The Flintstones (1960)

Originally intended to satirize "The Honeymooners," the modern stone age family were the first animated sitcom ever created, and lived on for many years as a children's series. Going from a more mature show with a laugh track and then transforming in to a more wacky period show about Fred Flintstone and his relationship with his family, and best pal Barney, "The Flintstones" is still a funny, if occasionally odd series. It’s been rebooted and re-imagined constantly and is even being developed for another reboot by Seth McFarlane supposedly. There will always be room for the OG.


I happen to be a big Archie buff and “Josie and the Pussycats” is one of my favorites from the Hanna-Barbera legacy, if only for its raucous energy and great music. I’ve always loved this series much more than fodder like “Scooby Doo” if only because the characters are so much more engaging. I also really like the animation style behind a lot of the characters, including the titular band. I’m not a big fan of the spin off “Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space,” and on the days when the series aired on cable television, I’d be disappointed whenever the theme song segued into the outer space version of the theme song. That said, this is one of my all time favorites.


Captain Planet (1993)

Whether it’s the original Captain Planet run or the New Adventures, “Captain Planet” made me conscious of world issues, while also entertaining with a group of diverse heroes you could root for. By your powers combined, Captain Planet arose from the five magical rings that would summon the powerful superhero who’d help his teammates take on evil polluting villains. With a ton of noted stars like Meg Ryan, Martin Sheen, Whoopi Goldberg, respectively, “Captain Planet” taught us about important issues with a fun superhero who sported a green mullet better than anyone.


SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron (1993)

I watched this show when it was on TBS and then on Cartoon Network, and loved it all the way through the end. It’s one of the many TMNT wannabes of the nineties that got by on its excellent animation, killer theme song and fresh premise and concept. You could replace the cats with humans and still it would be a cool series and or movie. I always wished this could have been made in to a feature length movie, or at least given a great reboot embracing its tech angle so much more.


The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest (1996)

I, for one, was never a fan of the original Jonny Quest, despite it being right up my alley. But I did really love the reboot from the nineties, which was just about the most fun I’ve ever had with a reboot/remake. Often considered a failure by most critics, I loved the new and bold vision they took with this remake, providing a cyber angle, adding much more menace and violence, and making the Quest team so much more complex. This used to play every night on Cartoon Network back in the days and I watched it every night during the summer. Those were some great times. If there is ever a cinematic adaptation I hope we get it in the vein of this series.