The 10 Most Forgotten '80s Saturday Morning Cartoons (2024)

In a faraway time known as the 1980s, cartoons like He-Man and the Masters of the Universe ruled Saturday mornings. Some cartoons were glorified commercials for a line of action figures or plush dolls, while others were… slightly less obvious about being commercials for toys. Regardless of their intent, many of these animated shows hold a special place in the hearts of the children who watched them.

Cartoons designed for the younger crowd tended to last as long as a child’s attention span, which is to say, not very long. The result was many cartoons produced for short seasons, gone before they could build a fanbase and leave a memory that they existed at all. So put down your Rubik’s Cube and turn off your Walkman as we revisit some of the most forgotten 80s cartoons.

10 'Hulk Hogan’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestling' (1985-1986)

Created by Jeffrey Scott

Fans of the WWE will most likely be familiar with the Hulk Hogan starring cartoon, but others might not know about Hulk Hogan’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestling. There was a time when professional wrestling was so popular that it couldn’t be contained in the ring and frog splashed out into the world of animation. In each episode, the vitamin swallowing and prayer saying Hulk Hogan would do battle with dastardly villains like Rowdy Roddy Piper and The Iron Sheik.

The format for Hulk Hogan’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestling was a mixed bag where some episodes followed one story, while other entries split the episode into two different shorter stories. While the wrestlers themselves did not provide the voices for their animated counterparts, Everybody Love’s Raymond’sBrad Garrett was the voice of Hulk Hogan, while the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s Uncle Phil, James Avery, provided the voice for Junkyard Dog. The series only ran 2 seasons for a total of 23 episodes, but Hulk Hogan’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestling was a favorite among older wrestling fans.

Hulk Hogan's Rock 'N' Wrestling is currently unavailable for streaming or purchase in the U.S.

9 'The Get Along Gang' (1984)

Created by Tony Byrd

There are cartoon adaptations of violent movies, so why not a cartoon from a greeting card? This was the thought when The Get Along Gang, an animated series based on characters created for a line of greeting cards, debuted in 1983. Much like Care Bears that wore clothes, The Get Along Gang was a group of cuddly child-like animals that went on wholesome adventures, instilling the value of working as a team.

The Get Along Gang were so adorably diverse and commercially vetted that they seemed like mascots for a fast food franchise that never existed. The series lasted one season, consisting of 14 episodes, but merchandising that included toys, stuffed animals, and comic books extended the characters past their limited television run. Fans of The Get Along Gang will remember characters like Montgomery Moose or Portia Porcupine, but a lack of streaming options has limited any hopes of new eyes on the property.

The Get Along Gang is currently unavailable for streaming or purchase in the U.S.

8 'Snorks' (1984-1989)

Created by Nic Broca

The Hanna-Barbera produced Snorks tells the story of an underwater town called Snorkland inhabited by sea creatures called Snorks. The Snorks came in a different variety of colors, but they all had a snorkel on top of their head that would help them make music or allow them to go faster in the water. Episodes of Snorks would follow the large cast of characters as they went on lighthearted adventures that often saw them at odds with the mischievous Junior, a wealthy and entitled Snork.

Snorks were the unofficial rival of The Smurfs, which had come out three years earlier. While The Smurfs would continue into the next decade and receive big-screen adaptations, Snorks didn’t fare quite as well. Snorks enjoyed a wave of popularity that carried it for 4 seasons, but outside some out-of-print DVD volumes, it’s getting harder to spread the word about the underwater adventurers.

Snorks is currently unavailable for streaming or purchase in the U.S.

7 'Pac-Man' (1982-1983)

Developed by Jeffrey Scott

In the '80s, one of the biggest characters in video games, if not entertainment as a whole, was the chomping yellow ball named Pac-Man. Seeing the success of the arcade giant, Hanna-Barbera created Pac-Man, the very first cartoon based on a video game character. The cartoon would add more depth to Pac-Man (Marty Ingels) by giving him legs and arms – the relatable qualities important for the star of a cartoon. Pac-Man would also receive dependents in the form of his wife, Mrs. Pac-Man (Barbara Minkus), and Pac-Baby (Russi Taylor).

Unlike adaptations like The Last of Us or Fallout, which contain rich stories full of lore to draw from, the team behind the Pac-Man cartoon had virtually nothing to work with concerning the plot. Though probably not intentional, the format of the series mimicked aspects of Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote chases, where the ghosts would try to capture Pac-Man, and he would race by, foiling their plans. There have since been multiple animated Pac-Man adaptations, proving a recognizable property can be more lucrative than a solid story.​​​​​​​

Pac-Man

Animation

children

Where to Watch

• stream
• rent
• buy

Not available

Not available

*Availability in US

Release Date

September 25, 1982

Cast

Marty Ingels , Barry Gordon , Barbara Barron , Chuck McCann , Neil Ross , Russi Taylor , Frank Welker , Peter Cullen

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

2

6 'The Biskitts' (1983)

Developed by Duane Poole & Tom Swale

Hidden away far from human eyes, is the tiny Biskitt Castle, a vault of sorts that kings use to hide their jewels for safekeeping. Guarding the treasure are tiny adorable dogs wearing medieval clothing – The Biskitts. The pooches have watched over royal loot for years, but King Max (Kenneth Mars) is on the hunt to relieve the Biskitts of the treasure he desperately wants. King Max has his work cut out for him, because the leader of the Biskitts, Waggs (Darryl Hickman), won’t give up without a fight.

The stakes may sound high, but The Biskitts is a light-hearted cartoon aimed at younger crowds. The animation of The Biskitts holds up well compared to some of its cheaper-made contemporaries, and the design of the Biskitts with their puppy appearances should have given the similar cartoon, Adventures of the Gummi Bears, stiff competition. Unfortunately, The Biskitts were canceled after one season, not having a chance to make an impact in a crowded Saturday Morning lineup.

The Biskitts is currently unavailable for streaming or purchase in the U.S.

5 'Dino-Riders' (1988)

Created by Gerry & Carla Conway

Warring clans, the noble Valorians and the evil Rulons, are transported to prehistoric Earth where they incorporate the nearby dinosaurs into their battles. Leading the charge for the good guys was Questar (Dan Gilvezan), who, along with his Valorian brethren, could telepathically speak to dinosaurs. Dino-Riders was designed as a showcase for the Tyco toy line, which consisted of large dinosaurs such as the T. rex, who would be strapped down with a metal saddle mechanism adorned with lasers and rockets.

Dino-Riders has its fans, or ‘Ride or Dinos’ if you will, but the 14-episode series is a great example of the type of cartoon that existed solely as an advertisement for a toy line. As each new dinosaur loaded with weapons enters a scene, it’s almost expected to see ‘Batteries Not Included’ appear at the bottom of the screen. That said, it’s completely understandable why people like Dino-Riders – it’s fun and silly and very, very, 80s.

Dino-Riders

Not Rated

Animation

Action

Adventure

Sci-Fi

Release Date

October 1, 1988

Cast

Stephen Dorff , Christopher Collins , Wally Burr , Dan Gilvezan , Peter Cullen , Frank Welker , Charlie Adler , Cam Clarke

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

1

Writers

Carla Conway

Network

Syndication

Character(s)

Uncredited , Questar

​​​​​​​Dino-Riders is currently unavailable for streaming or purchase in the U.S.

4 'Inhumanoids' (1986)

Created by Flint Dille

From some of the creative minds behind Transformers and G.I. Joe came the Inhumanoids, a cartoon boasting large monsters and a densely plotted story. The Inhumanoids are ancient evil monsters set to destroy the earth, active after years of imprisonment due to the sinister plan of Blackthorne Shore (Michael Bell). The only thing stopping the Inhumanoids from achieving total annihilation is a group of human specialists, The Earth Corps. Leading the Earth Corps in their battle against the vicious creatures is Dr. Herman “Herc” Armstrong (Neil Ross).

Inhumanoids separated itself from other action-oriented cartoons, focusing on a more mature storyline and monsters aimed at an older audience. Also, unlike other cartoons that featured primarily standalone episodes, Inhumanoids followed an ongoing narrative that required watching the series chronologically. Fans of the Inhuamanoids were in luck because a toy line from Hasbro was on store shelves, with menacing creatures ready to be the centerpiece of any birthday party or reward for good grades.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Inhumanoids is currently unavailable for streaming or purchase in the U.S.

3 'Ghostbusters' (1986-1987)

Created by Marc Richards

Not to be confused with The Real Ghostbusters, based on the 1983 film Ghostbusters, this version of a ghost fighting team comes from an entirely different property. In 1975, long before Bill Murray and the gang fought a giant marshmallow, there was a live-action series called The Ghost Busters featuring two men and a gorilla fighting paranormal threats. The Ghost Busters only ran for 15 episodes in an unmemorable run, but when the Murray film became a smash hit, production company Filmation saw a chance to cash in on the name they owned. For the cartoon adaptation, the characters from the original live-action show would pass their ghost-busting business down to their sons, Jake Kong Jr (Pat Fraley) and Eddie Spenser Jr (Peter Cullen).

The animated series does what the original live-action series couldn’t, staging large battles with colorful creatures, and The Ghost Buster’s car could fly and talk. While The Ghost Busters was created to compete with The Real Ghostbusters, its primary accomplishment was confusing children of the 80s who didn’t understand why the Ghostbusters looked completely different and had a large ape.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Ghostbusters is currently unavailable for streaming or purchase in the U.S.

2 'Rubik, The Amazing Cube' (1983)

Created by Joe Ruby & Ken Spears

The color-matching craze of the Rubik’s Cube kept a nation of children busy for minutes at a time, and that was enough to commission a cartoon based on the puzzle game. In Rubik, the Amazing Cube, four children discover a sentient Rubik’s cube named Rubik (Ron Palillo) with magical powers that help the children with activities that range from washing a dog to fending off criminals. When the colors on Rubik’s cube mix, he loses his power and the colors must be realigned to restore him.

Rubik’s face is a combination of an old man and a baby, and he speaks similarly in brief or stunted sentences. The presentation gives the impression of an alien being learning Earth’s language and customs, but it seems logical that a puzzle cube with a genie’s range of power would have a better grasp of the English language. Rubik, the Amazing Cube is notable for featuring a Hispanic family with a theme song by the boy band Menudo, a rare instance of diversity in 80s children’s programming.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Rubik, the Amazing Cube is currently unavailable for streaming or purchase in the U.S.

1 ​​​​​​​'Laverne & Shirley' (1981-1982)

Developed by Duane Poole & Tom Swale

Laverne & Shirley was a popular spin-off from the sitcom Happy Days that ran for 8 seasons starring Penny Marshall as Laverne DeFazio and Cindy Williams as Shirley Feeney. The sitcom was a grounded comedy seeing the duo get into silly situations they would work themselves out of, so it was surprising an animated spin-off was created. The official title of the series was Laverne & Shirley in the Army, with the animated version of Laverne and Shirley enlisting in the Army and reporting to a talking pig named Sgt. Squeally (Ron Palillo).

A grand total of 21 Episodes were produced over the course of 2 seasons, with the second season incorporating Happy Days character The Fonz (Henry Winkler) into their adventures. Marshall and Williams provided the voices for their characters, with Lynne Marie Stewart taking over the role of Shirley in season 2 after Williams left the live-action series. Even Laverne & Shirley fans might not be aware of their animated counterparts, making it one of the most forgotten animated series from the 80s.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Laverne & Shirley is currently unavailable for streaming or purchase in the U.S.

Keep Reading: The 10 Most Underrated '80s Cartoons, Ranked