Kids who grew up in the ’80s and ’90s couldn’t enjoy the massive selection of live-action sci-fi TV available right now.
With the biggest out-of-this-world adventures likely to be found in theaters, many of the most memorable — and undoubtedly the weirdest — concepts tended to be found in Saturday morning cartoons.
This is a realm of exposition-heavy opening credits, relentlessly earwormy theme tunes, and heroes who, for no obvious reason, choose to hang out with cute/annoying [delete as appropriate] comedy sidekicks like Orko and Snarf.
The massive success of “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe” also established a symbiotic link between television screens and playrooms, as toy giants Mattel, Hasbro, and Kenner realised that a successful animated series could be the ultimate advertising opportunity for their latest product lines.
Below, we’ve picked out 20 sci-fi cartoons that brought outer space, time travel, must-own vehicles, and genre-defining villains into millions of living rooms every week. Just don’t blame us if you get sucked into YouTube and Wikipedia rabbit holes, as you look back on classic (and not so classic) shows that helped shape a generation…
1. Battle of the Planets
Dates: 1978-1980 | Toy line? Yes | Cute/annoying sidekick: 7-Zark-7 (a robot)
Japanese anime series “Science Ninja Team Gatchaman” gets a US makeover, with most of the original show’s more violent excesses toned down.
7-Zark-7, a robot whose design owes absolutely nothing (ahem) to R2-D2, was added to supply exposition and kid-friendly comedy, but the basic premise remains — five teens in bird-like superhero outfits (and a very cool spaceship) come together as G-Force, protecting Earth from the evil Zoltar.
2. The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang
Dates: 1980-1981 | Toy Line? No | Cute/annoying sidekick: Mr Cool (a dog)
A spin-off from nostalgia-heavy ’50s-set sitcom “Happy Days” might seem an unlikely addition to this list, but — even more than live-action stablemate “Mork & Mindy” — this series is unashamedly sci-fi.
The Fonz, Richie Cunningham, and Ralph Malph end up travelling through time with a 25th-century woman named Cupcake, finding themselves in all sorts of ‘hilarious’ scrapes as they try to get back to 1957 Milwaukee. Iconic DJ Wolfman Jack (who also appeared in “American Graffiti”) supplies the opening narration.
3. Ulysses 31
Dates: 1981-1982 | Toy line? Yes | Cute/annoying sidekick: Nono (a small, nail-eating robot)
Looking to take a crash course in Greek mythology? French/Japanese co-production “Ulysses 31” transfers Homer’s Odyssey to the 31st century, as the titular starship captain kills a robot Cyclops, angers the gods of Olympus, and is sentenced to wander unknown stars until he finds the Kingdom of Hades.
While Ulysses looks like a Bee Gees tribute act and his laser sword is a “Star Wars”-shaped lawsuit waiting to happen, this show is bold, ambitious and — at times — surprisingly bleak.
4. SuperTed
Dates: 1982-1986 | Toy line? Yes (plush toys) | Cute/annoying sidekick: N/A
Undoubtedly the only show on this list to have debuted in Welsh, Brit cartoon SuperTed is the story of an ordinary teddy bear who’s brought to life, and subsequently gains superpowers courtesy of some “cosmic dust”. Former “Doctor Who” star Jon Pertwee voices the hero’s jetpack-wearing alien bestie Spotty, who stays remarkably calm considering SuperTed effectively rips off his skin every time he activates his powers.
The character returned in a US co-production, “The Further Adventures of SuperTed”, in 1989.
5. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
Dates: 1983-1984 | Toy line? Yes | Cute/annoying sidekick: Orko (a floating Trollan magician)
As much of a colossus as its musclebound hero, “Masters of the Universe” is the ultimate ’80s cartoon. Commissioned by Mattel as a blatant weekly half-hour commercial for its popular toy line, the show pits He-Man and his heroic chums against the evil (but strangely inept) Skeletor in a battle for control of Castle Grayskull. Eternia’s residents are potential plastic playthings first, characters second, though they never forget to deliver a corny moral at the end of each episode.
The second live-action “Masters of the Universe” movie is in theaters now.
6. Bananaman
Dates: 1983-1988 | Toy line: No | Cute/annoying sidekick: Crow (a talking, er, crow)
Whenever youthful Acacia Road resident Eric Twinge eats a banana, an amazing transformation occurs… A superhero cartoon and a healthy eating campaign in one, this comic-book-inspired series is an unashamedly tongue-in-cheek British pastiche of Superman and other caped crusaders.
Legendary ’70s comedy troupe the Goodies supply the voices, as Eric’s fruity alter-ego, Bananaman, battles the villainous likes of General Blight, Doctor Gloom, and, of course, Appleman.
7. Challenge of the GoBots
Dates: 1984-1985 | Toy line? Yes | Cute/annoying sidekick: No
The Transformers weren’t the only robots in disguise vying for kids’ eyeballs in the mid-’80s. In fact, these robots — an amalgamation of Tonka’s GoBots and Bandai’s Robo Machine toys — made it to TV first, though the show’s mythology (in which the heroic Guardians battle the villainous Renegades) never caught fire like its more successful mechanical cousin (see below).
That said, Peter “Optimus Prime” Cullen and Frank “Megatron” Welker have voice credits on both shows.
8. Transformers
Dates: 1984-1987 | Toy line? Yes | Cute/annoying sidekick: No
The only cartoon on this list that’s even more toyetic than “Masters of the Universe”, the original “Transformers” cartoon was the result of Hasbro’s efforts to create a backstory for shapeshifting toys it had imported (and subsequently rebranded) from Japan.
It’s that classic tale of good robots (Optimus Prime’s Autobots) fighting evil robots (Megatron’s Decepticons), using an unsuspecting planet Earth as their battleground, while transforming into planes, trains, and automobiles — not to mention tape players and dinosaurs.
The 1986 theatrical movie boldly killed off many of the franchise’s most iconic characters in a bid to flog more toys.
9. ThunderCats
Dates: 1985-1989 | Toy line? Yes | Cute/annoying sidekick: Snarf (a cat-like child-minder)
“Masters of the Universe” and “Transformers” were the biggest beasts to emerge from the 1980s cartoon playground, but “ThunderCats” was never far behind. Indeed, it’s had a couple of animated reboots, and is arguably crying (or should that be roaring?) out for a live-action movie.
On paper, its warrior cat people premise sounds like a disaster, but thanks to its timeless iconography — the Sword of Omens, ever-living bad guy Mumm-Ra, the catchiest theme tune in an era of catchy theme tunes — “ThunderCats” is a bona fide classic of the era.
10. Star Wars: Droids
Dates: 1985-1986 | Toyline: Yes | Cute/annoying sidekick: No
Lucasfilm attempted to keep the “Star Wars” flame burning with a short-lived animated double-bill of “Ewoks” and this more overtly sci-fi offering.
Subtitled “The Adventures of R2-D2 and C-3PO”, it follows some (now non-canon) adventures of the droid duo before they meet Luke Skywalker on Tatooine. Anthony Daniels (inevitably) voices 3PO, R2-D2 stars “as himself”, while The Police drummer Stewart Copeland provides the theme tune.
11. She-Ra: Princess of Power
Dates: 1985-1987 | Toy line? Yes | Cute/annoying sidekick: Kowl (a flying koala/owl hybrid)
1985 movie “The Secret of the Sword” revealed that, much like Luke Skywalker, He-Man’s alter-ego, Prince Adam, has a long-lost twin sister of his own. And, even though she’s been working for Skeletor’s old boss Hordak on Eternia’s sister planet, Etheria, Princess Adora is just as heroic as her brother – especially when she waves around a magic sword of her own to transform herself into She-Ra.
It’s essentially “Masters of the Universe” with an all-new line-up of toy opportunities, though the story was rebooted as the acclaimed “She-Ra and the Princesses of Power” in 2018.
12. Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors
Dates: 1985 | Toy line? Yes | Cute/annoying sidekick: Oon (a tiny lance-wielding knight)
Future “Babylon 5” creator J Michael Straczynski was hired to create a “MOTU”-esque mythology for Mattel’s existing Wheeled Warriors toys. The result was this short-lived cartoon, in which an evil race of sentient plants known as the Monster Minds tries to take over the universe.
For some reason, the aggressive flora have the ability to transform into a fleet of multi-purpose vehicles — it’s a good job, then, that eponymous hero Jayce and his buddies have fancy wheels of their own.
13. M.A.S.K.
Dates: 1985-1986 | Toy line? Yes | Cute/annoying sidekick: T-Bob (an egg-shaped robot who transforms into a scooter)
With the popularity of “Star Wars” action figures on the wane, manufacturer Kenner made a bid for some of that lucrative two-toys-in-one “Transformers” action.
In this particular cartoon/toy commercial, the altruistic members of M.A.S.K. (Mobile Armored Strike Kommand (sic)) thwart the evil schemes of V.E.N.O.M. (Vicious Evil Network Of Mayhem) with their transforming vehicles —such as a motorbike that turns into a helicopter. The protagonists also wear helmets (or masks — geddit?) that give them unique abilities.
14. Centurions
Dates: 1986 | Toy line? Yes | Cute/annoying sidekick: Shadow (a dog), Lucy (an orangutan)
The impossible search for the next “Transformers” continued with this blatantly toyetic actioner.
Three implausibly named soldiers (ocean specialist Max Ray, land guy Jake Rockwell, and fly boy Ace McCloud) are the titular Centurions, who use their impressive arsenal of exosuits to save the world from Doc Terror, an evil cyborg whose name is an absolute PR disaster. The show is possibly most notable for having comic-book legends Jack Kirby and Gil Kane on its creative team.
15. Defenders of the Earth
Dates: 1986 | Toy line? Yes | Cute/annoying sidekick: Kisa (a telepathic black panther)
When Ming the Merciless relocates from Mongo to our very own North Pole, Flash Gordon joins forces with three other less famous characters from the King Features comic-book back catalogue to, well, defend the Earth.
Flash, the animal-whispering Phantom, Mandrake the Magician, and super-strong Lothar bring their unique skills to the table, along with their respective kids. The catchy-as-hell theme song features lyrics from a certain Stan Lee.
16. BraveStarr
Dates: 1987-1988 | Toy line? Yes | Cute/annoying sidekick: Deputy Fuzz (BraveStarr’s Prairie Person deputy)
Years before “Firefly” and “Serenity” got in on the act, the “Masters of the Universe” dream team of Mattel and animators Filmation took the notion of a space Western very literally indeed.
Superpowered Marshal BraveStarr protects the planet of New Texas from various frontier bad guys, assisted by the eyes of the hawk, the ears of the wolf, the speed of the puma, and the strength of the bear. His ‘Equestroid’ steed, Thirty/Thirty, can also transform into a bipedal, gun-wielding form.
17. Visionaries
Dates: 1987 | Toy line? Yes | Cute/annoying sidekick: No
Like “Masters of the Universe” and “Star Wars”, “Visionaries” straddles the line between sci-fi and fantasy.
When all technology stops working on the futuristic planet of Prysmos, magic becomes the dominant force. A wizard named Merklynn subsequently gifts two factions of “Knights of the Magical Light” (aka the Spectral Knights and the Darkling Lords) with the ability to transform into the animal totem they wear on the chestplates of their armor.
The good guys get to run around as lions, foxes, and bears. The villains? Well, they have to make do with beetles, lizards, and molluscs.
18. Fantastic Max
Dates: 1988-1990 | Toy line? No | Cute/annoying sidekick: Zoe (Max’s five-year-old sister)
Effectively “my first sci-fi“, this cartoon from the “SuperTed” stable makes the irresponsible move of sending a baby into space (without his parents) on a regular basis.
Max is accompanied on his adventures by anxious robot C-3PO AB Sitter, and FX, a magical alien masquerading as a toy who can turn the kid’s implausibly impressive sand sculptures into fully functioning robots.
Max also has a tendency to yell “dirty diapers” at times of (very mild) peril.
19. The Pirates of Dark Water
Dates: 1991-1993 | Toy line? Yes | Cute/annoying sidekick: Niddler (a monkey-bird)
Just as BraveStarr plundered Westerns for inspiration, this show puts a sci-fi/fantasy spin on another classic Hollywood staple.
On the alien world of Mer (think “Waterworld“, but with less Costner), an estranged prince named Ren leads a ragtag bunch of heroes on a quest to find the 13 “Treasures of Rule” — all the while hoping to save their planet from a sentient oil slick known as Dark Water.
20. Bucky O’Hare and the Toad Wars!
Dates: 1991 | Toy line? Yes | Cute/annoying sidekick: Does the human kid count?
It’s basically “Star Wars” with animals, set in a parallel “aniverse” where the eponymous space captain Bucky O’Hare (a green hare) leads a furry rebellion against the evil Toad Empire.
The show only ran for 13 episodes, but it made a big impact, particularly in the UK, where it became a popular part of the after-school CBBC schedule. The theme tune is one of the most memorable out there — “Let’s croak us some toads!” — and the Righteous Indignation is surely one of the best names for a spaceship, ever.