50 Greatest Saturday morning cartoons...

[CySeymour]

Pink Panther, anyone?

[RichRed]

The Great Grape Ape Show.

[Caveat Emperor]

My list would be one show long:

#1. Batman: The Animated Series

I picked up all of the DVDs for this show a few years back at $15/per box at FYE. It's an amazing adaptation that doesn't look at all dated, even a decade+ later, and is amazingly rewatchable.

This fell into the "after-school" cartoon genre, though -- not really Saturday morning material. It, along with X-Men, was the gold-standard for cartoons in the 90s, IMO.

I used to be sorry that kids today didn't appear to have cartoons with the writing quality and production values of Batman and X-Men, but I recently went through the first two seasons of "Avatar" on Netflix, and that's every bit as good as those shows were.

[Johnny Footstool]

We always watched/taped Batman: TAS in the afternoon.

[oneupper]

...Cool McCool
Secret Squirrel
Atom Ant
Wacky Races
Archie
The Jetsons
The Flintstones (were Primetime IIRC initially as were the Jetsons)

[paintmered]

It wasn't a Saturday morning cartoon, but the end of this clip is an all-time favorite.

YouTube - Christopher Walken and The Brain discuss physics

As for actual Saturday morning cartoons, one of my best memories as a kid involves watching Saturday morning cartoons with my dad and laughing our tails off for the entire hour.

[Yachtzee]

I picked up all of the DVDs for this show a few years back at $15/per box at FYE. It's an amazing adaptation that doesn't look at all dated, even a decade+ later, and is amazingly rewatchable.

This fell into the "after-school" cartoon genre, though -- not really Saturday morning material. It, along with X-Men, was the gold-standard for cartoons in the 90s, IMO.

I used to be sorry that kids today didn't appear to have cartoons with the writing quality and production values of Batman and X-Men, but I recently went through the first two seasons of "Avatar" on Netflix, and that's every bit as good as those shows were.

In college, our regular routine was to overcome our hangovers with McDonalds' breakfast, Batman, X-Men, Animaniacs, and The Terrible Thunder Lizards (and Life With Louie I think). The new episodes were on Saturdays and repeats were on after classes during the week.

Avatar is a great show. They're coming up with a follow up series centered on the next Avatar, a waterbender. Other good shows I watch with my kids include Ben 10, Adventure Time, Chowder, Flapjack, Total Drama series, and Batman: Brave and the Bold.

[RichRed]

As for actual Saturday morning cartoons, one of my best memories as a kid involves watching Saturday morning cartoons with my dad and laughing our tails off for the entire hour.

When I had to have surgery a few years ago, my dad drove from Va. Beach to Asheville, NC to stay with me. While we were in the hospital waiting room, a Bugs Bunny cartoon came on the TV. We just started laughing and for a while, all of the nerves about my upcoming surgery were gone.

Moral of the story: cartoons (and dads) are awesome.

[Caveat Emperor]

In college, our regular routine was to overcome our hangovers with McDonalds' breakfast, Batman, X-Men, Animaniacs, and The Terrible Thunder Lizards (and Life With Louie I think). The new episodes were on Saturdays and repeats were on after classes during the week.

Avatar is a great show. They're coming up with a follow up series centered on the next Avatar, a waterbender. Other good shows I watch with my kids include Ben 10, Adventure Time, Chowder, Flapjack, Total Drama series, and Batman: Brave and the Bold.

I'd forgotten completely about Animaniacs -- that show was absolutely fantastic. I used to watch re-runs of that in college on cartoon network in the afternoons after class (mornings were for "Price is Right" and re-runs of "American Gladiators"). I remember watching that show and wondering how on earth any kid could be amused by the humor, at least 50% of which would go right over the head of anyone under 20. I mean, they had a song once with a refrain of "It's a great big universe, and we're all really puny / just a bunch of little specks about this size of Mickey Rooney."

And, that's cool news about Avatar -- I just started watching season 3 this week. I'm clearly out of the target demo, but I'm enjoying the heck out of it. I should call my friend and thank her for dragging me to see the awful movie.

[VR]

Moral of the story: cartoons (and dads) are awesome.

well said rich

[Nugget]

MASK is a little far down the list. And Looney Tunes not number 1?

And what about Captain Planet and Defenders of the Earth?

Whilst they may not have been Saturday morning in the US the following definitely deserve a place above some others. Astroboy, Transformers, Battle of the Planets, Masters of the Universe, Babar, The Secret City of the Incas and Ulysees.

[Yachtzee]

MASK is a little far down the list. And Looney Tunes not number 1?

And what about Captain Planet and Defenders of the Earth?

Whilst they may not have been Saturday morning in the US the following definitely deserve a place above some others. Astroboy, Transformers, Battle of the Planets, Masters of the Universe, Babar, The Secret City of the Incas and Ulysees.

Starblazers

[ddrone]

used to watch something with some kids in a spacecraft with wings,that was ok,but me and my brother was real big on gi joe,thundercats,he-man,some superfriends.Later on,life with louie was pretty funny.
When I was smaller,Mr.cartoon(with beeper)showed all the looney tunes.That was before I got cable.

[jimbo]

Any list that does not begin with the Looney Tunes just isn't valid

Exactly. Absolute classics!!

[Kingspoint]

This month is the 50th Anniversary of the first showing of "The Flintstones".

13 episodes during the Fall of 1960. I believe it aired at 7:30 pm on ABC. Don't remember what Weekday it was. (I was only 2 years, 3 months.)