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5 More Great 1990s Animated Shows Not Enough People Remember
The 1990s were truly a fantastic decade for several entertainment media, including video games, R&B (it really was), and animation, and while there are several properties and shows from the ’90s that everyone knows and loves, there are also a host of shows that have managed to fly under the radar or have been completely underappreciated from the start. We’ve already highlighted some great animated shows that not enough people remember, and now we’re back with five more great shows that also deserve some shine.
5. Shadow Raiders
Many might not remember a Canadian animated series titled Shadow Raiders, though fans of Reboot might be the exception to that. That’s because the designs of the characters in Shadow Raiders were created by ReBoot designer Brendan McCarthy, but if you thought ReBoot dealt with some interesting themes, it had nothing on Shadow Raiders.
Shadow Raiders focused on four warring planets that have to try and put their issues with each other aside to face a much deadlier threat known as the Beast Planet. Just getting everyone to get on the same page is compelling enough, and it’s not a one-night solution, as there are layers to this alliance constantly being explored over the course of two seasons, but that’s only given greater impact as you meet more of the characters and hear their stories through the eyes and ears of Tekla and Graveheart. It would be interesting to see what a third season would have brought, but even the first two seasons might be worth a watch if you’ve never experienced them.
4. Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series
The Mighty Ducks is a Disney classic in live-action and spawned three films and a live-action series, but it also led to the creation of an underrated animated series. Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series was if you took the concept of a hockey team based on the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, made them a superhero team, and then combined that with aliens, an alternate universe (Puckworld), and a crash landing in our dimension.
Fans each found their favorite member of the team, which included Wildwing, Nosedive, Duke L’Orange, Mallory McMallard, Tanya Vanderflock, and Check “Grin” Hardwing, and they were brought to life by a stellar voice cast as they defended the world and attempted to defeat the villainous Dragaunus. The series was full of action and fun Disney charm, and the off-the-wall premise also gave it something special that the series never lost sight of. It only lasted one season, but it has gained more fans as time has gone on, and you should absolutely give it a look.
3. Recess
For the second Disney series on this list, we’re moving to the charming series known as Recess. In 1997, fans were first introduced to the school yard crew of six fourth graders named T.J., Vince, Ashley, Mikey, Gretchen, and Gus, who would all have adventures every day when the bell rang and announced a new session of recess.
The characters were all based on various school archetypes, but part of what made it so fun was that the group included children from all of those various groups, depicting that friendship always trumped any of those artificial barriers. The series also poked fun at adult societal concepts and mirrored them in hilarious ways on the playground. Despite running for 4 seasons and even getting a movie, the series still goes under the radar these days, but it’s one you should definitely seek out if you’re looking to relive some fun nostalgia.
2. Aeon Flux
When you say the name Aeon Flux, some may immediately recall the 2005 movie starring Charlize Theron, but that’s not the high point of the franchise. That can instead be found with the 1991 original series that debuted on MTV. The series instantly caught attention for its adult animation style and dystopian tech-heavy setting, all led by a secret agent named Aeon Flux.
The series didn’t look like anything else at the time, and honestly, if you look back, it still doesn’t look like anything else even now. The action was thrilling and kinetic, and it was the perfect edgy fit for MTV at the time. It would run for three seasons, and while it didn’t ever get a fourth season, the first three seasons have an impressive 90% critics rating and 81% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, so if you’ve been looking for an espionage adventure unlike anything else, Aeon Flux might be just what you need.
1. The Critic
While there are many shows that were cancelled too soon, a few shows were criminally cut off too soon, and one such example is the 1994 series The Critic. The Critic starred Jon Lovitz as a film critic from New York named Jay Sherman, and featured a show within a show called Coming Attractions. Sherman is a snob as a critic, but off-camera fans get to see a much more flawed and relatable side of the character, and regardless of what’s happening in his life, the show never stops being hilarious.
The show lived up to its premise with numerous parodies of iconic films, and it was never afraid to have some fun at their expense. The show debuted in 1994 on ABC, but despite the high quality of the show, it had a difficult time finding ratings. The ratings did improve over time, but it was ultimately cancelled after season 2, though it would gain new fans when it hit Comedy Central. The show has only gained more fans over time, and it even holds a stellar 85% critics’ score and 82% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. It still doesn’t get the recognition it deserves though, and therefore holds the no. 1 spot.
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