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!
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.
Cool McCool
Aired: 1966-67
Budget: $15,000 per episode
From the man who brought you "Batman," we introduce to you "Cool McCool." The show created by Bob Kane, the show followed a spy who defeated villains even though he wasn't a good detective.
"Cool McCool" had a satirical spin to it as it was poking fun at James Bond, which was very popular at the time. NBC was the original airing network, and the show ran from 1966 to 1967.
Commander McBragg
Aired: 1963-73
Budget: $500 per episode
Voiced by veteran voice actor, Kenny Delmar, Commander McBragg was a character based on the stories from "The Four Feathers," "Another Thin Man," and "Baron Munchausen." The show followed a retired British military commander, McBragg, who would tell stories to his gentleman's club.
These stories would only last a minute and a half, hence the low budget. The episodes aired for a decade; they were mainly featured on "Tennessee Tuxedo and his Tales."