Wherever there is Danger he’ll be there!

Rambling 09 Feb 2012

Here’s a quick test to see if you should bother reading this post any further. Look at the image below. If you can name all the shows from the pictures, then congratulations – you and I shared our childhoods together.

I’ve gone on a bit of a nostalgia trip the last few days, looking up all the shows I used to love as a kid, and it strikes me as strange why I have fonder memories of some rather than others.

I used to watch He-Man, Transformers, and eventually Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles religiously. The Saturday Morning Disney cartoons – Duck Tales, Chip’n'Dale, Darkwing Duck. Loved them, loved them all.

Yet the ones that resonate most are the 9 listed above, which in retrospect had less budgets, often low animation quality, and most episodes only ran for 5 to 10 minutes as opposed to a full half hour.

Could it be because they were NOT part of the Saturday morning cartoon lineup? For me these shows featured during the 3pm to 6pm timeslot when I came home from school.

Could it be because they were NOT created just to sell toys? Maybe that was their plan, but I never felt the craving for a ‘Spotty’ toy like I did for a ‘Dinobot’.

Could it be because they were NOT American cartoons? Most were created in the UK, with some imported from Japan.

Hell, even the theme songs bring a massive smile to my face. I can’t quite put my finger on it, and I’d be interested to know anyone else that feels the same way, and if they’re able to articule why better than I. Now excuse me, I have a strange craving to eat a banana …

featured

About the author

Yug

7 Comments

PlayStrat
February 9, 2012 at 4:25 am

Ah, I remember the adventures of Count Duckula and Bananaman in the afternoons after school; sigh, memories

Reply
hmjesus
February 9, 2012 at 4:36 am

I do remember all of these, and feel strong nostalgia to them as well. Particularly Raggydolls and Inspector Gadget.

Reply
Rib
February 9, 2012 at 5:33 am

Wow, I actually knew them all. Not bad I think. All of these shows rocked, I’m afraid not many of them would stand the test of time though

Reply
Yug
February 9, 2012 at 5:51 am

Oh I don’t know RIB, I’ve been re-watching a few of them and they are still entertaining. The question is, am I enjoying them through the rose coloured glasses of nostalgia? Would someone who never saw them as a kid think they’re ok by modern standards?

Reply
Jonathan
February 9, 2012 at 8:21 am

I only scored 6: The Trap Door, SuperTed, Bananaman, SOOTY!, Raggy Dolls, and Inspector Gadget. But then I am much younger than you, being born in 1988. At least we shared more than half a generation’s worth of TV.

Fun fact: the voices of the Bananaman characters were The Goodies – Tim Brooke-Taylor, Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie!

Reply
Matt
February 9, 2012 at 3:03 pm

9 out of 9 for me although I never watched Astro Boy, but the rest were all staples of my childhood. Did Australia ever get Telebugs at all? That was another of my faves as a kid.

http://youtu.be/8aMAYcwJkgo

Reply