Whether you watched them when they first aired or grew up catching the Cartoon Network re-runs, cartoons from the 1960s and 1970s are still legendary today. While Hanna-Barbera had numerous iconic gems and there were scores of superhero cartoons from DC and Marvel characters, there are a select few we return to every time for a throwback because the originals are (arguably) better than the modern remakes.
What started as Saturday morning cartoons exploded into popular re-runs, multiverses, and dozens of remakes. Fans of these shows will recognize familiar voices throughout the two decades as they brought different characters to life in the same universe. Almost, if not, half a century later, these series still hold a special place in the animated universe.
'The Flintstones' (1960-1966)
Its catchy theme song is still sung six decades later, making The Flintstones the ultimate throwback cartoon. Hanna-Barbera Productions created the animated series centered around the titular Stone Age family and their neighbors, the Rubbles. Fred (Alan Reed), Wilma (Jean Vander Pyl), Barney (Mel Blanc), and Betty (Bea Benaderet) first graced the screen in September 1960.
Six years and 166 episodes later, the series ended. With its popularity, various spinoff shows were produced and even live-action movies in later years. The characters even crossed over with several other Hanna-Barbera series throughout the decades, and their time with the Jetsons was one of the best TV crossovers ever.
The Flintstones is available to stream on HBO Max.
'The Yogi Bear Show' (1961-1962)
Everyone's favorite TV bear, The Yogi Bear Show is another feather in Hanna-Barbera's cap. For two seasons, viewers were taken through the shenanigans of a smooth-talking bear and his friend looking to raid campers' picnic baskets under the watchful eye of a park ranger at Jellystone Park.
The producers used go-to voice actors like Daws Butler to voice Yogi Bear and Don Messick to voice Boo Boo, both of whom lent their voices for various other series characters. The Yogi Bear Show ran for 33 episodes until 1962, with various spin-offs and cross-overs airing in the later years.
The Yogi Bear Show is available to stream on HBO Max.
'The Jetsons' (1962-1963, 1985-1987)
Making the future look so good, The Jetsons are a perfect cartoon to revisit for a nostalgic throwback. Set in 2062, George (George O'Hanlon) and Judy (Janet Waldo) Jetson experience many misadventures in their futuristic world with their family. The Jetsons earned a prime-time airing slot, running on ABC from September 1962 to March 1963. Reruns ran via syndication after 1963 and new episodes were produced from 1985 to 1987.
Much like Disney, Hanna-Barbera recycled many voice actors for their cartoon series during these years, pulling Jean Vander Pyl, Mel Blanc, Messick, and Butler into the sound booth to voice various characters. The series totaled 75 episodes from 1961 to 1987.
The Jetsons is available to stream on HBO Max.
'Underdog' (1964-1967)
Primarily sponsored by the General Mills cereal company, Underdog was an action-adventure cartoon with the catchy slogan, "There's no need to fear, Underdog is here." The titular character was a crime-fighting canine hero voiced by Wally Cox. The series was narrated by George S. Irving.
Underdog first aired as a Saturday morning cartoon on NBC from 1964 to 1966, and in the final year of 1967 on CBS. IMDb credits the series with 124 episodes. The original series inspired a live-action film from Disney in 2007.
Underdog is not currently available for streaming.
'Wacky Races' (1968-1969)
Another installment in the Hanna-Barbera classic collection is Wacky Races. With only one season, the series featured 11 racers and their unique automobiles as they vied for the title of "World's Wackiest Racer." Fans of the production company would recognize various voices like Messick, Butler, and Waldo from earlier series alongside voices from Paul Winchell and John Stephenson.
Wacky Races only aired for 17 episodes in 1968. The character names were clever and creative like Dick Dastardly (the villain), Blubber Bear, Professor Pat Pending, Peter Perfect, Rufus Roughcut, and Penelope Pitstop.
Wacky Races is available to rent on Amazon Video.
'Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!' (1969-1970, 1978)
The original episodes of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! are the best versions of the entire franchise. What started out as a CBS Saturday morning kids cartoon exploded into a multiverse franchise that is still popular today. Beginning in 1969, Joe Ruby, Ken Spears, and Joseph Barbera created the animated series.
The first two seasons aired from 1969-1970, with the third season airing in 1978. The iconic dynamic duo of Scooby-Doo and Shaggy Rogers was originally voiced by Messick as the titular Great Dane and Casey Kasem as his human bestie.
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! is available to stream on HBO Max.
'The Addams Family' (1973)
Following the success of the original comic cartoons, Hanna-Barbera Productions developed an animated series. Running for one season with 16 episodes, The Addams Family of 1973 may be one of the scariest cartoons to watch before Halloween, but it was a much tamer and less dark version, toning back the gothic nature of the original ABC series for its younger viewership.
Ted Cassidy and Jackie Coogan returned from the original series to voice their respective characters of Lurch and Uncle Fester. The animated series added Waldo (The Jetsons) as Morticia and Lennie Weinrib (Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo) as Gomez. The 30-minute episodes initially aired on NBC. This brief installment of the iconic family can be found for purchase or rental on YouTube, Google Play, and Apple TV.
The Addams Family is available to stream on Pluto.
'The Pink Panther Show' (1969-1980)
As soon as we heard that tenor saxophone theme, we knew exactly which show was about to come on. What started as the opening title sequence for the 1963 Peter Sellers film turned into an animated television series featuring various characters. The Pink Panther Show was produced by David H. DePatie and Friz Freleng as part of Mirisch Films and DePatie–Freleng Enterprises.
A Saturday morning cartoon, the series was broadcast first on NBC from 1969 to 1978, and on ABC from 1978 to 1980. Characters like The Inspector, Blue Aardvark, and Blue Racer appeared on the series before securing their own spinoffs. Various additional spinoffs were created in the later years. The Pink Panther Show from 1969 is available for rental on Amazon Prime and Vudu.
The Pink Panther Show is not available for streaming.