Since the debut of «Sinkin’ in the Bathtub» in 1930, Looney Tunes has been a staple of Saturday morning cartoons. With iconic characters like Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and so many others, the series is one of the most recognizable cartoon properties of all time. Looney Tunes’ wacky humor set the precedent for other cartoons that followed.
Looney Tunes were ubiquitous throughout the golden age of animation, which lasted from 1928to 1960. Saturday morning cartoons started gaining popularity from the 1960s to the 1990s, with many shows mirroring the animation style, energy, and creativity of Looney Tunes. These shows are still referenced in pop culture today, and while many of them may not be as popular or memorable as Looney Tunes, they’re still essential to childhood nostalgia.
10 Alvin and the Chipmunks Followed Three Troublesome, Musical Creatures
Alvin and the Chipmunks (1983-1990)
Known for their high-pitched singing voices and various shenanigans they get into, Alvin, Simon and Theodore are three characters American audiences can’t forget. The series was based on The Alvin Show, which aired from 1961 to 1962, familiarizing animation fans with the iconic chipmunk brothers. Each chipmunk has a distinctive personality, with Alvin often being the center of attention, Simon being the intelligent one and Theodore being shy and sweet.
A live-action film series based on the chipmunks began in the 2000s, featuring the voices of Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler and Jesse McCartney as Alvin, Simon and Theodore. With multiple iterations of the chipmunk characters, every generation has the opportunity to get to know these charming characters. Even still, there’s no doubt that the era of Saturday morning cartoons was their most memorable time to shine, making it a great kickoff to this list.
9 Transformers Was an Imaginative, Action-Packed Sci-Fi Series
Transformers (1984-1987)
Transformers has evolved into a major franchise, with the most recent, Transformers One, coming out in 2024, some fans calling it a modern masterpiece. The Transformers animated series immediately captured interest with its engaging narrative revolving around giant alien robots that can transform into vehicles. The show followed an ’80s trend of creating a coinciding TV series with a line of popular toys to better sell products. While some of these shows didn’t foster the most audience engagement, Transformers managed to be successful and moved past the intention of just being a show to market toys.
Following characters that are now entwined with pop culture like Optimus Prime and Bumblebee, Transformers impressed audiences with its compelling action, unique character designs and high-stakes plot that would determine the fate of the Earth. Transformers obviously significantly differs from Looney Tunes in its presentation. Still, its incessant inclusion of heart-racing fight sequences and battles earns the show a reputation for being a Saturday morning cartoon that would energize viewers for the day.
8 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Melds Sibling Dynamics With Superhero Action
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987-1996)
These pizza-loving turtle brothers may be most known today for their Nickelodeon series, the 2014 live-action movie, or their latest animated film, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, but they first started protecting their city from crime in the late ’80s. Comedian and one of the writers and producers for Mutant Mayhem, Seth Rogen, has talked about his love of this classic series as a child, prompting his dad to buy him nunchucks like his favorite character, Michaelangelo.
The original series, like its predecessors, revolves around four mutant turtle brothers fighting crime in New York City under the guidance of their adoptive father, a wise rat named Splinter. Like many other series on this list, TMNT started as a comic book series and expanded into an adored series whose influence is seen in every other rendition of the franchise. Like Looney Tunes, the show cultivates an impenetrable energy that keeps viewers of all ages glued to the screen.
7 X-Men: The Animated Series Was a Thrilling Superhero Epic
X-Men: The Animated Series (1992-1997)
Airing as part of the Fox Kids Saturday morning lineup, X-Men: The Animated Series follows the adventures of Professor Charles Xavier and his fellow mutants who fight back against corruption, bigotry and the mutant extremist Magneto. The series was extremely well-animated and showcased the differing powers and the personalities of classic mutant characters like Wolverine, Cyclops, Gambit and Rogue.
The show is like many other Saturday morning cartoons, but is separated by its more serious tone and displays of intense action. The series also predates any of the X-Men movies that started in 2000 and continued into the 2020s, proving early on that the X-Men were a valued part of the Marvel community. The series was so beloved by fans that a continuation was released on Disney+ on March 20, 2024, entitled X-Men ’97, which has received even more critical praise than the original series, earning 99% on Rotten Tomatoes and winning the 2025 Critics’ Choice Award for Best Animated Series.
6 The Smurfs Follows the Adventures of a Big Blue Family
The Smurfs (1981-1989)
First appearing in 1958, created by Belgian artist Peyo, The Smurfs have amassed cultural acclaim and recognition throughout the years. Though an earlier series started in 1961, it was only available to European audiences, first airing in its creator’s homeland of Belgium. In 1981, The Smurfs arrived on American television and have been enjoyed by kids and parents alike ever since.
The series exists in the forested Smurf Village, where the little blue creatures dwell in mushroom houses and go about their days trying to evade capture by the evil wizard Gargamel and his cat Azrael. Each Smurf is different from the other despite wearing similar clothing, indicated by their names, which coincide with their most glaring personality trait. Though the 1980s series is probably the most notable version of The Smurfs, film series have been developed around the titular characters, with a new film, Smurfs, being released this summer with pop star Rihanna as Smurfette.
5 The Jetsons Centers Around the Fantastical World of the Future
The Jetsons (1962-1963)
Looney Tunes and many other Saturday morning cartoons are guided by their characters over their premise, but The Jetsons combines the two effortlessly, chronicling the lives of a typical family in a technology-filled future. Each episode follows a sitcom-esque format as the main Jetson family, consisting of husband George, wife Jane, and kids Judy and Elroy, deal with everyday problems.
Of course, the conveniences of the future make life a little bit easier, but that doesn’t stop them from getting into silly situations that mirror the same issues audience members are dealing with. The Jetsons initially ran from 1962 to 1963, coinciding with neighboring series, The Flintstones. In 1985, a revival was developed with the original voice actors, with Jetsons: The Movie serving as a series finale for the show. The show’s memorability as a fun-filled start to the morning, with its insightful yet traditional depiction of the future, makes it a perfect middle spot for this list.
4 DuckTales is a Fun and Family-Oriented Adventure Series
DuckTales (1987-1990)
As seen in Looney Tunes and other old-school classics, talking animals with personalities and desires that are more human were often central in animated series. While many of these anthropomorphic characters pushed the boundaries of slapstick comedy and strange situations, DuckTales was primarily fixated on adventure with the wealthy Scrooge McDuck and his triplet nephews, Huey, Dewey and Louie, traveling across the globe.
The trio is also the nephew of the famous Donald Duck, who sometimes appears in the series. With a finger-snapping, catchy theme song and classic Disney-style hand-drawn animation, DuckTales never bored audiences with its endless trajectories. In 2017, a reboot of the series was launched on Disney XD featuring the original characters with an updated animation style.
3 Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! Pits a Group of Friends Against Mysteries and Monsters
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! (1969-1978)
The Scooby-Doo gang is equally recognizable as the Looney Tunes characters, though they’re severely different in tone. With a focus on spooky and strange occurrences, Mystery Incorporated is always on the job of getting to the bottom of any puzzling case. Consisting of the brainy Velma, the fashionable Daphne, the sporty Fred, the slacker Shaggy and his fearful dog Scooby-Doo, there’s no standing in this iconic group’s way.
Like many other entries on this list, Scooby-Doo has spawned a number of spin-offs and movies, including other rebooted series such as Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated in 2010, and two live-action film series, Scooby-Doo in 2002, and Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins in 2009. Many of these adaptations have devoted fan bases, but nothing measures up to the original Saturday morning series, which is considered one of the best kids’ cartoons of all time.
