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1
Full House

ABC (ended 1995)

Full House ran for eight seasons and was one of the few primetime sitcoms to have more than 190 episodes. Early in its run, Full House received awful reviews for being too "cheesy," but it still became a popular favorite with audiences, even as the reviews remained negative throughout its run. Set in San Francisco, this is a show about a very loving family headed by Danny Tanner, who became a single father when his wife, Pam Tanner, was killed in a car accident. Pam's brother Jesse, and Danny's best friend Joey Gladstone moved into the house to help Danny raise his three daughters D.J., Stephanie, and Michelle. Although Full House ended in 1995, with syndication, kids are still growing up with the Tanners just like millions did when the show first started. First Telecast: September 22, 1987 Last Telecast: May 23, 1995 Episodes: 192 Color Episodesmoreless
2
Thomas The Tank Engine & Friends

ITV

Welcome to the Thomas The Tank Engine & Friends guide at TV.com. The show is about a tank engine, Thomas, and his friends who live on the Island of Sodor. Together, the engines work on the railways under the supervision of Sir Topham Hatt, the "Fat Controller." Thomas The Tank Engine actually dates back to 1945, when the Reverend Wilbert Vere Awdry created The Railway Series to amuse his son Christopher, who was suffering from measles. His wife Margaret encouraged him to publish the stories and he did so, going on to add another book each year (except 1947 and 1971) until 1972. Wilbert's son Christopher later continued The Railway Series up to 40 books. In 1984 Britt Allcroft decided to turn the stories into a TV series with Ringo Starr as the narrator. He was replaced by Michael Angelis in 1991, who still narrates today. (Full Narrator listings below.) When the series was shown on PBS in the US, it was part of a show called Shining Time Station. 2 of the show's narrators played Mr. Conductor in the series, Ringo Starr in the earlier episodes and George Carlin later. Since the show ran from 1989 to 1993, only early episodes of Thomas are part of it. A note on writers: In the episode guide, the writers are as follows: If the episode is based on a Railway Series book by the Rev W Awdry, he will be credited as the writer. If the episode is based on a Railway Series book by Christopher Awdry, he will be credited as the writer. If the episode is not based on a Railway Series book, Britt Allcroft and David Mitton will be credited as the writers since they wrote it. From Season 6 the writers are varied. Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends is Based on The Railway Series by The Reverend W. Awdry. Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends and Thomas & Friends are trademarks of HIT Entertainment Inc.moreless
3
Reading Rainbow

PBS (ended 2006)

Reading Rainbow is a children's series designed to promote reading comprehension in elementary school age children. Host LeVar Burton introduces the theme of the episode and the book to be profiled in an animated story using the illustrations from the book and narrated by a celebrity, such as Bill Cosby, Ruby Dee, Richard Gere, and the late great stars Ossie Davis, Julia Child, Raul Julia and Gilda Radner, for example. After the story is finished, feature stories in the same subject as the book are profiled, and youth reviewers give critiques of three additional books. LeVar usually introduces the children critics by saying, "but you don't have to take my word for it..."moreless
4
The Andy Griffith Show

CBS (ended 1968)

The Andy Griffith Show is definitely a TV classic. It ran from 1960 to 1968, producing 249 episodes.

The main character, Andy (Andy Griffith), was a widowed father of the polite little boy named Opie (Ron Howard) and is a sheriff, who works with nervous and very suspecting Barney Fife (Don Knotts). They all live in the nice southern town of Mayberry. But, Mayberry can get a little dangerous when the town drunk Otis Campbell (Hal Smith) is on the loose. Thelma Lou (Betty Lynn) is Barney's sweetheart, although Andy had to help him describe his feelings to her. Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier) is the very loving and caring, but stern housekeeper for Andy and Opie. Gomer Pyle (Jim Nabors) is the bone-head, thoughtless, but humorous character. He is a gas attendant. Goober Pyle (George Lindsey) is Gomer Pyle's cousin. They are very alike, you could say, and arrives in Mayberry when Gomer decides to enlist in the United States Marine Core. The show had two spin-offs: Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C. and Mayberry R.F.D.

Top 20 Ratings: 1960-1961 - #4 1961-1962 - #7 1962-1963 - #6 1963-1964 - #5 1964-1965 - #4 1965-1966 - #6 1966-1967 - #3 1967-1968 - #1

Awards for The Andy Griffith Show: Don Knotts won five Emmy Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Comedy: 1961, 1962, 1963, 1966, and 1967.

Frances Bavier won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Comedy in 1967.moreless
5
The Flintstones

ABC (ended 2001)

The Flintstones was a parody on modern suburban life, set in the Stone Age. The characters in the cartoon series all behaved and spoke in a contemporary manner, though they lived in the prehistoric city of Bedrock. Fred worked as operator of a dinosaur-powered crane at Rock Hard & Quarry Cave Construction Co. (slogan: "Own Your Own Cave and Be Secure"). Around their split-level cave the Flintstones enjoyed such conveniences as Wilma's Stoneway piano, a hi-fi on which Fred could play his "rock" music (it consisted of a turntable and a bird with a long beak to serve as a needle), a vacuum cleaner (a baby elephant with a long trunk), and an automatic garbage disposal unit (a famished buzzard stashed under the sink). Their car, which sported tail fins, also came equipped with steamroller wheels--to smooth out the rocky road. Then one day in 1963 they were blessed with a baby daughter, whom they named Pebbles. Not to be outdone, their neighbors the Rubbles adopted an orphan boy named Bamm Bamm. (The two kids later had a Saturday morning cartoon series of their own, Pebbles and Bamm Bamm.) The Flintstones was always as much adult satire as children's fun. In many respects it resembled Jackie Gleason's popular Honeymooners, especially in the relationships of the principals. A wide range of caricatures passed through the stories: Lollobrickida, a pretty cook; Ann-Margrock, whose voice was supplied by Ann-Margret; attorney Perry Masonry (he never lost a case); Ed Sullystone, a TV host; Eppy Brianstone, a teenage impresario; and Weirdly and Creepella Gruesome, the strange couple who with their son Goblin moved into a cave nearby (this was a parody on The Addams Family and The Munsters, then popular). The Gruesomes thought that they were normal, and everyone else in Bedrock was odd. The Flintstones and its spin-offs had a highly successful run on Saturday mornings--on NBC from January 1967-September 1970, on CBS from September 1972-January 1974, back on NBC from February 1979-September 1984, and on ABC with The Flintstone Kids from September 1986-September 1989. This series has also many movies and specials (about 10 specials). Some of them are:"A Flintstones Christmas Carol", a flintstones version of the famous Charles Dickens book, "A Flintstones Christmas" where Fred replaces Santa Claus (Pebbles and Bamm Bamm are speaking now), "I Yabba Dabba Do" where Pebbles and Bamm Bamm are grown up and get married, and "Holly-Rock-a-bye Baby" where Pebbles gives birth.moreless
6
Sesame Street

PBS

Sesame Street is a widely recognized and perpetually daring experiment in educational children's programming. This show has taken popular-culture and turned it upside-down. The fast-paced advertisements that had parents of the new era worrying for their children were the basis for the original format of this show. The show has often satirized pop culture, and made itself easier for parents to watch along too. And thus, the positive impact this show has had on modern society is beyond another. No show is more recognized the world over by as many generations and walks of life. Shown in its original format or with changes to reflect a regional education focus, Sesame Street is now seen in over 140 countries. The show that Entertainment Weekly named the "20th Best Ever Show" has changed the education scene to focus on "entertainment." This has turned out to be a valuable theory that not only helps the medicinal learning go down easier, but it also increases the effectiveness of the information being taught. In an almost backwards sense, the show stays fresh by recycling programming ideas every three years, by which time a new group of kids is watching. Unlike most PBS Kids shows, which have an original run, then go into continuous repeats until getting dropped by PBS or sold to another network, Sesame Street has created many new episodes every season since its debut Nov. 10, 1969. American teachers now expect children to arrive on the first day of school knowing the basics about letters, numbers, and language. "Kindergarten now does what first grade used to do," creator Joan Ganz Cooney has said, "and I think that's directly due to Sesame Street." International versions have changed Sesame Street to be more relevant to their culture and environments. They adjust the unique American inner city, with a cast made up mainly of Muppets, African-Americans, Spaniards and Chinese to reflect their own lifestyles. For example, Canada's Sesame Park features a small suburban town inhabited by folks like an otter and a bear, a bush pilot, a disabled child in a wheel-chair and her cat and Russia's Ulitsa Sesame set in a Russian dvor (courtyard) has a 9-foot tall tree spirit who has his joyous and problem-solving Muppet friends. No show can help in tumultuous or troubled times like Sesame Street. For example: • The Israelis and the Palestinians have now merged their independent spin-offs, to help teach the fighting cultures to accept each other for who they are, not what they have done in the past. • The original American Sesame Street helped children deal with the incidents of 9-11 • On the week of October 4-8, 2004, Sesame Workshop actually dug up reruns of Sesame Street episodes from its 32nd season, in which a hurricane plundered the neighborhood. This move was to come to grips with those disabused by the four hurricanes that struck Florida in a six-week span the previous August and September. It also sent a message about the news' propensity for covering violent acts. • The current South African government has not taken much action on the matters of HIV and AIDS, so in 2003, the South African version of Sesame Street added in a 5-year-old girl monster who manages to go about daily life with ease, even though she intercepted HIV through a blood transfusion shortly after birth. This led to an American backlash, even though her exposure in the States has always been restricted to sesameworkshop.org. Undoubtedly, she is the hardest-edged Muppet since Jim Henson's ill-fated "Creatures from the Planet Gorch" on Saturday Night Live's first season. • No other puppet than a Muppet, namely Elmo, could be taken seriously when asking America's congressional Education Appropriations Subcommittee for more funding to school music programs, so that "when Elmo goes to school, there will be the instruments to play." (Unfortunately, Newt Gingrich's Congress chose instead to divert to Sesame Street production funds from other PBS series. Among the casualties was one of Sesame Street's godchildren, Ghostwriter.) •In the mid-70s, they introduced Linda Bove, a deaf actress playing a deaf librarian that lives a life equal to all the rest of the area's inhabitants. Please note that Sesame Street's air time varies between various PBS stations in America. In recent years, a few PBS stations have dropped the show (including WNYE in New York, whose last airing was in June 2003). sesame street even had a touring show, SESAME STREET LIVE,which has just recently celebrated 25 years of performing. Characters Cookie Monster Cookie Monster has always had a passion for cookies, gobbling them up whenever he can. However, in order to promote healthy eating habits, Cookie Monster recently learned that cookies are a "sometime" food. So now, Cookie Monster also eats fruits and vegetables in addition to his trademark snack. Elmo Elmo is a cute little red monster, who wants to know more about the world he is growing up in. Oscar the Grouch Oscar lives in a dustbin, sure its not the most hygienic of places, but Oscar isn't the most hygienic of creatures. He likes to cause mischief but also enjoys learning. Ernie and Bert Best friends and room-mates, both showing us how people get along with each other and how sometimes you may even fall-out with your best friend. The Count The Count, would teaches us to count, whether it be really difficult numbers or easy numbers, the Counts thing is maths and counting, and he sure is good at it. Big Bird A huge yellow bird, who's everyone's friend. No matter what species, color or race you are.moreless
7
Thundercats

(ended 1989)

Thundera is a world in crisis in a distant galaxy. The planet has become unstable and will collapse soon. The people of Thundera, known as Thundercats, flee the dying planet in their spaceship. During the flight their ship is damaged when they are attacked by evil mutants. The eldest aboard, Jaga, sacrifices himself to ensure that the ship lands safely on Third Earth. The remaining Thundercats (Panthro, Cheetara, Tygra, Wilykat, Wilykit, Snarf and Lion-O with the help of the magic of the Sword of Omens) form a headquarters at a place they name Cat's Lair. From there, they fight the evil mutants with the goal of saving themselves and restoring peace to Third Earth. Meanwhile, the mutants have found a powerful new leader, Mumm-Ra, the Ever-Living. This will not be an easy fight.moreless
8
DuckTales

(ended 1990)

At first, DuckTales was intended as a 1-hour network series. However, when Bob Jacquemin, head of the studio's newly formed syndication unit, learned of the series, he realized that it had the potential to be his first hit. After immense internal lobbying, Jacquemin convinced Michael Einser to let him have DuckTales, and in doing so, he virtually reinvented television animation.

One of the first decisions he announced was that Donald Duck would play a minor role in the series, for the emphasis this time was going to be on Uncle Scrooge and his three nephews. To explain Donald's absence, the writers had him enlist in the Navy after leaving his nephews with Scrooge. The studio also created some new additions to the Disney stable. Among these were Launchpad McQuack, Mrs. Beakley, Webbigail (Webby) Vanderquack, Doofus, Duckworth, Fenton Crackshell, and Bubba Duck.

DuckTales had a special 2-hour premiere in most markets on September 18, 1987, with the first regular episode airing on September 21.

87 episodes were orginally aired, 100 in total if you count the special episodes: Treasure of the Golden Suns, Time Is Money and Super DuckTales that were later split into 30 minute shows.

Taken from The Wonderful World of Disney Television: A Complete History by Bill Cotter

Characters:

Scrooge McDuck - Donald Duck's wealthy uncle, Scrooge McDuck. He is a millionaire who has many businesses all over the world, from oil companies to factories. He takes care of his three newphews when their Uncle Donald enlists in the Navy. Scrooge came into being when comic-book cartoonist Carl Barks needed a miserly old relative for a story, "Christmas on Bear Mountain" (1947). In this tale, Scrooge serves as a mere story prop, a simple caricature of his namesake from the Charles Dickens novel, "A Christmas Carol". Scrooge may seem hard on his nephews, but deep down he cares for them greatly.

Huey, Dewey and Louie - Scrooge takes care of his three nephews after their Uncle Donald joins the Navy. Being identical triplets, Huey, Dewey, and Louie are impossible to tell apart, except by the colors they wear, and historically, red for Huey, blue for Dewey, and green for Louie. At first they disturb Scrooge whilst he is working and irritate him to the point that the nephews overhear him telling Mrs. Beakly that they are too much trouble. As a result, they decide to leave, and end up running into the Beagle Boys who are planning to steal Scrooge's money. The triplets end up saving Scrooge's money and proving they're worth to their uncle. They may seem like trouble, but they are always there for Scrooge when the chips are down.

Launchpad McQuack - Scrooge's pilot Launchpad is somewhat disaster-prone. Launchpad is mistaken for a spy, in Double-O-Duck. Launchpad was created for this series, but went on to act as Darkwing Duck's sidekick in the spin-off of DuckTales - Darkwing Duck, as well as appearing in an occasional comic book story of his own. Launchpad may not be the brightest character in DuckTales, but his loyalty is unquestionable and he is an important member of the DuckTakles team.

Gyro Gearloose - Duckburg's greatest inventor. Scrooge often calls upon Gyro when the Beagle Boys try and break into his money bin, although Gyro's ideas often backfire and he ends up aiding the Beagle Boys. Interesting note: Carl Barks (Gyro's creator) used used Gyro frequently in the comics as did other writers and artists involved in the Duck comics. Gyro himself wasn't a duck, in fact, his exact species is never specified, although it's generally assumed (and confirmed by Barks in interviews) that he's a chicken.

Mrs. Beakly - Mrs. Beakley is the only one who can tolerate Huey, Dewey and Louie's bad behavior and exert some level of control over it. She is hired by Scrooge as the nanny and stays at the McDuck mansion with her Grand-daughter Webby. She agrees with Scrooge to work for room and board for her grand-daughter and herself.

Webby Vanderquack - Mrs. Beakley's granddaughter Webby, lives with Mrs. Beakly at the McDuck Mansion. At first, Scrooge's nephews don't welcome her, and play pranks on her. Webby often follows the boys around Duckburg getting into trouble on the way. Webby is warm-hearted and sweet.

Bubba - A caveduck Scrooge meet when he accidentally traveled into the past. As Scrooge was departing to return to the future, Bubba and his pet triceratops, Tootsie stowed away on the time machine. Ever since then, Bubba has been a part of Scrooge's family.

GizmoDuck/Fenton Crackshell - This character was introduced in the last season of DuckTales. Scrooge hires Fenton as his accountant, whose alter ego is GizmoDuck, a superhero who protects Scrooge's money bin. Aside from Scrooge, the only one who knows GizmoDuck's true identity is his mother.

Donald Duck - Donald enlists in the Navy leaving his nephews in his Uncle Scrooge's care. He pops up from time to time, normally to accidentally get himself in trouble. Today, Donald Duck is recognized by people of all ages, the world over. His face appears on lunch boxes, T-shirts, and thousands of other products, including a long-running brand of frozen orange juice. And, at any given moment, somewhere in the world, in any of a hundred languages, someone is reading a Donald Duck comic book or watching a Donald Duck cartoon.

DuckTales Theme Song -

Life is like a hurricane here in Duck - burg Race cars, lasers, aeroplanes it's a, duck - blur! Might solve a mystery, or rewrite hist'ry!

CHORUS DuckTales! (a - whooh ooh) Every day they're out there making DuckTales! (a - whooh ooh) Tales of daring do bad and good luck tales!

When it seems they're heading for the final curtain Cool deduction never fails that's for certain

The worst of messes become successes

CHORUS

D-D-D-Danger! (Watch behind you!) There's a stranger, (out to find you!) What to do? Just grab on to some DuckTales!

INSTRUMENTAL

CHORUS

D-D-D-Danger! (Watch behind you!) There's a stranger, (out to find you!) What to do? Just grab on to some...

CHORUS

Everyday they're out there making DuckTales! (a-whooh ooh) Tales of daring do bad and good luck tales! (a-whooh ooh) Not pony tales or cotton tales, no

DuckTales! (a - whooh ooh)

Where can I watch DuckTales? Unfortunatly DuckTales no longer airs on the Disney Channel in the United States nor has it been shown in the UK for some years now

Spin offs of DuckTales - DarkWing Duck - Quack Pack

Nominations 1989 Best Animated Series - DuckTales was nominated for the Best Young Artist Award

Check out Mike's House of Cartoons for DuckTales Downloads - http://www.mikes-house-of-cartoons.freeservers.commoreless
9
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987)

CBS (ended 1996)

This version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is the most distinctive from its MIRAGE comic origins. It thrived more on humor instead of a dark attitude, especially in earlier seasons. Its creativity and bizarre humor made it something in the late '80s and early '90s something that had never been done before, so it drew in fans and grew to syndication on USA's Cartoon Express and new episodes would be aired weekends on CBS in late 1990.

Four turtles fall into the sewers and are befriended by Hamato Yoshi, a Japanese man who fled from New York and had nowhere to live but in the sewers. He was framed by his enemy, Oroku Saki, in a plot to kill the sensei. One day he sees a strange green glow which transforms the four turtles into human-like creatures. Hamato (now Master Splinter) changes into a giant rat from the green glow and teaches the turtles the skills of the ninja as they team up with Channel 6 news reporter April O'Neil to battle against Yoshi's archenemy Shredder and Krang, an alien warlord from Dimension X. There would be other enemies as well. Season 3 gave new opportunities outside the Shredder storyline, such as Don Turtelli, the Rat King, and Leatherhead. Especially in later CBS episodes, where there were many episodes without the Turtles battling Shredder, enemies such as Pinky McFingers and other minor recurring villains would fight the Turtles as well.

After Season 7, the show took a dark turn towards the action storyline that made it more of a mainstream American adventure cartoon as Dregg and other characters were created and gave the Turtles quite a zealous collection of adventures before they finally faded out in 1996.

In the U.K, TMNT was broadcast under the name Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles due to fears that the "ninja" part of the logo was too extreme a word to use on British television at the time.moreless
10
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood

PBS (ended 2001)

"In a little toy neighborhood, a tiny trolley rolls past a house at the end of a street. Welcome toMister Rogers' Neighborhood." In the annals of children's TV, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood ranks among the longest-lasting and beloved shows. Upon its conclusion, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood was the longest-running series in PBS history (a record eclipsed by Sesame Street in 2003). Host Fred Rogers (known to millions as simply "Mister Rogers") used his gentle charm and mannerisms to communicate with his audience of children. Topics centered on nearly every inconceivable matter of concern to children, ranging from everyday fears related to going to sleep, getting immunizations and disappointment about not getting one's way to losing a loved one to death and physical handicaps. Rogers used simple songs and, on nearly every show, segments from the Neighborhood of Make-Believe (NOM) to make his point. A scale-model trolley was often (but not always) used to segue into the Make-Believe segments, said neighborhood being inhabited by puppet characters including King Friday XIII, Lady Elaine Fairchild and Daniel Striped Tiger. Many shows also featured visits from cast members – most often Mr. McFeely (tagline: "Speedy Delivery"), Robert Trow, Joe Negri and Chef Brockett (the local baker). Many times, Rogers also visited the neighborhood shops of both the regulars and guests. Each show began and ended with a camera panning over a scale neighborhood (said to represent the town where Rogers lived). Production History While today's longer-running PBS Kids shows reinvent themselves every five years, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood achieved, throughout its 31 seasons, that rarest of elements: consistency. It is a legacy that can all be traced through every aspect of Fred Rogers' television career. Some of the characters in Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, both real and imagined, had appeared in two of Fred Rogers' earlier programs, The Children's Corner for Pittsburgh's WQED in 1954 and the CBC's Misterogers in 1963. It was for Misterogers that Fred first appeared on-camera. Rogers returned to WQED in Pittsburgh to begin writing and hosting Mister Rogers' Neighborhood May 22, 1967. Several other public television stations from Chicago to Boston carried the show on a trial basis that year. Beginning February 19, 1968, the Mister Rogers' Neighborhood program that we know today, began airing nationwide on National Educational Television (NET), the predecessor to PBS. This was also the year David Newell, returned from Europe, began work for Rogers. He was in charge of the production as well as the neighborhood's Speedy Delivery service. (AN ASIDE: Rogers wanted to call the delivery man Mr. McCurdy after the man at the Sears-Roebuck Foundation, whose support launched Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. But the people at Sears-Roebuck called Rogers and said "Mr. McCurdy" was too self-serving. Thus Rogers went to his roots to rename Newell's deliveryman. "McFeely" was Rogers' middle name and the last name of his maternal grandfather.) Shows were produced as a daily strip from 1968 to 1976, at which time production was suspended. Counting black-and-white episodes, 590 shows were produced in that span. Production resumed at the beginning of the remote video age in 1979. Rogers went on location more, supervising videos of how people make things (a precursor to the TVO series Here's How!). Other characters would be introduced in the subsequent two decades. In all, 305 new programs were taped from 1979 through 2001. Of that volume, the most notable shows came in 1991, with Rogers focusing on calming children's fears during the first U.S. war with Iraq. PBS gradually narrowed the window for the 460 "pre-79" episodes with each new season from 1980 onward. When the number of "post-75" episodes was enough to cover entire years, the classic shows were retired, last airing on PBS in the summer of 1995. Despite the production stoppage and the subsequent passing of Fred Rogers on February 27, 2003, PBS continues to repeat Mister Roger's Neighborhood in all its original glory–an accomplishment unique among all PBS Kids shows.moreless
11
The Jetsons

ABC (ended 1987)

With the success of The Flintstones, the modern Stone Age family, Hanna-Barbera decided to make a similar family cartoon, but set in their vision of the Space Age in the 21st century. This new series that debuted September 23, 1962 became The Jetsons. Set mainly in sky-high Orbit City, the show featured the family of George Jetson, Jane, his wife, their daughter Judy, and son Elroy living the average life in the future with flying space cars, instant transport tubes, and various robots and gadgets than can get their work done for them in a matter of seconds.

George brought in the family income by working at Spacely Space Sprockets, run by his stocky, ill-tempered boss Cosmo S. Spacely, who's usually quick to fire George for any reason he could find. But somehow, he always managed to get his job back and continue supporting his family. He works as an indexer and is teamed with his helpful computer R.U.D.I. Other than the threats of firing by Spacely, George would also have to worry about any schemes carried out by Mr. Spacely's top business rival W.C. Cogswell, owner and president of Cogswell Cogs. If there's a dispute between the two businessmen, it's almost certain George would wind up in the middle of it. Most times, though, things always worked out in the end.

Jane is the housewife who tends to the home, but loves to shop for the latest fashions and various items that can be a help to the family, like new gadgets that can help them in new ways. She's assisted by the family's robot maid Rosey (which can also be spelled Rosie). She's one of the older-fashioned models compared to most of the advanced robot maids of the future, but the Jetsons love her and regard her as a member of the family.

Judy is the Jetsons' teenage daughter who attends Orbit High School and goes for the latest teen fashions, trends, and music, and seems to have a different boyfriend in most episodes. If she's lucky, she can even wind up dating a celebrity, like her favorite rock star Jet Screamer, much to her father's chagrin.

Elroy is the Jetsons' genius son who attends Little Dipper Elementary School and is a straight-A student. He's a part-time inventor and can make new creations in hope to make a better future, and if fortunate, a little money on the side. But most times, he likes to be an average boy by playing various sports, and with his faithful companion, the family's dog Astro, who at times is overly affectionate, and can annoy George at times. But like Rosey, he's regarded as a member of the family.
The Jetsons reside at the Skypad Apartments, which are properly cared for by superintendant Henry Orbit, who like Elroy is a mechanical genius. At times, he can invent gadgets that can help him with his maintenance work. His greatest accomplishment is his robot assistant Mac, who can get his work at the Skypad Apartments done in half the time. But he does have feelings for Rosey as the two are occasionally seen as a couple, but are mainly friends.

Other recurring characters in this series include Mr. Spacely's family, including his wife Stella (sometimes called Petunia, likely her nickname), one of few people who can actually put a scare in him if he rubs her the wrong way. They have a young son close to Elroy's age named Arthur. And he has a faithful dog named Zero, a bulldog. Common characters at Spacely Sprockets are Uniblab, an underling robot who at times is a stool pigeon for Mr. Spacely to George's dismay, as well as Spacely's secretary Miss Galaxy. Cogswell also had a few subordinates of his own. Among them were his assistant Harlan and his scientist Moonstone.

The Jetsons ran for only one season on ABC, but the series was more successful in syndication. This led to a revival in 1985 with new episodes with more advanced animation that was richer in color and made the series even more futuristic than the 1960's version of the 21st century. New characters were introduced as well, including a new alien gremlin pet for the Jetsons, named Orbitty, who has springlike legs and suction cup feet, enabling him to hang upside down. He could also tinker with machines and change color in accordance to emotion. Another new animal for the revival was a robot dog for Cogwell named Sentro, who served as a guard dog and a spy often used against Mr. Spacely in efforts to beat him to the punch on his latest projects.

These episodes aired in syndication, which generated the same level of success as the originals when they went in that direction. This led to 10 more episodes to finalize the series in 1987, as well as two TV movies, the music-themed Rockin' with Judy Jetson, which was preceded by the epic crossover The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones, which brought the Space Age and the Stone Age together as Hanna-Barbera's most famous families had a grand adventure spanning two eras. The Jetsons had its true finale when Jetsons: The Movie hit theaters in 1990, as this would be among the last voice work for actors George O'Hanlon (George Jetson) and Mel Blanc (Mr. Spacely) for they both had died around the movie's release.

Overall, The Jetsons may not have had the supreme popularity of The Flintstones, but it did have a wide appeal for families of any generation and certainly had a place in the heart for those who would turn on and watch the series.

The Jetsons, like many Hanna-Barbera series, can be seen on Boomerang from Cartoon Network. Check your local listings.moreless
12
Highway to Heaven

NBC (ended 1989)

Highway to Heaven was Micheal Landon's second pairing with Victor French (the two both starred on Little House on the Prairie). This show was about Jonathan Smith, an angel sent down by God, aka "The Boss," to partner up with ex-Oakland cop Mark Gordon. They would be assigned duties by the Boss in which they would help people see a better life, and sometimes help each other. The show ran for 5 years on NBC. Each episode began with clips of that episode. Then the sky would fill with a heavenly shot of clouds. The clouds would fade away, and the soothing theme music would begin to play, and the highway to heaven was open to all. The show ran for a seemingly short five seasons and is shown today in reruns on the Goodlife TV Network (Monday through Friday 1 p.m. EST and 7 p.m. EST) (Also, it will show on TVLand, every day at 8pm EST. First Telecast: September 19, 1984 Last Telecast: August 4, 1989 Number of Episodes: 111moreless
13
Chip 'N Dale Rescue Rangers

Disney Channel (ended 1990)

Chip 'N Dale Rescue Rangers was mainly about Chip and Dale's adventures in fighting crimes that the police think are too small to handle. Together, with the help of Gadget Hackwrench, the inventive and industrious girl mouse, a blue fly named Zipper, and Monterey Jack, a husky, strong mouse with a killer addiction for cheese, they match wits with evil scientists like Professor Nimbul and crooked cat underworld leader Fat Cat and his gang. This series first began on the Disney Channel in the spring of 1989, and then it had a long life on The Disney Afternoon block of shows. Main Characters Chip: The brave leader of the Rescue Rangers, resembles a pint-sized Indiana Jones. He is by far the most practical member of the team and his loyalty to the others never wavers, even if Dale does try his patience at times. Dale: He is much more excitable than Chip, a fact reflected in his fondness for garish red-and-yellow Hawaiian shirts. Has a fondness for comic books, science fiction and tall stories in general. Gadget Hackwrench: The only female Rescue Ranger is a brilliant inventor and created all the teams vehicles. The daughter of one of Monty's old friends, she is more than just a pretty face. Monteray Jack: Known to his friends as Monty, he is the eldest of the Rescue Rangers and was an explorer before he joined up with Chip and Dale. Has an addiction to cheese, which sometimes lands himself and the others in trouble. Zipper: A fly who hung round with Monty on his travels, he is the smallest Rescue Ranger. But what he lacks in size he more than makes up for in courage. Fatcat: As his name suggests, he is an overweight cat who used to belong to the first human villain the Rangers ever put behind bars. He is greedy, arrogant and short-tempered and is forever looking for some means of dominating the world. Meps, Wart, Mole and Snout: These are Fatcat's stooges. Meps is also a cat, while Wart, Mole and Snout are a lizard, a mole and a rat respectively. Professor Nimnul: A crazed human professor who is forever coming up with new devices with which to dominate the world.moreless
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Garfield & Friends

CBS (ended 1994)

Based on the highly popular comic strip by Jim Davis, Garfield and Friends was considered the best long-running cartoon on CBS. This Saturday morning series featured the adventures of that lovable, hungry fat cat Garfield, his yellow dog friend Odie, and their cartoonist bachelor master Jon Arbuckle. Garfield cartoons shared the spot with a new cartoon series created for this series called U.S. Acres (also based on a comic strip by Jim Davis). U.S. Acres was a cartoon about a group of barnyard animals who run a farm. The leader was Orson Pig, the bookish and perceptive pig. His friends had many different qualities: Wade Duck was the scaredy-cat duck who runs away from everything, no kidding; Booker was a crafty little chick whose main goal was to chase a worm, and his brother Sheldon was nothing more than an egg with two legs sticking out; Roy Rooster was the practical joking rooster who puts everyone in trouble with his jokes; and two sheep, Bo and Lanolin, were always bickering with each other about nearly everything. Bo being a nice guy and Lanolin a cruel girl. Each episode, they had to protect the farm from Orson's big bad brothers and a crafty weasel. Before this series, Garfield cartoons were shown as yearly specials on CBS, and the specials were so great that CBS decided to turn Garfield into a cartoon series. In the first season, each 30-minute episode was packed with three 8-minute shorts, two Garfield shorts and one U.S. Acres short. In the second season, Garfield and Friends expanded to an hour, consisting of four Garfield cartoons and two U.S. Acres cartoons. It remained at this format until the show ended in 1994. 'Garfield:The Movie' was released on June 11,2004 & so far has made over $75 million at the box office. Thanks to the success of the movie, 20th Century Fox is now working on a CGI/live action movie version of 'Alvin & The Chipmunks' & coming to theathers on December 25th is 'Fat Albert', which is of course a live action version of the classic 1974-1984 cartoon 'Fat Albert & The Cosby Kids'. DVD Releases Garfield As Himself - June 29,2004 Garfield & Friends Volume One - July 27,2004 Garfield:The Movie - October 19th,2004 Garfield's Holiday Celebrations - October 26th,2004 Garfield & Friends Volume Two - December 7th,2004 Garfield's Travel Adventures- February 15,2005 Garfield & Friends Volume Three- April 19th,2005 TV Theme Lyrics! (from Seasons 1-2): Ladies and Gentleman, Garfield & Friends Friends Are There To Help You Get Started, To Give You A Push On Your Way Friends Are There To Turn You Around, Get Your Feet On The Ground For A Brand New Day They'll Pick You Up When You're Down Help You Swallow Your Pride When Something Inside's Got To Break On Through To The Other Side Friends Are Someone You Can Open Up To When You Feel Like You're Ready To Flip When You Got The World On Your Shoulders Friends Are There To Give You A Tip Friends Are There When You Need Them Their Even There When You Don't For A Walk In The Park, For A Shot In The Dark Friends Are There (garfield) I Don't Care But Friends Will Care For You-u-u-u-u-u-u! (different dialogue for each show) TV Theme Lyrics! (effective from Season 3-7): Ladies and Gentleman, Garfield & Friends We're (We're) ready (ready) to (to) party! (let's go!) We're ready to party, we're ready! I hope you bring lot's of spaghetti! (don't forget) Come on in , come to the place where fun never ends! Come on in, it's time to party with Garfield and friends! Dancing , Fiesta! , Romancing, Siesta! , Samba , La Bamba, Eye Carumba! Disguises (Disguises) Surprises (Surprises) and pies of,(and pies of) All sizes! Come on in, come to the place where fun never ends. Come on in, it's time to party with Garfield and Friends! Garfield and friends! -Garfield says something funny-moreless
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The Smurfs

NBC (ended 1989)

The Smurfs are a group of over 100 bluish, three-apple tall creatures who live in the mushroom homes of Smurf Village. They are led by 543-year-old Papa Smurf (who doesn't look a day over 530). Their lives would be perfect were it not for the villainous Gargamel, a wizard who spends his days trying to capture them to eat, turn into gold, or for some other evil reason. Gargamel's cat Azrael adds to the menace, always looking for a smurfalicious snack. The single-emotioned smurfs, including Brainy, Jokey, Vanity, Grouchy and Clumsy, and others, were later joined by Grandpa Smurf, five Smurflings (who went back in time to become youngsters), and even Nanny late in the series. Gargamel, too, got a friend in the form of the unscrupulous Scruple. In 1982, the Culliford characters Johan and his aide Peewit ("Peewee" to U.S. kids) were given their own segments during the expanded, 90-minute The Smurfs, but the two humans simply weren't as smurfy as their tiny friends, and thus did not last. Despite its incredible popularity, The Smurfs actually encountered some controversy. Some adults considered the show quite sexist in its use of the one original female character, Smurfette, who was created by Gargamel as a way to fool the other Smurfs. In reaction to the criticism, the siren was changed into a sweetie via some Papa Smurf magic, and later seasons brought further smurf femmes like Sassette and Nanny. Perhaps the most memorable feature of the show was the use of the word "smurf" in every possible tense and construction. For instance, it wouldn't be unusual to hear a Smurf remark something like, "It's such a smurfy day, I think I'll go smurfing in Lake Smurf." In any case, the show won two Emmys as Outstanding Children's Entertainment Series and, in 1987, actually did a message episode. In an anti-drug show, Poet Smurf became addicted after rubbing a witch's magic orb, requiring the help of Papa and the gang to overcome his problem. The Smurfs hit the silver screen in 1984 with The Smurfs and the Magic Flute. The film was actually a dubbed version of an older Belgian Schtroumpfs feature, and our teeny weeny heroes didn't even appear until a ways in. The film flopped, but the cartoon continued to rule Saturday morning for the better part of the decade. In 1989, in an attempt to save the nearly decade-old show, the producers had the Smurfs leaving Smurf Village to visit various times and locations. Fans were smurfed off. The show was cancelled after that season, surviving only in the syndicated package titled The Smurfs' Adventures. Catch an hour of The Smurfs every weekday morning on The Cartoon Network at 11AM - 12PM EST and on the Boomerang Network at 8AM, 4PM, and 12AM EST.moreless
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The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

ABC (ended 1991)

The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh was a charming animated series that captured both kids and their parents with all-new outings featuring Pooh and the whole gang in the 100 Acre Wood. The world-famous bear, created by British author, A.A. Milne. He is joined by his young master, Christopher Robin. The ever-bouncy Tigger. The glum donkey, Eeyore. The incurable know-it-all, Rabbit. The always-confused Owl. The squeaky Piglet and the mother and son team of Kanga and Roo. Featuring quality animation along with original songs and scores, this series preserves the touching emotional qualities and "not just for kids" humor of the original Winnie the Pooh books. The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh was part of what many consider Disney's "Golden Age," meaning the studio had quality writers, characters, theme songs, etc. Some other shows during this time were Gummi Bears, Talespin, Ducktales, and Darkwing Duck Characters Winnie the Pooh: Winnie the Pooh is the fun-loving bear. He is very caring and concerned about all of his friends. Pooh is friends with everyone in the Hundred Acre Woods. Some of his very good companions are Christopher Robin and Piglet. Pooh also loves honey. Piglet: Piglet is the small Piglet with big hopes. He believes that even though he isn't very big, he can do what his friends do. When they all go on adventures, Piglet is a little frightened, but he goes anyway because he is a such a good friend and will try to overcome his fears. Rabbit: Rabbit can be a bit serious sometimes. He loves to plant gardens that are always eaten by some crows and accidentally bounced on by Tigger. Rabbit builds scarecrows to get rid of the crows, sometimes it works and other times it doesn't. He can give some good advice to his friends. Eeyore: Eeyore is the slow-moving donkey. He tries over and over to build his houses, but someone may bounce or fall on it. Other times the wind blows it down or the weather. He always has his friends to help him rebuild it though. Eeyore also has a tail that is pinned on that happens to fall off occasionally. Tigger: Tigger loves to bounce, he tries to bounce higher each time. His bouncing can break things if it gets a big wild. One of his good friends is Roo, he taught him about bouncing and its fun. Kanga: Kanga is Roo's mother. She is very nice to everyone in the Hundred Acre Woods. Kanga is always helping others, or offering some snacks that she may have baked. Roo: Roo's mother is Kanga. He likes to bounce like Tigger. When his friends come around, he usually comes along with them. He was very happy when he moved to the Hundred Acre Woods. One of his best friends is Tigger. Christopher Robin: Christopher Robin is a very nice, young boy. He likes taking his friends on adventures. When they may have a problem with something, he usually figures it out or helps them. He is very good friends with Pooh. Theme Song Gotta get up, I gotta get goin' I'm gonna see a friend of mine He's round and he's fuzzy I love him because He's just Pooh Bear, Winnie the Pooh Bear Lookin' for fun, chasin' some hunny bees Pooh Bear I know he's out there Rumblee tumblee, climin' a honey tree Fun never ends for us, we're so adventurous Least every now and again And when we're alone and there's nobody home It's nice to be able to count on a friend Like Pooh Bear, Winnie the Pooh Bear Wherever you go, oh won't you take me please Pooh Bear, I gotta be there It's me and it's you Silly old Winnie the Pooh... In 1989, Disney's Gummi Bears, which ran for 4 successful seasons on NBC, moved to ABC and merged with The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh with all-new episodes for Saturday mornings. Winnie the Pooh Specials Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too! Winnie the Pooh: Boo To You Too! Winnie the Pooh: A Valentine For You A Winnie the Pooh Thanksgiving Winnie the Pooh's Un-Valentine's Day Spin-off series The Book of Pooh. moreless
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Eight is Enough

ABC (ended 1981)

Based on the book by Thomas Braden, this family drama chronicles the lives of the Bradford family: the father Tom, who worked as a columnist for a Sacramento newspaper); the mother Joan; and their eight children: David, Mary, Joanie, Susan, Nancy, Elizabeth, Tommy, and Nicholas.

As anyone from a large family can tell you, get these many different people – related or not – under the same roof, and chaos will certainly ensue. Enter in all their relationships, school, and work problems, and you can guarantee something is always going haywire in the Bradford home.

Diana Hyland died during season one and her character was "sent away" .So in season two, Tom married Abby, a school teacher.

In season four, two of the Bradford children got married: David to Janet; and Susan to Merle, a baseball player. In France the show is known as Huit, ça suffit !.
In Italy it was known as La famiglia Bradford ("The Bradford Family") on Channel One, but titled Otto Bastano on Channel Four.moreless
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Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids

CBS (ended 1984)

Live action bumpers featuring Bill Cosby were set around animated episodes of Fat Albert and The Cosby Kids, a series about a group of urban adolescents growing up in a Philadelphia neighborhood. The show was based on Cosby's '60s stand up comedy monologues about his childhood. The episodes revolved around the daily life lessons learned by Albert and his friends. Topics ranged from social issues to personal introspection and were blended with humor and music. Among the many great characters that inhabited Fat Albert's world were Rudy, Mushmouth, Donald, Bill, Weird Harold and Russell. In 1979 the show was re-titled The New Fat Albert Show and featured a new segment called The Brown Hornet, a send-up of superhero cartoons starring a larger-than-life African-American crime fighter in outer space. In 1984, the show was syndicated and renamed The Adventures of Fat Albert and the Cosby kids. It ended the same year. Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids enjoyed one of the longest careers in Saturday morning cartoon history. There are plans to release the whole series on DVD over the course of 2005. Theme song "Hey, hey, hey! It's Fat Albert!" And I'm gonna sing a song for you And Bill's gonna show you a thing or two You'll have some fun now with me and all the gang Learning from each other While we do our thing Nah, nah, nah -- gonna have a good time (hey, hey, hey!) Nah, nah, nah -- gonna have a good time "This is Bill Cosby coming atcha with music and fun And if you're not careful, you may learn something before it's done! (1984 version: So get ready) Hey, hey, hey!" Nah, nah, nah -- gonna have a good time Nah, nah, nah -- gonna have a good time Nah, nah, nah -- gonna have a good timemoreless
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Care Bears

ABC (ended 1988)

The Care Bears keep watch over the earth to keep bad feelings at bay. Whenever a kid is feeling down, they are there to help bring a smile to the child's face. They live in a city in the sky, named Care-A-Lot. They hold meetings in the Hall of Caring to discuss important matters. Their cousins live in the Forest of Feelings. The Care Bear Cousins' leader is Braveheart Lion. Each bear and cousin has a special power, related to the symbol on its tummy. When they unite, they can use the Care Bear Stare to beam good energy at their enemies, such as No Heart, Professor Cold Heart, Shrieky, and Beastly. The bears have two modes of transportation, Cloudmobiles and Rainbow Rollers, which they fly down to earth on whenever there is trouble. They are alerted to problems by the Care-O-Meter. The Care Bears Family combined old episodes of Care Bears with new ones.moreless
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Inspector Gadget

(ended 1986)

Inspector Gadget was a cartoon parody of the 1960's television spy parody, Get Smart. Don Adams played the leads in both shows. There are similarities between the two shows. Both agents only had lots of gadgets or devices that they never could use correctly. Both worked for a chief that they invariably infuriated. And of course, both Gadget and Smart were lovable idiots who always won in the end, usually by accident or by someone else's help. Created by DIC Entertainment, this show was voiced in Canada and Los Angeles, drawn in Korea, edited in Los Angeles and distributed by DIC International. First produced as a 1/2 hour pilot in 1983, it was picked up and produced until 1986 for TV. Years later, Inspector Gadget is seen in 55 countries in 24 languages. Spinoffs: Gadget Boy and Heather, Gadget Boy's Adventures in History, Inspector Gadget's Field Trip and Gadget and the Gadgetinis. A liveaction theatrical movie based on the cartoon was released in 1999, as well as a liveaction direct-to-video sequel in 2003.moreless
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