Each week I create a 2-2.5 hour block of programming for the family to watch together over a nice breakfast. We call it Sunday Brunch Cartoons, and we’re nearly two years into it without missing a day. I’m releasing a full list of our watch queue, with the hopes that you can think of something really good (or memorably bad) that we should include.
No 70s Hanna-Barbera.
https://feddit.uk/pictrs/image/a12bea0c-89fb-4c86-a610-f231583719ad.webp
Plaintext: Title Batman: Caped Crusader Captain Harlock and the Queen of a Thousand Years Cybersix Gargoyles Infinity Train Mythbusters Hey Arnold! Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Amphibia Animaniacs Scooby Doo; Mystery Inc. Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends Gumby Gurren Lagann Mighty Max (Remastered) My Adventures With Superman Sailor Moon Original ReBoot Recess Crash Course Video Games She-Ra Space Patrol Luluco The Owl House Tron: Uprising Star vs the Forces of Evil Rocky & Bullwinkle Sym-Bionic Titan Freakazoid! Teen Titans Bump In The night Looney Tunes Golden Collection Nate Is Late / Oskar et Malika The Big O Unicorn Warriors Eternal Mega Man Megas XLR Motorcity Fraggle Rock Men in Black: The Animated Series Histeria! The Tick Swat Kats Adventure Time: Fiona & Cake Kim Possible Dexter’s Laboratory Star Trek Mobile Fighter G Gundam The Adventures of Salmon Max Captain N: The Game Master Darkwing Duck Danny Phantom Wakfu Kirby: Right Back At Ya Regular Show Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Inspector Gadget The Legend of Zelda Underdog (1964) Kid Cosmic Looney Tunes Cartoons Samurai Jack Adventure Time The Loud House King Arthur and the Knights of Justice The California Raisin Show Visionaries Knights of the Magical Lights He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Transformers: Prime Yuu Yuu Hakusho Invader Zim Ducktales Avatar: The Legend of Korra Codename: Kids Next Door Pingu Bill Nye TSG Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood Pee-Wee’s Playhouse Reading Rainbow Wishbone Red Wall Ramen Akaneko Space Ghost Powerpuff Girls Transformers War For Cybertron Dungeons and Dragons Ren & Stimpy Rugrats Super Mario World Fairly OddParents Hilda Moomin Batman: The Animated Series Earthworm Jim Amazing World of Gumball Beakman’s World Rocko’s Modern Life The Real Ghostbusters The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy Bravest Warriors Beetlejuice Ruri Rocks Transformers: Beast Wars Courage the Cowardly Dog Rentaghost The Busy World of Richard Scarry Over the Garden Wall Button Moon Cow & Chicken Bocchi the Rock Adventure Time: Distant Lands The Angry Beavers The Trap Door Pinky and The Brain Clone Wars (2003) Avatar: The Last Airbender Gravity Falls A Series of Unfortunate Events Steven Universe Trigun Batman Beyond Bluey Ed, Edd, & Eddy
EDIT: Thanks, Lemmy!!! You’ve all delivered so many really exciting suggestions. There’s enough on my ‘shopping list’ now to keep us going, well, basically forever - but what’s another 10Tb of cartoons among friends?
Here’s the full list of suggestions I’ve collected. In alphabetic order, this time. Thanks again!
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You have Batman Beyond and Batman Caped Crusader, but no Batman: TAS? The show that redefined Batman away from goofy Adam West style comedy and into deep character drama… some of those episodes still give me the chills to this day. That show elevated camp into something deep and truly moving.
The list is just a muddle, sorry. It’s on there!
- Superman: TAS
- Justice League
- Justice League Unlimited
are from the same era and are also amazing!
Chip and Dale: Rescue Rangers Duck Tales
And since it seems like you’re not shying away from shows with some fucked up things kids probably shouldn’t have watched but are kinda formative anyways
Super Dimensional Fortress Macross
Thanks! The newer DuckTales is in this list, we finished that earlier this year. The older stuff I haven’t gotten to yet. I definitely need to get Chip & Dale, haven’t seen that stuff in centuries, feels like.
We’re fairly permissive with scary/intense stuff, our true north isn’t PEGI or ESRB so much as Don Bluth’s admonition that kids can handle anything, as long as there’s a happy ending. He found Robot Dreams (2023) way more traumatic than Ghostbusters (1984), and that’s just a story about growing apart and making new friends. He’s very self aware, and will tell us when something’s too much to handle.
I should get Macross, yeah. I never saw that one actually. Thanks!
I don’t think of ren and stimpy or space ghost as happy ending shows.
You’ve got me there. I rarely use either, for that reason. R&S is actually out of rotation because the wife doesn’t approve, just yet. Fair is fair, our kid is weird enough as it is.
I’m not really sure about space ghost. The zapping of Zorak that happens pretty frequently is your typical cartoon violence comparable to what goes on in bugs bunny. I’d just want to give it a review before putting it in front of kids.
Ren and stumpy on the other hand can be kind of dark and brutal, especially the later episodes. I’d have similar (or stronger) reservations about aqua teen hunger force, or venture brothers.
ATHF and Venture Bros are out of the question until he’s at least 15. Even then a lot of the humour won’t click until later. Like, there’s an actual pedophile in VB. Give me a little credit.
The action in Space Ghost is mild for his tastes. Wacky violence doesn’t faze him, what really gets to him is bittersweet endings where there’s a happy ending, but not quite the one he expected.
Then you have to skip that one Futurama episode with the dog.
Eek! The Cat.
Don’t remember much about the episodes but I did used to watch it “religiously” as a kid.
The Moomin are there. No need to add anything else.
It’s good stuff, we’re due for another showing soon.
I highly recommend reading up on what Tove Jansson got up to during her life. Shes my favorite woman of all time.
She lived on a rock in the middle of the sea with her ladyfriend. Built a sauna under her cabin because the government didn’t give her a permission to build one, so had to do it in secret. She also published cartoons that mocked hitler in the 1930s and 1940s.
She rules. I wonder if I could build one on the sly in my spare parking spot…
Build one on top of a trailer: https://karrysaunat.fi/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/kuva19.jpg
The dream 😮
Some that come to mind that I don’t see on your list:
- The Cramp Twins
- The Raccoons
- Watch My Chops!
- The Critic
- Sharky & George
- Biker Mice from Mars
- Insektors
- The Wild Thornberries
- Jackie Chan Adventures
Also, out of interest, why no 70s Hanna-Barbera?
That’s a stunning list, thank you!
My own personal prejudice I guess, I feel like the laziness of the animation and writing of that era set back the whole medium, made it “just trash for kids” in a lot of people’s minds.
I’d argue that the early seasons of Scooby Doo, before they started adding celebrities and making the ghosts real, are the best part of 70s Hannah Barbera. The overall lesson of supernatural stuff not being real is a good thing to teach kids.
That’s true, though I feel like Mystery Inc. covers that ground with stronger animation fundamentals. I’ll still throw some original SD S01 at him someday, it’s earned that much.
Apple and Onion
It’s hilarious for adults and kids.
Oh shiiiiii Ayoade in a kids cartoon?! I’m so there.
The Misadventures of Flapjack. I’d say it has the spirit of Ren and Stimpy.
You’ve got great taste! Already ticked all my favourites.
“We bare bears” isn’t bad and I think the only one I can’t see.
Love to see Owl House, Amphibia and Hilda on there. My favourites shows on that list for sure
We Bare Bears looks so cute, I’m adding that one. Especially since you seem to have the same taste in toons as us, that’s a strong rec!
Add just a little bit of 60s and 70s Hannah Barbara (Johnny quest, Scooby-Doo, old superhero shows) so that when they are older, you can show them Harvey Birdman Attorney at Law and GOATed of all time animated series The Venture Bros
Venture Bros might be the only reason I’d need to sit through a season of Johnny Quest. This is an extremely solid argument, I think you’ve changed my mind completely!
I forgot to add the caveat when they get older for venture bros. But it’ll just make them appreciate it more when they do see it
Of course, it’s a great series but it’ll be all the better if I don’t have to explain the jokes to his therapist in fifteen years lol
Hey I think you’ve got enough recs already, just wanted to say I’m really enjoying reading your replies. You seem like a good person, and I used to go by Wakko in my youth so you’re obviously cool. That’s all!
That’s super sweet of you, cheers. 😘
100%, agreed that it’s good to at least have the kids be familiar with those classic shows. Scooby-Doo has a ton of versions since their original Hanna Barbera, so OP has options if they want to avoid the original. One I watched recently and would recommend is Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!
The animation style is totally different, which might take some getting used to for OP and their spouse, but the kids should enjoy it. It’s got a solid cast, with the likes of Frank Welker (who’s not only known for his animal voices, but who’s been doing the voice of Fred since the 70s!) and Grey Griffin (sometimes credited as Grey DeLisle, who’s done voices on a significant amount of shows on the list.) Also, its focus is on funny, and it gave me some legit laugh out loud moments.
Cartoon Planet
Hare + Guu (Jungle Wa Itsumo Hare Nochi Guu)Oh my god, Cartoon Planet was in such a deep memory hole for me. Thank you! Hadn’t heard of H+G, looking forward to seeing it!
I would suggest :
The Mysterious Cities of Gold .These both look really interesting, great finds! Adding them.
Holy shit, this list is getting long. At our pace, we’re going to be set for years.
Don’t forget Ulysses 31 from this era too
That looks super interesting, I love the concept. Writing that one down for sure!
I don’t see Steven Universe mentioned anywhere. That might be my all-time favorite, and slots right in with the likes of Adventure Time and She-Ra.
Sticking to the Adventure Time-related ones, Over the Garden Wall is great and very autumnal. My wife ans I try to watch that every October. Gravity Falls is also great, especially for the summer since it takes place over the course of one summer vacation. Bravest Warriors is okay- not a must-watch, but decent. Bee and Puppycat is pretty solid and chill.
For slightly older crowds (I see yoy have stuff like Gurren Lagan on here), Midnight Gospel is pretty good and also from Adventure Time’s showrunner.
For other anime, there is always Fullmetal Alchemist. Saiki K if you can get past the fast editing. Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple is one that’s probably just “okay” but I like a lot.
Centaur World was surprisingly good.
Sorry my list is hard to parse, I wish I could just ctrl+v a table directly into the text box. We’ve finished Steven, OTGW, AT, GF, BW, and She-Ra is currently in our rotation! I agree about Bravest, it’s pretty decent but not on par with AT.
I do want to add the rest. The tender kiddo needs happy endings though, so FMA and Midnight Gospel are not happening yet. I love me some FMA:B. Centaur World is a strong rec in particular!
Another I don’t think I saw mentioned - Pinky Malinky! If you’re looking for a slightly deranged but entirely sweet, over the top and extremely fast paced modern one, Pinky Malinky will not disappoint. This show was made with real love lol. And several other weird things I don’t think I have.
Just note, if you’re old, you’ll be laughing at jokes about 3-jokes-back, the entire time. It’s quick, and I usually hate that cuz it usually just hides poor craft. Not here.
Oh don’t think I saw Courage the Cowardly Dog on your list. Haven’t returned to it in a real long time but it was a classic of oddity in its era of course.
We’ve got Courage! Pinky Malinky sounds delightful, adding that. Thanks!
The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack was a fun little CN show that didn’t really get a chance to shine. But it did up launching a lot of careers for some of the more popular creators of shows on the list you’ve already got.
And a fun syndicated cartoon from the 80s was The Adventures of the Galactic Rangers. Its about psychic space cowboys.
These are all 90s cartoons, so if you can find them:
- Batman: The Animated Series (the one with Mark Hamill as the Joker)
- Animaniacs
- Tiny Toon Adventures
- Chip n’ Dale’s Rescue Rangers
Pinky and the BrainSaw you have that one already
I should get original Animaniacs, the new stuff is alright but I have no excuse not to have the classics. We have Batman TAS, but I’d totally overlooked the others. Thanks!!
