Cartoons Of The 80's: 1983

 

1983 was the year that the dam of 80's cartoons burst wide open for me. Some of my favorites of all time started airing, and best of all, it came with several amazing new toy lines. Now, before we start, I know that eagle eye readers are going to ask, "Where is G.I. Joe?" While it's true that the mini series aired this year, it wasn't in syndication as a full blow series. As such, it's been omitted not only from 1983, but 1984.

So with that clarified, let's dig in.

Title: Alvin And The Chipmunks
Air Date: September 1983 - December 1990
Seasons: Eight
Episodes: One Hundred Two
DVD Release: No

One of my all time favorite shows of all time is Alvin And The Chipmunks. It was chalk full of great adventures, fantastic music, both original and covers, and fun characters. To this day it disappoints me that this series has never seen the light of day on DVD. But, with all that music used throughout the series, it's also no surprise. I doubt highly that we'll ever see a home video release of every single episode.

Throughout its eight season run, three different companies would handle production and distribution, with the most popular being the 1983 to 1987 run from Ruby-Spears. This was followed up by Murakami-Wolf-Swenson in 1988, and Dic Enterprises from 1989 to 1990. While I keep crossing my fingers that a miracle will happen, and this show will see a DVD release, I'm also not holding my breath. 

Title: The Briskitts
Air Date: September 1983 - September 1984
Seasons: One
Episodes: Thirteen
DVD Release: Yes

The Briskitts were a group of tiny dogs entrusted with guarding not only their own deceased king's treasure, but the treasure of other kings who recognize their good deeds and trusting nature. King Max, the evil brother of the Briskitts' king plots to steal all the treasure, and repeatedly fails to do so over the course of thirteen episodes. It really doesn't get any deeper than that.

Much like many Hanna-Barbera properties, this series can be found via manufactured on demand DVD's for relatively cheap. It's honestly not a bad series if you're in to lighthearted / kid friendly cartoons, or an avid collector of 80's animated shows on DVD. From one collector and 80's aficionado to another, it's worth picking up.

Title: The Charlie Brown And Snoopy Show
Air Date: September 1983 - October 1985
Seasons: Two
Episodes: Eighteen
DVD Release: Yes

Since 1965, fans of Snoopy, or Charlie Brown, had several options of annual specials which continued to air throughout the decades. To this day, A Charlie Brown Christmas, The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, and more have paved the way for the iconic characters which filled each show. Which is why it's surprising that it took until 1983 for the Peanuts gang to finally get their own cartoon series.

Sadly, when it initially aired, ratings were incredibly poor. Even when CBS changed its time slot to a more favorable one, the series continued to decline. Despite this, they supported the series for two seasons before finally pulling the plug.

The complete series was released on DVD in 2012, and for now, it's still readily available. However, with such a long time elapsed since its initial release, you're going to want to grab this sooner than later, lest it get discontinued. 

Title: Donald Duck Presents
Air Date: September 1983 - 1985
Seasons: Two
Episodes: Unknown
DVD Release: No

Donald Duck Presents was a way for Disney to package together its vintage shorts, mostly featuring Donald Duck, into a half hour segment. Iconic in its own right, and definitely worth tuning in for.

This was ultimately my introduction to Disney's classic characters, as well as their fantastic theatrical shorts. While Donald remains my favorite of the bunch, I'm not opposed to a good Goofy, or even Mickey Mouse cartoon.

While the shorts themselves have been released on DVD in the USA, and remain out of print and grossly expensive, the syndicated series was only partially released in the UK via six VHS volumes which contained one episode each, along with and episode of Good Morning Mickey!, The Mouse Factory, Welcome To Pooh Corner and Mousercise. Of course, with Disney Plus, it's not exactly difficult to watch a variety of Disney shorts whenever the mood strikes you. But, there's also something to be said about ownership of physical media. Especially in this day and age of censoring art to appease easily triggered people on Twitter.

Title: The Dukes
Air Date: February - October 1983
Seasons: Two
Episodes: Twenty
DVD Release: Yes

Speaking of the Twitter mob, hopefully they never find out about this one. If they got the General Lee cancelled for the live action show, just wait until they hear about a cartoon series featuring the villainous car.

Much like its live predecessor, the series focuses on the Duke boys of Hazzard county. Much like other seventies based properties turned cartoons, The Dukes gets thumbs up for having the original cast reprise their roles. 

For now, the series is available from Hanna-Barbera's manufactured on demand catalog. But again, only until the wrong people find out about it.

Title: Dungeons & Dragons
Air Date: September 1983 - December 1985
Seasons: Three
Episodes: Twenty-Seven
DVD Release: Yes

Speaking of getting things cancelled, religious mobs have long since been after anything Dungeons & Dragons related, equating it to satanic cults that turn good children into demons. While I've never personally been able to get into the book and dice game, despite trying a few times, I am enjoying my recent exposure to this classic cartoon.

The series follows a group of kids who are transported to the magical realm of Dungeons & Dragons via an amusement park ride of the same name. However, rather than having an actual reason for being there, they instead spend the entire series doing nothing short of trying to get home. Begging the question of why they were even transported there to begin with. While the series ran for twenty-seven episodes, an additional one was slated to be be produced, which would not only finish the story arc, but leave it open with an all new cliffhanger of whether the kids would finally go home, or stay and continue to fight evil. Sadly, the episode was never completed due to the show being cancelled.

Not only is the entire series available on DVD, but it's available in multiple iterations, each one more expensive and elaborate than the rest. The cheapest of the bunch will set you back around thirty dollars, while the higher end collectible packages with all sorts of bonus materials, both physical and media based, can go for as much as a hundred dollars.

Title: Good Morning Mickey!
Air Date: April 1983 - November 1992
Seasons: Unknown
Episodes: Eighty
DVD Release: No

In the same formula of the aforementioned Donald Duck Presents, Good Morning Mickey! was a clip show designed to showcase a half hour block of Disney classic animated shorts. However, of the two series, it proved to be the most popular, running for a whopping eighty episodes over nine years.

As I also mentioned above, this, along with Donald's show, was my gateway to the realm of Disney animated shorts. I have many fond memories of several of them.

Nothing changes in the realm of home video releases that hasn't been stated already in the above noted Donal Duck series. You can get expensive and out of print DVD sets of the shorts, or the PAL version six volumes from the UK. However, you're not going to find the entire series in its packaged formulaic release.

Title: He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe
Air Date: September 1983 - November 1985
Seasons: Two
Episodes: One Hundred Thirty
DVD Release: Yes

"Now we're talking!" - Heath Ledger's The Joker

If there was one show in 1983 that grabbed my attention, and sucked me in, it was He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe. I would race home from school every day to ensure I was plopped in front of the television to catch each and every episode. My young mind absorbed every second of the show, solidifying it as my all time favorite, even to this day. In fact, when I started collecting toys as an adult, these were the first that I wanted. Not G.I. Joe. Not Star Wars, certainly not Transformers. No. I wanted He-Man.

The world of Eternia was robust with colorful characters, heroic warriors and evil villains, but this served all the more to make it feel lived and breathed in. No one person felt less important than the next. Sure, you could argue that the likes of Ram Man, Mer-Man, Man-At-Arms, Skeletor, and even He-Man were designed for nothing more than to sell toys. However, this didn't stop the show from being superb in the process.

The entire series has been released numerous times on DVD, making it one of the most accessible 80's cartoons out there. Naturally, some versions can be more expensive than others, but if you're just looking for the core series in its latest format, you can grab it for as little as twenty-bucks. That's not bad for one hundred and thirty episodes of content.

Title: Inspector Gadget
Air Date: September 1983 - February 1986
Seasons: Two
Episodes: Eighty-Six
DVD Release: Yes

Technically, the pilot for the series, you know, the infamous one which showcases Inspector Gadget with a mustache, was aired in December of 1982. However, it wouldn't be until September of the following year that the iconic series would finally start airing in syndication.

In hindsight, I think one of the things that made Inspector Gadget such a great series was the voice acting of seasoned actor, Don Adams. Of course, you can't have an 80's cartoon without Frank Welker at the helm of a character or two. For me, the show doesn't necessarily stand up to the test of time, save for the voice acting from Adams.

The complete series is available on DVD, but prices fluctuate drastically from as little as twenty-five dollars to eighty-five. However, I think this is driven strictly by seller preference, and not necessarily any form of scarcity at this point.

Title: The Littles
Air Date: September 1983 - November 1985
Seasons: Three
Episodes: Twenty-Nine
DVD Release: Yes, but out of print

Ugh, I hated this show as a kid. I always felt so bored watching it, to the point that it felt like punishment. I had no clue until reading up on the series for this post that its popularity also garnered two movie tie-ins. Baffling to me, but maybe I missed something in the show during my childhood.

The Littles lived in the Bigg house, where they did...um...I don't even know. Let's just say stuff. There was a cat, a little boy, and stuff happened. Then in the third season, they traveled the world. The end.

The show was released on DVD, but has long since gone out of print.

 Title: Lucky Luke
Air Date: 1983
Seasons: Unknown
Episodes: Twenty-Six
DVD Release: No

If you haven't heard of Lucky Luke, don't feel bad. It's a relatively forgotten 80's cartoon, only seemingly more forgotten by any form of home video release. The animated show was based on the 1946 character of the same name, created by Belgian cartoonist Maurice De Bevere, known in the industry as Morris. The character was mainly limited to comic magazines in the forties through sixties, but by the early seventies transitioned into animated and live action movies, typically limited to French countries. It's with this limited exposure that it was somewhat odd to see a cartoon series suddenly appear in the USA in the early 80's.

While the series has never seen a release on DVD in the USA, Citel did release five volumes, again limited to French countries, which encompassed the entire series. It seems this show is destined to be forgotten by the masses in America.

Title: Mister T
Air Date: September 1983 - October 1985
Seasons: Three
Episodes: Thirty
DVD Release: Partially

Mister T was big bucks in the 80's. He was starring in The A-Team, presenting himself as a role model to kids with his anti-drug messages, and beating the stuffing out of Rocky Balboa. He was also starring in his own animated series which continued to spread messages of positivity and manners, breaking down racial barriers between children of all colors and nationalities.

Even now, in his sixties, Mister T continues to spread messages of hope, piece, and his Christian faith, remaining a role model not only for kids, but adults who perhaps need to hear a positive message of life, Christ and hope for a brighter future.

As for the show, it was a call back of sorts to the world of Scooby-Doo. However, rather than chase spooky ghosts and ghouls, T and his gang of gymnasts would instead solve various mysteries. Typically ones which somehow intertwined with their current sporting event.

While the first season is available on DVD from Hanna-Barbera's manufacture on demand, oddly, neither season two or three have ever surfaced. Hopefully this will change sooner than later, as I would love to get my hands on the entire show.

Title: The Monchhichis / Little Rascals / Richie Rich Show
Air Date: September 1983 - September 1984
Seasons: Unknown
Episodes: Unknown
DVD Release: No

Take everything you love about Hanna-Barbera's package show from 1982, but remove Pac-Man, and add the Monchhichis. Then run it in a sixty minute block, with each show intertwining in segments. Good stuff.

As I've mentioned in my prior post, you're not going to find Little Rascals on DVD, and you can find part of the Richie Rich series, couple with the Richie Rich / Scooby-Doo Show, but the Monchhchis get the royal carpet treatment. The entire series has been released on DVD under the Hanna-Barbera manufacture on demand series.

Title: The New Scooby And Scrappy-Doo Show
Air Date: September 1983 - December 1984
Seasons: Two
Episodes: Twenty-Six
DVD Release: No

Take everything you loved about last year's Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo Show, and add Daphne back into the mix. Slap the word "New" at the beginning of the title, and ka-pow, brand new show. This new series saw the group solving mysteries as reports for a teen magazine. Of course, it always led to the unmasking of a villainous human looking to rob, steal or get away with it if it weren't for those meddling kids and their dogs.

By the time season two rolled around, the name of the series was changed to The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries, and saw the return of both Fred and Velma to the lineup. What stands out from this season is the series theme song, which is performed in a Thriller-ish style, akin to Michael Jackson.

Though twenty of the segments have been released in a combination of VHS and DVD, the entire series has yet to see a DVD release.

Title: The Puppy's Further Adventures
Air Date: September 1983 - November 1984
Seasons: Two
Episodes: Twenty-One
DVD Release: No

I include this one only as a point of reference to the title change. This series harkens back to my post on 1982 cartoons, which featured The Puppy's New Adventures. As noted in that post, the series title was changed to The Puppy's Further Adventures for season two, and then again to The Puppy's Great Adventures when the show continued in re-run syndication thereafter.

Also as mentioned in that post, this series has never been released on DVD.

Title: Rubik The Amazing Cube
Air Date: September - December 1983
Seasons: One
Episodes: Thirteen
DVD Release: No

I suppose it makes sense that someone would make a cartoon based on the famous Rubilk's cube. I suppose it also makes sense that said cube would be a magical creature. While the main villain of the series was an evil magician, this wasn't the main focal point of the show. Often, episodes would feature the children working through real life problems, such as bullying, with the aid of their friend Rubik.

It's a unique show, and one that sadly has never seen the light of day on DVD. This appears to be a common problem with shows produced by Ruby-Spears. I get that the company went defunct, but all its assets were sold to Turner  Broadcasting, which merged with Time Warner, the company that also owns Hanna-Barbera, and who releases the manufacture on demand DVD's noted many times above. So what's the deal?

Title: Saturday Supercade
Air Date: September 1983 - December 1984
Seasons: Two
Episodes: Twenty-Six
DVD Release: No

Rounding out 1983 was Saturday Supercade, a show dedicated to some of the hottest action characters of your arcade favorite games. Donkey Kong, Q*Bert, Space Ace, Frogger and more were all present for this segmented thirty minute show.

The show gave unique personas to each character, such as Frogger being an ace reporter, and utilized each one to tell their own unique short segmented stories. Overall, it was quirky, fun, and helped scratch that arcade itch for kids who didn't necessarily have the ability to be at one all day every day.

While the series was announced for a manufacture on demand DVD set, issues have since arisen surrounding the rights of some of the segments. It's because of this that while the set has not been cancelled, it remains in limbo with no official release date. Time will tell on this one.

From here, things only get ramped up to eleven. 1984 and beyond were big years for cartoons, with some of the most iconic of the era coming from these remaining years. Tune in next time as we continue our look through the cartoons of the 80's! 

This series of posts encompasses the following:

1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989

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