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!
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."
Schoolhouse Rock!
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.
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.
Valley of the Dinosaurs
Aired: 1974
Budget: $50,000 per episode
Hanna-Barbera's Australian Studios produced this Saturday morning series. You weren't expecting that, now were you? The show featured a team of scientists on a mission along the Amazon River when their raft hits a rock.
The team capsizes and is swept down a whirlpool only to find that when they resurface, they're in a realm in which humans live alongside dinosaurs, prehistoric creatures, and neanderthals. The series ran for thirty minutes, and unfortunately, there were only sixteen episodes in total. This is a show we'd love to see make a comeback!