Saturday Mornings 1980-1989

If you're my age or older you can probably relate to this article. Saturday mornings in the 80s right through till 1989 was a hodge podge of different shows and cartoons that can appeal to all tastes and all people but now all cartoons seen to be are the building blocks for corrupting young minds.

This is not a typical "when I was a kid" story. It used to be that kids as young as 3 could sit down in front of the TV and watch every cartoon and TV show imaginable. From Science Fiction and fantasy right to educational tv it seems like TV has come a long way since I was a kid.

A typical Saturday morning consisted of cartoons, live action shows, and other things to tantlize the taste buds of every child. Like these examples.



Scooby Doo Where Are You! 1969 (Came back in 1981)

Scooby Dooby Doo
Where are you?
We've got some work
to do now.

Scooby Dooby Doo
Where are you?
We need some help
from you now.

Come on Scooby Doo
I see you pretending
you've got a sliver
you're not fooling me
cause I can see
the way you shake and shiver

You know we've got
a mystery to solve
so Scooby Doo
be ready for your act
don't hold back

And Scooby Doo
if you come through
you're gonna have
yourself a Scooby snack
that's a fact.

Scooby Dooby Doo
here are you
you're ready and
you're willing

If we can count on you
Scooby Doo
I know we'll catch
that villan.

Even though Scooby Doo was an entire 13 years before my time I know that it was and still is one of the best Hanna-Barbera cartoons that ever made a comeback in the 80's and to coin the phrase in the words of Velma Jinkies!

Dungeons and Dragons (1983)



One of my favourite cartoons of the 80s made a comeback in the 90s before that horrible movie ever made its debut. I bet no kids were even batting an eye when this poor ass attempt at making a D&D movie was laid to rest. Where did they get Marlon Wayans to play the Cavalier anyways? From what I hear the cartoons are a thousand times better than the movie. All I have to say about this is thank god for the advent of DVDs or else nobody would ever know about the cartoons.

Challenge of the Gobots (1984)



Probably one of my favourite cartoons and the competition for the Transformers. I thought that this was one of the most highly underrated of the Hanna-Barbera cartoons. A good old fashioned good vs evil, evil loses, and tries to understand what the hell went wrong with their unfruitful schemes?
It's always not as bad as it seems but at the same time I have to wonder why this cartoon only lasted a season.

Kidd Viideo (1984-1987)



Probably one of my favourite shows. I had such a crush on Bryan Scott who played Kidd Video in the show. This show is about four kids who are swept into a cartoon universe by Master Blaster and they try to find their way back home. Each episode ends with a music video.

It's getting me rocking
it's getting me moving on
it's on my system
it's turning me on and on

People say "I'm crazy cause
always on my own"
Hi-fi surrounds me
hi-tech just turns me on
from my video to my radio.

It's getting me rocking
it's getting me moving on (on)
from my video to my radio

Shrill sounds.

Master Blaster: "I'm taking you to the Flipside."
Wizz: "What happened?"?
Carla: "Aie yi yi we look like..."
Kidd Video: "Cartoons."
Master Blaster: "You'll be my musical slaves forever."
Glitter: "One sneeze and I'll save you. Ah ah ah choo."
Carla: "What's going on here?"?
Glitter: "I'll explain later. Let's go!"

The Transformers (1984-1987)



Probably the best thing to come out of the 80s was the Transformers. Another one of those shows that depicts a good vs evil, evil loses, and tries to understand what the hell went wrong with their unfruitful schemes. Oh yes not as much emotional manipulation as in the current Cybertron but there are traces of it.

But the best part about the Transformers is that it's being made into a feature length live action film set for release on July 4, 2007. Michael Bay is the director and it's been confirmed that Peter Cullen will reprise his role as Optimus Prime. Now that's cinematic adventure for you.

Thundercats (1985-1987)



Probably one of the best things that ever came out of the 85 TV season and one of the best things that came on TV ever.
Lion-O etal try to find a peaceful place to settle and call home. But all goes awry when Mumra discovers that the Thundercats have tresspassed on his planet.



Silverhawks (1986)



I don't remember very much about the Silverhawks. All I remember about it is that I watched with great fondness. Another of those classic Ruby-Spears cartoons that had a begining, a middle, and an end.

Captain Power and the Soliders of the Future (1987)



I never had any of the toys that are associated with this show but I do know that it was pretty cool. Probably the only interactive TV show I ever saw. It starred Tim Dunigan who plays Captain Jonathan Power a man who swears to protect all life from the Bio-Dredds.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987-1996)



Way before Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles made its way to the big screen it was a cartoon on the small screen. Donatello, Raphael, Michaelangelo, and Leonardo along with their Master Splinter were cartoons making their way in a world that doesn't understand what they're about. Unfortunately YTV pulled the show from its schedule citing violence as the reason for its pulling but I think the network execs at the time felt pressured by some parents to pull it from their schedule.

Super Mario Bros Super Show! (1989)



This brings us to the end of the 80s and my most favourite show ever. The Super Mario Bros Super Show. Starring then WWF superstar Captain Lou Albano as Mario. It's so amazing that a tough and intimidating looking guy like Lou Albano can go into the role of a video game superhero. The show would always open with "Hey pizanos! It's the Super Mario Bros Super Show!" Then go to the opening theme. I was 13 and this came on Fox Kids.

So those are some of my favourite cartoons that spanned from 1980-1989 and if I can think of some more shows for my next article then I'll write another one.