Brother' as the lion king's wayward beatnik brother. Current and cool. Surely a model for Lion King/Scar.
#7) Mr. Magoo. Hesitate to even add this but it was a prime timer if only because it was about a half blind adult in adult situations voiced by the great Jim Backus. He was funny because of the single blind gag and got tiring to me after a while

As with any show, great writing wins the day and everlasting props to Mel Blanc, the man of a million voices.
Great list, never heard of King Leonardo but saw others frequently. In ascending order of personal preference:
6) Johnny Quest - I never cared for it, never been a huge sci-fi guy but maybe also too old 4 me when I watched cartoons
5) Jetsons - sci fi was dumbed down to regular life, but never cared about the characters. To me this was the Flintsones without the comedy & likability
4) Magoo - good filler, but yeah the one-gag nature gets old quickly, some great ones though
3) TopCat - fantastic song, loved this show could just never find it.
2) Flintstones - probably watched the most of it, invented mindless tv for young me
1) Rocky & Bullwinkle - had some of everything, smart and funny kind of Second City TV for kids
 

HuskyHawk

The triumphant return of the Blues Brothers.
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Those were the glory years for kids. Pillaged @Chin Diesel 's and @Dove's lists a bit

Justice League
Superfriends
Rocky & Bullwinkle
Underdog
Yogi Bear
Speed Buggy
Tom & Jerry
Hong Kong Phooey
Grape Ape
Quick-Draw McGraw
Jetsons
Flintstones * Technically this was prime time TV
Scooby Doo
Johnny Quest
HR Puffenstuff
Land of the Lost
Jabberjaw
Fat Albert
Space Ghost
 

August_West

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OK the important question

Marvin, Wendy and Wonder Dog ?

OR

Zan ,Jayna, and Gleek. ?
 
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OK the important question

Marvin, Wendy and Wonder Dog ?

OR

Zan ,Jayna, and Gleek. ?
Wonder Dog over Gleek by a lot, I think Wonder Dog could talk and had some superpowers (could fly?), Gleek was a blue alien Curious George ripoff.

I think Zan & Jayna win the popular vote for the iconic line Wonder Twin Powers ACTIVATE line and the fact that they replaced Marvin & Wendy. You can't go a full year without someone making the wonder twins joke.

However and unfortunately the Wonder Twins were too heavily involved in the episodes and actual crimefighting - I'd rather watch Superman, Aquaman, etc.. foil the criminals, so I give my nod to episodes featuring Marvin, Wendy & Wonder Dog.
 

August_West

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Wonder Dog over Gleek by a lot, I think Wonder Dog could talk and had some superpowers (could fly?), Gleek was a blue alien Curious George ripoff.

I think Zan & Jayna win the popular vote for the iconic line Wonder Twin Powers ACTIVATE line and the fact that they replaced Marvin & Wendy. You can't go a full year without someone making the wonder twins joke.

However and unfortunately the Wonder Twins were too heavily involved in the episodes and actual crimefighting - I'd rather watch Superman, Aquaman, etc.. foil the criminals, so I give my nod to episodes featuring Marvin, Wendy & Wonder Dog.

That is a well reasoned answer.

One thing always bothered me about Wonder Twin power though.
Zan and his water based stuff. I mean one time he turned into a Jet Engine made of ice. But wouldnt the heat of the engine melt the ice?
 

Waquoit

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That is a well reasoned answer.

One thing always bothered me about Wonder Twin power though.
Zan and his water based stuff. I mean one time he turned into a Jet Engine made of ice. But wouldnt the heat of the engine melt the ice?
Nah. It's super ice.
 
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Nah. It's super ice.
We are in cartoon & superhero land, so even terminators and liquid metal are far more thought thru.
Yet this is emblematic of why the Wonder twins kind of suck, at any point there's something they can turn into that thwarts the villain instantly.
 
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No? Bongo Congo? True Blue Odie? Nuthin?
Googled it and I definitely remember Tennessee Tuxedo so I'm sure I saw King Leonardo, but no recollection.
 

huskypantz

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I enjoyed the laff a lympics, justice league, herculoids, spider man and his amazing friends. I watched a little smurfs as well. You have to wonder how they could have so many guy smurfs around with just one gal. Either immaculate conception or smurfette made her rounds. Teenage mutant ninja turtles was around when I was still a kid.

Do we need a separate thread for afternoon shows?
 
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I enjoyed the laff a lympics, justice league, herculoids, spider man and his amazing friends. I watched a little smurfs as well. You have to wonder how they could have so many guy smurfs around with just one gal. Either immaculate conception or smurfette made her rounds. Teenage mutant ninja turtles was around when I was still a kid.

Do we need a separate thread for afternoon shows?

Loved the Herculoids. Every now and then, they would cross over with Space Ghost and that was super cool to me as a kid watching that.
 

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