Summary

• Rebooting classic cartoons like The Pirates of Dark Water can expand the universe and engage new audiences.
• Networks like Cartoon Network excel in animation due to innovative storytelling methods and characters.
• Hits like Men In Black: The Series and Dungeons & Dragons can still find success with a modern update.

Saturday cartoons were, and still are, the pinnacle of children's entertainment for generations of people, and the classic animated shows that populated the airwaves for many years deserve quality reboots. Rebooting a beloved series can happen for many reasons, but this predominantly occurs because fans can't get enough of the original show and want more content. Additionally, reimagining these shows for the present day can be a fun way to expand the universe of the stories and create an impact that lasts even longer than the show's initial run.

However, modern successful works couldn’t have gone half as far without the classic work of their predecessors. Due to this, these older shows deserve a modernized treatment so newer audiences can grasp their depth and importance.

These shows aired on a multitude of networks, but more recent cartoons have been produced by the dominant networks, Disney, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network. Cartoon Network has the best characters in animation today because of its dedication to innovative storytelling and revolutionary animation techniques. However, modern successful works couldn’t have gone half as far without the classic work of their predecessors. Due to this, these older shows deserve a modernized treatment so newer audiences can grasp their depth and importance.

8 The Pirates Of Dark Water (1991 - 1992)

A pirate prince must save his world from a mysterious threat

The Pirates of Dark Water is an amazing fantasy cartoon that flew under the radar while it was airing, but revisiting the series could change that. The animation style calls back to many of Hanna-Barbera's classic cartoons, as they were the producers behind this show and so many of the most popular offerings of the time. It revolves around the adventures of Ren, a noble pirate who lives in the fictional world of Mer and defends the city of Octopon. His purpose in life is to stop the titular Dark Water from taking over the universe.

Combing swashbuckling storylines with serious and emotionally compelling characters and themes, The Pirates of Dark Water was more than the typical light-hearted fare the weekend cartoons usually stick to. It challenged its viewers and asked the children watching to engage with complicated moralities and a villain that was evil but also nebulous and difficult to understand. Today, there is a clear connection to be drawn between the Dark Water and the environmental changes that threaten to overtake the world, making it ripe for a new iteration.

The Pirates of Dark Water is available to rent on YouTube and Prime Video.

7 The Jetsons (1962 - 1963)

The classic imagining of an idyllic future society through the lens of a typical family

Few cartoons have become as synonymous and frequently referenced as The Jetsons, and this makes sense considering the enduring themes of sci-fi that were seamlessly blended with the sitcom format. The original 1960s run of The Jetsons was so iconic that it incurred one reboot in the 1980s, but those episodes are largely forgotten about because they didn't recapture the magic of the first series. However, one of the biggest issues with The Jetsons is how dated it is, despite taking place in the far future.

At the time it aired, television was dedicated to upholding the nuclear family unit and what was considered traditional family values.

At the time it aired, television was dedicated to upholding the nuclear family unit and what was considered traditional family values. This perspective meant that the stories and conflicts of the show revolved around outdated tropes surrounding gender roles and what a family was supposed to look like. If The Jetsons got the modern-day treatment, there would be increased representation of more diverse groups of people, and this would enrich both the narratives of the show and the enjoyment of the audience.

6 Men In Black: The Series (1997 - 2001)

An animated expansion of the beloved live-action film series

Premiering the same year as the classic film Men In Black, starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, Men In Black: The Series followed the popular animation formula of taking a successful movie and turning it into an innovative show. While this didn't work for all the series that attempted to capitalize on the momentum of a movie, Men In Black: The Series was surprisingly effective and stood on its own apart from the original films. Both the series and the movies are based on the Marvel comic book, The Men In Black.

Recently, the movie franchise had an attempted reboot in 2019, Men In Black: International, but critics and audiences felt that the new movie failed to capture the magic that made Men In Black special. An easy answer and redemption for this could come in the form of a remake and update of Men In Black: The Series. Sci-fi television has been peaking in recent years, and animation has never been as technologically advanced. With a strong following and open niche available, Men In Black: The Series could make a triumphant return.

5 Dungeons & Dragons (1983 - 1985)

An unlikely group of D&D players find themselves inside the fantastical world of the game

Dungeons & Dragons was unique because the characters were children, making the show accessible to cartoon watchers of the time and representing a large demographic of people who played the game.

Many D&D adaptations have faced problems communicating the intricate layers of the game into the world of film and television. Recently, real players and dungeon masters have been at the helm of creating the best series so far, like The Legend of Vox Machina. However, the early animated show Dungeons & Dragons was a revolutionary project at the time. The 1980s were a peak time for D&D players. Dungeons & Dragons was unique because the characters were children, making the show accessible to cartoon watchers of the time and representing a large demographic of people who played the game.

Today, the movie and TV take on D&D is much darker and more violent, which is in line with how many players engage with the game. Introducing a foil to these shows, as an accessible version of the narrative world that could expose younger audiences to the thrill of the game without too much danger and violence, could be a great opportunity. It also presents the chance to imbue a little bit more darkness into the original content, creating a happy medium for audiences of all ages.

4 Hey Arnold! (1996 - 2004)

A city kid with a football head comes of age alongside his friends and family

Premiering in 1996, Hey Arnold! hasn't been off the air for as long as other shows that need rebooting, but that doesn't make it any less exciting to think about the prospect of Hey Arnold! returning to the small screen. From the protagonist, Arnold, to his friend Gerald, and enemy Helga, the world is populated by a rich cast of characters who make the story feel lived in and real. These familiar and exciting characters are elevated by the stories and conflicts that encapsulate what it's like growing up in a city full of history and legends.

Today, cities have changed a lot, but how kids deal with problems and rely on each other for remains a constant of the real world and the way it's represented on screen. Some of the series’ best episodes, like "The Sewer King," shouldn't be recreated but paid homage to in a new version of the story. A few spinoff movies came out of the franchise, but none were as critically acclaimed and well-received as the series. It's clear that the stories Hey Arnold! tells are best suited to the TV format.

Watch Hey Arnold! on Hulu or Paramount+.

3 The Real Ghostbusters (1986 - 1991)

The original Ghostbusters were back in action as animated characters in New York City

The Ghostbusters franchise is a well-loved and far-reaching piece of IP that was started in 1984 with the premiere of the first movie, Ghostbusters​​​​​​, starring Bill Murray. Not only has a film series spun off from this, despite the filmmakers initially worrying it would be a flop, but many Ghostbusters animated TV shows have sprung up to fill the need for Ghostbusters content. The first was The Real Ghostbusters, which expanded on the original story and cast from the 1984 film.

Several of the Ghostbusters animated shows were spinoffs loosely based on the original characters, but with the new line-up of live-action stars, it's the perfect time to bring back the show.

However, unlike the movie, the ghosts and threats were smaller and more manageable, so they could be defeated in the runtime of one episode. Several of the Ghostbusters animated shows were spinoffs loosely based on the original characters, but with the new line-up of live-action stars, it's the perfect time to bring back the show. The descendants of the original characters are a vital part of recent films like Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. This would also generate further interest in the continuation of the live-action movies and ensure the franchise doesn't die out.

2 The Tick (1994 - 1997)

A satirical take on the superhero genre that's more relevant than ever

The Tick might be well-known for the 2001 live-action series, but it all started in 1986 when the character, The Tick, was born and provided a response to the already over-saturated superhero genre. The comics were then translated into the seminal animated series, The Tick, which had all the whimsy and tongue-in-cheek humor that made the comics so popular in the first place. Amazon recently tried to revive the franchise with a live-action remake of the 2001 show in 2016, which lived up to its predecessors in of quality of content but not in viewership.

It's been several years since the final episode of the 2016 The Tick aired, and the time has come for the universe to be revitalized back in its animated form. It was universally acknowledged as an amazing and innovative addition to the animation genre and was recognized for this great work through Daytime Emmy and Annie Awards nominations. As superhero movies are facing high expectations and thoughtful critical reception, The Tick would fit right into the current television landscape.

1 Recess (1997 - 2001)

A group of young students navigate the social hierarchies of their pre-adolescent world

Though they're children, they understand the intricacies of social situations and work to find empathetic compromises to any conflict they find themselves in.

Similar in legacy and tone to Hey Arnold!, Recess limits its setting to the schoolyard, but that doesn't mean its lessons and stakes are any less rich and engaging. The core group of characters is the voice of reason among their classmates and teachers at the school where the show is set. Though they're children, they understand the intricacies of social situations and work to find empathetic compromises to any conflict they find themselves in.

The show was so effective because it portrayed small-scale and dramatized issues that adults face in the real world. Several spinoff films were made based on the characters, but not for several years, and the dynamics of elementary school and growing up have changed considerably. Recess remains as relevant today as it was in 1997 because even though technology has advanced and global issues are different, the enduring issues of humanity are the same. This may sound too complex for a children's show, but a reboot of Recess would strive to be just as layer as the modern world.