Aired: 1973-79
Budget: $50,000 per episode
“Schoolhouse Rock!” aired from 1973 until 2009. The series aired during ABC’s Saturday-morning kids’ shows and consisted of educational short musical films.
The show turned “boring” topics like science, history, economics, math, and grammar, into fun, in a way that didn’t make kids feel like they were learning. “Schoolhouse Rock!” won an Emmy, there were 64 episodes in total airing new episodes and songs until 1979, and playing reruns all the way to 2009.
The Osmonds
Aired: 1972
Budget: $40,000 per episode
Much like "The Jackson 5ive," "The Osmonds" was an animated series based on the Osmond family. Though unlike The Jackson 5ive, the show was voiced by the brothers themselves. The show aired for a few months in 1972 and had seventeen episodes in total.
The show was an interesting one as it followed the Osmonds as they traveled around the world performing music. Each episode opened with the family in a new location.
Star Trek: The Animated Series
Aired: 1973-74
Budget: $100,000 per episode
"Star Trek: The Animated Series," followed the space adventures of the Starship Enterprise as it traveled through the intergalactic worlds. Interestingly enough, the voiced on the animated series were the same as in the live-action series, including William Shatner, James Doohan, and more.
The animated series was cheaper to produce than the live-action show. The show aired in September 1942 and ended in October 1974. Of course, that wasn't the last we saw of "Star Trek."
Looney Tunes
Aired: 1930-1969
Budget: $28 million in total
You're probably well aware that "Looney Tunes" is one of the most popular cartoon series of all time. The show had many versions, but the one that ran from 1930 to 1969 is considered the "original" series. It was a rivalry between Warner Bros. and Walt Disney that started it all.
The show began in the late twenties as a competition against Mickey Mouse shorts. Throughout time, "Looney Tunes" has expanded into amusement parks, video games, comic books, and toys!
Top Cat
Aired: 1961-62
Budget: $21,000 per episode
Another sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera, "Top Cat," ran in the early sixties for a total of 30 episodes and one full season. The ABC show followed a gang of alley cats in Manhattan and was inspired by the 1940's characters the East Side Kids.
The title character, Top Cat, was loosely based on a comedy about a con-man called "The Phil Silvers Show." The show was a rating failure in prime time yet managed to find a receptive audience in the Saturday morning timeslot.