Possible Adaptations of 80s-90s Animated TV Series
by ElMaruecan82 | created - 25 Apr 2014 | updated - 24 Jul 2020 | PublicI always felt that the 80s and early 90s provided some of the greatest and most thrilling animated TV series ever, with their share of adventures, thrills and fun ... and even some obscure (yet appealing) weirdness. It's to this forgotten period set after the Hanna-Barbera's Golden Age and before the Pokemons, that this poll pays tribute to.
Now, some series have already been adapted to movies, among them Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987), Inspector Gadget (1983), Smurfs (1981) and Transformers (1984) and I concede that the results didn't always match our expectations. But maybe this is because the producers didn't pay attention shows with greater potential.
Personally, I've always wondered why I could never see Laurence Fishburne playing 'Bullet-Proof' in a movie adaptation of C.O.P.S. (1988) or how come an environmentalist cartoon like Captain Planet and the Planeteers (1990) was never given a chance to enlighten the younger generations about the dangers that threaten our planet... but I digress, here's the question:
Which of these (forgotten?) 80's/90's animated series would make the most awesome live-action adaptation?
After voting you might discuss the list here
PS: Forgive the generational bias but still, I suspect even those who were born before the mid-70s and after the mid-90s (re-runs exist, don't they?) will be familiar with most of these titles.
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1. Ulysse 31 (1981–1982)
TV-Y7 | 25 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
To return home and restore his cursed crew, a great hero of space and his child companions must find the Kingdom of Hades against all evil opposition.
Stars: Mayumi Tanaka, Matt Birman, Sumi Shimamoto, Masane Tsukayama
Votes: 2,379
2. The Mysterious Cities of Gold (1982–1983)
TV-Y7 | 28 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A trio of kids must search throughout 16th Century South America for personal answers linked to the legendary El Dorado.
Stars: Janice Chaikelson, Adrian Knight, Michael Rudder, Terrence Labrosse
Votes: 4,272
aka The Mysterious Cities of Gold
3. The Littles (1983–1985)
TV-Y | 30 min | Animation, Short, Adventure
A 13-year-old boy named Henry Bigg, who is going on vacation, finds some mouse-like creatures called diminutives in his suitcase.
Stars: Jimmy Keegan, Bettina Bush, Alvy Moore, Robert David Hall
Votes: 1,095
4. Voltron: Defender of the Universe (1984–1985)
TV-Y7 | 24 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
This series focuses on five lion robots and their pilots as they fight the evil forces of King Zarkon and Prince Lotor.
Stars: Peter Cullen, Michael Bell, Jack Angel, Lennie Weinrib
Votes: 5,176
5. Thundercats (1985–1989)
TV-Y7 | 30 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
A team of humanoid cats fight evil in their adopted home world.
Stars: Bob McFadden, Larry Kenney, Earl Hammond, Lynne Lipton
Votes: 19,034
6. Spartakus and the Sun Beneath the Sea (1985–1987)
TV-Y7 | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
An underground civilization named Arkadia launches an expedition for exploring the world of the surface to restore its fading sun.
Stars: Jeanine Forney, Christian Bénard, Amandine Rajau, Louis Arbessier
Votes: 797
aka Spartakus and the Sun Beneath the Sea
7. Robotech (1985)
TV-Y7 | 30 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
An alien spaceship crash lands on Earth and the technology and secrets she bears lead Earth into three destructive interplanetary wars.
Stars: Steve Kramer, Tom Wyner, Robert Axelrod, Bill Capizzi
Votes: 4,021
8. Clementine's Enchanted Journey (1985–1987)
29 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama
The teen daughter of an air combat pilot travels around the world to find the cure for her injury, due to which she cannot walk but seeing precognitive dreams she can foretell the future only if she could deliver their meanings.
Stars: Anick Faris, Céline Montsarrat, Evelyne Séléna, Francette Vernillat
Votes: 432
9. Il était une fois... la vie (1987–1988)
30 min | Animation, Family
The workings of the human body explained by animated characters.
Stars: Roger Carel, Marie-Laure Beneston, Alain Dorval, Gilles Laurent
Votes: 5,583
aka Once Upon a Time ... Life
10. Fist of the North Star (1986)
Not Rated | 110 min | Animation, Action, Drama
In a post-nuclear hellscape, a master of the deadly martial art "Hokuto Shinken" allies with two kids and an expert in "Nanto Suicho-Ken" to battle the tyrants who kidnapped his lover.
Director: Toyoo Ashida | Stars: Akira Kamiya, Yuriko Yamamoto, Kenji Utsumi, Chikao Ôtsuka
Votes: 7,282
aka Ken the Survivor
11. The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers (1986)
TV-MA | 30 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Four elite Galaxy Rangers with unique abilities defend law & order among the space colonies and protect humanity from the evil Crown Empire.
Stars: Jerry Orbach, Bob Bottone, Laura Dean, Doug Preis
Votes: 1,400
12. Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac (1986–1989)
TV-PG | 24 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
A group a young warriors known as 'Saints', each in possession of a 'cloth' guarded by a different constellation, must protect the reincarnation of the goddess Athena as she attempts to keep the Earth from being destroyed by evil forces.
Stars: Hideyuki Tanaka, Tôru Furuya, Ryô Horikawa, Kôichi Hashimoto
Votes: 11,153
aka Knights of the Zodiac
13. City Hunter (1987–1991)
TV-14 | 24 min | Animation, Action, Comedy
The adventures of Ryo Saeba, a gun-for-hire living in the Tokyo metropolis, who will take on any dangerous job as long as it involves beautiful women.
Stars: Akira Kamiya, Kazue Ikura, Yôko Asagami, Tesshô Genda
Votes: 1,578
14. C.O.P.S. (1988–1989)
TV-Y7 | 30 min | Animation, Action, Crime
A team of specially enhanced policemen fights crime in the year 2020.
Stars: Ken Ryan, Jane Schoettle, Brent Titcomb, Mary Long
Votes: 1,539
15. Denver, the Last Dinosaur (1988–1990)
TV-G | 30 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
When an unusually intelligent dinosaur unexpectedly hatches from a fossilized egg in 1980s California, a friendly group of human teenagers adopts him and teaches him how to hide from prying eyes and master skateboarding.
Stars: Pat Fraley, Rob Paulsen, Kath Soucie, June Foray
Votes: 2,583
16. Captain Planet and the Planeteers (1990–1996)
TV-Y7 | 23 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
A quintet of teenagers work together to encourage environmentally responsible behavior and can summon a superhero to deal with ecological disasters.
Stars: David Coburn, Joey Dedio, Kath Soucie, LeVar Burton
Votes: 12,607
17. Tekkaman Blade (1992– )
19 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Earth's defence forces are engaged in a losing battle with the evil Darkon. A ship plummets to Earth and explodes, and out walks a stranger, unscathed, but suffering from amnesia. In his ... See full summary »
Stars: Toshiyuki Morikawa, Megumi Hayashibara, Takehiro Koyama
Votes: 447
aka Teknoman
18. Sailor Moon (1995–2000)
TV-Y | 24 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
The magical action-adventures of a teenage girl who learns of her destiny as the legendary warrior Sailor Moon and must band together with the other Sailor Scouts to defend the Earth and Galaxy.
Stars: Susan Roman, Jill Frappier, Katie Griffin, Ron Rubin
Votes: 13,174
19. Silverhawks (1986)
TV-Y7 | 23 min | Action, Sci-Fi, Family
A team of cyborgs protects Limbo from Mon Star and his gang.
Stars: Bob McFadden, Earl Hammond, Larry Kenney, Peter Newman
Votes: 3,417
20. James Bond Jr. (1991–1992)
TV-Y | 30 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
The nephew of MI6's greatest spy continues his uncle's legacy by battling a rogues' gallery of new and familiar villains with the help of his schoolmates.
Stars: Corey Burton, Jeff Bennett, Jan Rabson, Mari Devon
Votes: 697
21. Thundarr the Barbarian (1980–1981)
TV-Y7 | 30 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Thundarr the Barbarian and his companions Ookla the Mok and Princess Ariel wander a devastated future Earth and fight evil wherever they find it.
Stars: Henry Corden, Robert Ridgely, Nellie Bellflower, Dick Tufeld
Votes: 1,800
22. Urusei yatsura (1981–1986)
TV-PG | 23 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
An unlucky, womanizing high schooler becomes the unwilling target of a vivacious alien girl's affections after winning an interplanetary game of tag against her.
Stars: Fumi Hirano, Toshio Furukawa, Saeko Shimazu, Akira Kamiya
Votes: 1,260
23. G-Force: Guardians of Space (1987)
TV-Y7 | 22 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
A bird-themed superhero team battles the threat of Galactor and his minions, an international terrorist organization with advanced technology.
Stars: Barbara Goodson, Jan Rabson, Bill Capizzi, Sam Fontana
Votes: 795
24. Bionic Six (1987)
TV-Y7 | 22 min | Animation, Action, Family
A family of machine-enhanced human beings, each possessing unique powers after being augmented with bionic technology, battles evil. Together, the family form a superhero team called the Bionic Six.
Stars: Norman Bernard, Carol Bilger, Samantha Paris, Alan Oppenheimer
Votes: 907
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