Pole Position(1984 - 1984)

The video game boom of the early 1980's did not go unnoticed on Saturday morning. Shows like Pac-Man and Saturday Supercade brought arcade hits to television screens, and 1984's Pole Position carried on the trend.

Namco's Pole Position video game consisted of one car driving against other cars in a series of races. What made for an arcade hit didn't make for a very entertaining cartoon premise, so the producers spiced things up a bit.

Dan, Tess, and Daisy were three children left orphaned as a result of their parents' death in a car accident. Despite this unfortunate incident, the kids carried on the family's traditional Pole Position Stunt Show, performing with sentient cars Wheels (the rowdy one) and Roadie (the smart one). Also along for the ride was a cat/monkey hybrid pet named Kuma.

In addition to their performing responsibilities, the kids fought crime under the direction of their uncle, Dr. Zachary, who ran a governmental "Secret Force." Between foiling evildoers and entertaining the masses, the show provided many opportunities to re-create the hard driving excitement of the arcade game.

In a case of unfortunate timing, the animated Pole Position debuted at the same time that the video game market crashed. It took the coming of the Nintendo Entertainment System to revive the market, but Pole Position didn't survive the wait.