Top 10 Cartunes: 1 - There's a Place...

My love of The Littlest Hobo was either a precursor of or a contributing factor to my obsession-to-be with shows such as the A-Team and Quantum Leap. The basic premises, after all, are the same: Traveller(s) roll into town just as someone needs a problem solving that no-one else can help with. The traveller(s) help out and then continue off into the sunset ready for another adventure next week...

It's not a kids' show, but for comparison...

Top 10 Cartunes: 2 - Crime Busters of the Sea

A catchy and different theme tune that reminds me of Saturday mornings. It's disturbing how long it's been since I last experienced one of those.

This has just popped into my head, too: it's an educational series that I also remember from Saturday mornings. I think it probably contributed a lot to my understanding of the human body.

Top 10 Cartunes: 3 - Hooooooooo!

Looking on Youtube, all the original series intros for ThunderCats seem to have embedding disabled, but on the bright side the 2011 re-imagining seems to remain fairly faithful to the original (which is a surprise, because the general brief with regards to re-creating classic kids' TV shows seems to be: make it CGI! Make it superficial! Make it crap!) You can see the original intro here, and below is the longer introduction that says everything you might want to know about the premise.

There also seem to be threats of a hollywood movie somewhere along the line...

Top Cartunes: 4 - I Have the Power!

Bored, spoilt little prince Adam of Eternia one day thought it might be a good idea to raise his sword aloft and cry "Iiiii Haaaave the Pooowwaaahh!" after watching an episode of Top Gear, and accidentally discovered that he had magic powers, and could set about kicking Skeletor's arse and defending the secrets of Castle Greyskull.

It was decided that girls should probably have something bottom-kicky to watch too, so She-Ra was created for all the little girls. Little girls, however, don't have quite the innate sexism that television executives do, and just watched He-Man anyway.

Top Cartunes: 5 - Stand By For Action!

International saved the day countless times since the mid-60s, and the fact that it was still popular with 80s kids shows just how good it was. Gerry Anderson's International Rescue were a not-for-profit organisation that rode into town in their five space-age craft when a crisis called for more than just the regular emergency services.

I was never quite sure how International Rescue, WASP and Spectrum were able to stay so successfully out of each others' hair:

And here's today's bonus feature:

Top 10 Cartunes: 6 - Race Cars, Lasers, Aeroplanes!

Left in the care of their wealthy and miserly (but ultimately caring) great-uncle Scrooge McDuck, Huey, Louie and Dewey get into all kinds of trouble ranging from the everyday to the science fictional.

Duck Tales paved the way for future Disney cartoon series with awesome theme tunes, including Chip 'n' Dale, Talespin and Darkwing Duck, which don't actually appear in this Top 10.

Oh, go on, then:

Top Cartunes: 7 - He's the Ace, He's Amazing!

My early-years answer to James Bond, Danger Mouse is the superspy action-rodent for many an 80s-child. With his reluctant, cowardly, but indispensable assistant Penfold, Danger Mouse (Voiced by Delboy Trotter) fights the villainous forces of Baron Greenback.

@Cycling_Monkey, and probably many others, agree with me on this one!

Top Cartunes: 8 - Meet Berk!

Berk's a blue claymation creation, and long-suffering servant to The Thing Upstairs. Each episode saw Berk and his pals Boni and Drutt getting into trouble due to Berk's inability to keep his mitts off the titular trapdoor, out of which all manner of things come scuttling, squelching, heaving and glolloping*.

I spent a not insignificant amount of time watching episodes of Trapdoor on video when I was supposed to be doing maths coursework during my University years. I consider it time well spent.









* Actually, I can't recall any live mattresses featuring on the show.

Top 10 Cartunes: 9 - Dance Your Cares Away!

From the same fevered imaginings that brought us the Muppets, Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock was a brilliantly bonkers puppet-based show. In the player above is an entire episode for your delight and delectation!

As I was getting started on this post, @JenJimJam tweeted me with this as a suggestion. So I know it must be a good one!

Top 10 Cartunes: 10 - The Schoolboy Who Leads an Amazing Double Life

Bananaman was a great example of British kids' TV, with the superhero theme being used to great effect - what self-respecting schoolboy wouldn't spend at least part of his time fantasising that he was able to transform into some kind of superhero simply by eating an everyday food item? Much more enticing to the youngling's palate than spinach, too.

There is actually an Acacia Road in London. @OhCrazy1 and I found this out to the noisy plummeting of our social status on a coach trip to the capital, once upon a time.

The end-theme was a bit longer. Here 'tis: