20 Famous 80s Cartoon TV Shows

The 80s had a lot of amazing moments, but it wasn’t only known for its outrageous fashion trends, loud music and classic movies. Cartoon TV shows from this era started some of the best story lines from which the remakes today could never compete.

But they all got their ideas from these shows, like G.I. Joe, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Ghostbusters, and much more. Simply put, they’re action-packed, mesmerizing as they had us all scheduling our plans around their air time so we would never miss an episode.

These TV shows have also made a huge impact on our personal lives as we wanted to be either a Ninja Turtle or Transformer for Halloween or wanted a He-Man or G.I. Joe action figure for Christmas. But it was these shows that we bonded over and what made up a huge part of our childhood and even adulthood. So we hope you enjoy this list as it may bring back old memories from the good ole days.

20 Famous Cartoon TV Shows

1. The Simpsons (1989 – present)

Still airing today. Can you believe that?? Who ever thought the lives of this one family would carry on for over 30 years. As it relates to many situations of life’s ups and downs, opportunities and challenges, the story of the Simpson family has become so relatable and funny. With no movie remakes or additional TV series, this show is simply one of a kind as we still love to watch it today. Simply one of the best series in the history of TV.

2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987 – 1996)

Even as a tomboy back then, I personally wasn’t into this one, but I know plenty of people who were. They were a huge hit with both kids and teens due to its sci-fi storyline, cheesy humor and mix of action. Even following this series, everything from movie remakes, t-shirts, hats, pajamas and so much more merchandise was made from this series.

3. Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends (1981 – 1983)

This is where it all started: the Spider-Man series. For those 90s and 2000s babies, they’ll never know the beauties that came out in the 80s. But if they do get a chance to watch it, they can see where the success came from. As Spider-Man first teams up with Ice-Man and Firestar to battle enemies, they’re also college students, attending Empire State University.

While trying to navigate the life of normalcy during the day, they’re fighting crime at night, which is certainly a lot to do (also completely unmanageable in your late teens and early 20s). But they do have the love and support of Peter Parker’s (Spider-Man) Aunt May and her dog, Ms. Lion, whose house the team also lives in. With the ability to shoot webs and fight crime, it’s no wonder this series had so many movie remakes, toys, clothes, cult following, video games and other memorabilia.

4. Garfield and Friends (1988 – 1994)

This one is simply way too good to be left out. Who knew you could write so much about a house cat? Apparently you can, and make millions! It follows the life of Garfield, Jon (his owner) and Odie (the dog) in suburban America as they get into all kinds of mishaps and trouble. There was really no full storyline throughout the series; it was simply a nonlinear narrative where all of the events are out of chronological order and you didn’t have to see preceding episodes to understand the current show. But truly amazing series.

5. Transformers (1984 – 1987)

For all boys and tomboys of the 80s, who didn’t love cars that could turn into armored machines?! These alien robots were not only the “good guys”, but they were badasses! Who wouldn’t want a cool car that could turn into a 30-foot tall machine and shoot at your enemies? Action figures, TV series, movie remakes, t-shirts, Hasbro made a ton of money with this show.

6. G. I. Joe (1983 – 1986)

Wildly popular when this was first created, G. I. Joe tells the story of a fearless, adventurous special missions force, G.I. Joe, who fights against the evil forces of Cobra and its commander who’s focused on taking over the world. As the heroes take to the land, sea and skies, they’re willing to do whatever it takes to save America and its people. This movie has made a huge impact on so many young boys, even inspiring them to join the military. It’s also had a ton of movie remakes, merchandise and cult following.

7. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983 – 1985)

One of the first animated shows to be produced and sell toys, He-Man was also one of the first shows to feature hand-to-hand combat, thus becoming crazy popular with young boys. It was simply the first of its kind, so no wonder it had so much success. It didn’t take long before other TV producers noticed and started doing the same.

8. The Smurfs (1981 – 1989)

They were small, blue and cute. The Smurfs most popular era was certainly the 80s, when they were first introduced. The cartoon not only lasted throughout the decade, but it became one of the longest-running animated shows in history. They’re still making movies from it!

9. Inspector Gadget (1983 – 1986)

Everyone loved Inspector Gadget back in the day, especially his crime-fighting scenes. It’s also got some great humor as the investigator was a bit clumsy as well as his niece and dog getting into all sorts of trouble. A classic for those who like action, humorous TV shows with happy endings.

10. Care Bears (1984 – 1998)

This was a little too corny for my taste, but it was a huge success during the 80s. It taught young children about kindness and friendship without using violence. It was cute and sweet (definitely not my taste back then) but parents loved to put it on for their kids. This series also had a number of remakes, even a Care Bears take on Alice in Wonderland.

11. The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1988 – 1991)

A cute and adventurous story following the lives of Pooh Bear, Christopher Robbin and their friends, Tigger, Piglet, Rabbit, Kanga, Roo, Eeyore, Owl and Gopher, in Hundred Acre Wood, this series teaches many morals, such as patience, selflessness, kindness and friendship. I’d definitely recommend this one for kids 3 – 5 years old.

12. Ghostbusters (1986 – 1987)

While the show wasn’t on the air for too long, it was fun to watch this gang of ghost hunters battle the evil ghost wizard and his minions. Personally, I like the 1984 film with Bill Murray a little more, but this was what ultimately inspired the movie. So what’s not to like?

13. Alvin and the Chipmunks (1983 – 1987)

While the attempts at re-creating this story were poor, nobody could ever forget the nostalgia and memories this show brings back. Similar to Garfield, it’s a nonlinear narrative, where there’s no specific story this sitcom tells, other than the daily quarrels of these three chipmunks, Alvin, Simon and Theodore and their “father”, Dave. A cute story for the kids if you’re looking to introduce them to something new.

14. Chip ’n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers (1989 – 1990)

While shortlived, this action-packed cartoon series was a classic. This was produced after the success of DuckTales, and the Disney audience was already familiar with Chip ’N’ Dale, created in 1943. The show is about the chipmunk duo setting out on different adventures to fight crime. There was always something interesting going on!

15. SuperTed (1982 – 1986)

I’m not exactly sure how the creators came up with this one since it’s got a…different, unique storyline to it. The first season started with a broken teddy bear who was brought to life with some alien pixie dust and taken to a magic cloud where he was given super powers by Mother Nature. While it’s certainly not your typical, realistic story, maybe that’s why it was popular? While some would think it’s weird, others think it’s creative. Even just after two seasons, it became a cult classic.

16. ThunderCats (1985 – 1990)

Every kid loves mixing animals in with superheroes! Anything to do with humans morphing into animals or having some type of strong connection with one is wildly popular. This story follows the lives of three cat-like aliens who escaped to Third Earth after their home planet was destroyed. But they are followed by evil mutants who never stop at acquiring the Thundercats’ superpowers. Pretty neat storyline in my opinion.

17. Gummi Bears (1985 – 1991)

Not to be confused with Care Bears, Gummi Bears was about an anthropomorphic species of bears who are somewhat unknown to the human world. In the story, humans believed they were only legends and fairy tales; however, the bears were forced into a new land after being attacked by humans who coveted the magical powers of the Gummis. For a TV series targeting young children, the story gets pretty complex, despite its success during its time on the air.

18. Babar (1989 – 1991)

While shortlived, this series was successful with the younger kids, following a young elephant named Babar, who lives with humans to become king of the jungle. It makes sense as the whole “king of the jungle” setting just sounds awesome, despite its overuse in way too many Tarzan, ape and lion movies today. But Babar teaches little kids many morals, including to never give up.

19. Count Duckula (1988 – 1993)

I don’t think there’s any other movie or TV series which tells the story of a vampire duck, perhaps why it’s so unique. But this vampire duck was also a humorous, crazy, vegetarian who used his powers to be famous and rich, although he was never able to pull it off. There was also Nanny, his huge nanny with her arm in a sling who accidentally destroys furniture and Igor, his evil butler who tries to turn the vampire duck to the dark side.

20. Bananaman (1983 – 1986)

The first time I saw this, I thought its message was to eat your fruits and vegetables. But it’s about an ordinary, stupid school boy who acquired superpowers after eating a banana. He was super strong, could fly and supposedly didn’t have any weaknesses. Although the show did portray him to be intensely stupid, which eventually reflected into the remainder of the TV series. To maintain his powers, he had to eat just the right amount of bananas. After writing a series like this, it makes you think what these story writers were thinking (or smoking) when putting this all together.

Which is Your Favorite?

There are simply too many amazing TV shows from the 80s to count, and these are simply my favorites. But I’d love to hear some of yours in the comments below. Were there any that hit home and influenced your childhood? We’d love to hear it!