Possible Adaptations of 80s-90s Animated TV Series

by ElMaruecan82 | created - 25 Apr 2014 | updated - 24 Jul 2020 | Public

I 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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