Animation, as a medium, has well over a hundred years of under its belt, and the amount of animated TV programs available to viewers is in the thousands, with more being made every single day. With so much content available for perusal, it’s understandable that some series inevitably fall through the cracks.
While some of the cartoons that have been forgotten should probably stay that way, others are fantastic gems just waiting to be discovered. Just because a cartoon has not been a fixture of animation conversations doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have its virtues.
10 Jayce And The Wheeled Warriors Tried To Save The Galaxy
Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors hit American television in September 1985. The show was about a scientist who developed a plant to end world hunger, but the plant was radiated by the explosion of a nearby supernova turning the plant into a monster.
Jayce and his team fought the evil plants, known as Monster Minds, using specialized silver and gold vehicles.
The heroes were trying to find Jayce’s father and combine the two pieces of a magic root to destroy the Monster Minds. Competing with other shows like He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and Thundercats, it’s no wonder Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors was forgotten.
9 Twelve Forever Fought Growing Pains
Twelve Forever was a Netflix show that premiered in 2019. The show was set in the early 2000s and followed Reggie Abbott, a 12-year-old who can enter “The Endless,” a world where she never has to grow up, and her childhood toys and drawings come to life.
Reggie was joined by two friends, Todd and Esther, who used The Endless to escape the realities of growing up. The problems that the pre-teens experienced in the real world were fodder for the show’s primary antagonist, Butt Witch, who wanted to destroy The Endless. Twelve Forever is a great show about not wanting to grow up.
8 Freakazoid! Was A Kid-Friendly Deadpool
Breaking onto the scene during the late 1990s, Freakazoid! was a Kid’s WB program about a teenager who gained powers from a computer bug. The show was produced as a collaboration between Steven Spielberg and Warner Bros. Animation and was similar in style to Animaniacs.
Freakazoid! was originally meant to be an action-based superhero show with humor filtered in, but it was changed into a comedy involving parody, slapstick, and fourth wall breaks. While it struggled in the ratings and only ran for two seasons, Freakazoid! was still an excellent cartoon for fans of comedy and superheroes.
7 Jackie Chan Adventures Was A Treasure
Jackie Chan Adventures ran for five seasons from September 2000 to July 2005. It focused on the work of a fictional Jackie Chan as an archeologist and secret agent fighting magical forces. Jackie Chan Adventures primarily used Chinese mythology for its stories, but included other mythologies from time to time.
Jackie and his friends were constantly fighting villains who tried to use magical artifacts to take over the world. The central artifacts of the show were talismans that corresponded with the Chinese zodiac animals and gave the holder special powers. The series is action-packed and has aged quite gracefully.
6 Catscratch Didn’t Have Your Average Cats
Catscratch was a Nicktoon about three cats who were left a fortune and a monster truck when their owner, Edna Cramdilly, passed away. The three cats, Mr. Blik, Gordon Quid, and Waffle, were brothers who each had their own quirks. The cats are also looked after by their Butler, Hovis, who used to work for Edna and is now paid by the cats.
The three brothers get into all kinds of shenanigans like attempting, very poorly, to repair their friend’s stuffed rabbit, creating sculptures made of gelatin, or being turned into potted plants. There’s something for everyone in Catscratch, making it definitely worth a watch for feline fans.
5 Samurai Pizza Cats Serve Up Something Delicious
A loose adaptation of the Japanese anime Kyatto Ninden Teyandee, Samurai Pizza Cats, hit the US in 1996. With little to no translation or information about the original series, a whole new set of dialogue was created for the English version. The new version made the show more comical and included many pop culture references.
The main characters, Speedy Cerviche, Polly Esther, and Guido Anchovy, were cyborg cats that worked in the city’s pizzeria. The Samurai Pizza Cats were tasked with stopping the evil prime minister, Seymour “The Big” Cheese, from overthrowing the city’s emperor. Samurai Pizza Cats is available on several streaming services.
4 KaBlam! Brought The Comedy
Although it was a success, KaBlam! could be overlooked or forgotten by some. KaBlam! was an animated sketch comedy that involved various shorts and was hosted by two cartoons, Henry and June. Henry and June had their own comedy antics while turning a comic book page to introduce new segments.
Some shorts included an alien meeting a caveman, a dysfunctional group of superheroes, and two otter roommates. KaBlam! was the first spinoff of All That! and ran for four seasons with a total of 48 episodes. This show is a prime source of ’90s comedy.
3 The Trap Door Hides More Than Monsters
A fantastic claymation show, The Trap Door, was a British animated series that originally aired from 1986 to 1990. The world of The Trap Door appeared to be populated entirely by monsters. The main character, Berk, lives in the cellar of a castle with his friends Boni and Drutt, a talking skull, and a spider.
The show is about the misadventures of Berk as he serves the master of the castle and other creatures escape from the trap door. Oftentimes Berk left the door open and creatures crawled out to destroy Berk’s work or cause general mayhem. Berk always manages to return the creatures to the lair below the trap door, at least until the next episode.
2 Mummies Alive! On The Television Screen
Riding a wave of interest in ancient Egypt and mummies, the show Mummies Alive! aired on television screens in 1997. Unfortunately due to low ratings, Mummies Alive! was canceled after only one season despite having a second season planned.
The show centered on Presley Carnovan who was the reincarnation of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Rapses. Presley is protected by revived mummies that once protected Rapses in ancient times. To become immortal, the evil sorcerer Scarab attempts to kill Presley and steal the soul of Rapses. The show offers great action sequences with an ancient Egyptian flavor.
1 Dead End: Paranormal Park Is Full Of Demonic Laughs
A newcomer, released on June 16 of this year, Dead End: Paranormal Park is one cartoon that should not go under the radar. The two main characters, Barney and Norma, begin working at a theme park in a haunted house that is a portal to hell.
The show was kicked off with Barney’s dog, Pugsley, putting himself between Barney and the demon trying to possess him. Pugsley was possessed for a short time, but gained the ability to speak and other supernatural abilities. One of the best parts of this show is the inclusivity with characters of different sexual orientations, races, and ways of life.