If you were a child of the 80s or early 90s, there’s a good chance you know exactly how amazing Saturday mornings used to be. Sure, there might’ve been a fun pancake breakfast, possibly a meet up with friends at the park later in the day, or even a family day trip. But as a kid, it wasn’t about all that stuff. It was about cartoons. Great cartoons. Cartoon series that you memorized the schedule for. Cartoon series that you bought posters for to put up on your walls. Series that you bought action figures for and ate spoonfuls of sugary cereals based on the characters.
These were the cartoon series that you woke up expecting, like He-Man, She-Ra, Transformers, GI-Joe and more. And sometimes your favorite cartoon series would be turned into a feature movie! Something you could go and actually see on the big screen. But on the rarest of occasions, that TV-to-theater moment would happen in reverse order. Sometimes a movie would be released in the theaters, find fantastic success, and be turned into a Saturday morning cartoon series. Instead of getting to know every character and storyline over weeks and weeks of episodic watching, you were now getting to see how the story of your favorite film expands within multiple episodes.
So here are some classic movies that you may not have known were turned into an animated series.
The Real Ghostbusters (1986)
Ghostbusters was a box office sensation when it came out back in 1984. The unique combination of horror movie and comedy blew audiences (young and adult) away, as well as catapulting Bill Murray’s career through the atmosphere. But a year later, young fans of the movie nearly became ghosts themselves when they heard the news that the cinematic-phenomenon was being converted into a Saturday morning cartoon called The Real Ghostbusters.
When the series debuted in September 1986, the majority of young fans rejoiced as the storyline followed the same characters catching ghosts in New York, identical to the plot of the original film. Of course, there were a few details added to make the show suitable for kids, including a goofy ghost-mascot version of the green “slimer” from the original.
Beetlejuice (1991)
Tim Burton always had a way with kids. Even films he creates that are, for the most part, made for adults, seem to become younger audiences’ favorites. When Burton‘s Beetlejuice premiered in theaters in 1988, moviegoers got to properly experience his filmmaking style and vision. However, with the plotline revolving around death, the afterlife, and everything in between, it was hard to imagine any type of children’s version to rise out of its wake.
But fans were shocked when it was announced that an animated series was to be released in 1991. Running four seasons, the show was only loosely based on the original film version, with Beetlejuice and Lydia being the two main characters. Also, Instead of being trapped in a house of a newly deceased couple, Lydia and Beetlejuice spend the majority of their adventures through the “Neitherworld,” a wacky and colorful land created for the recently diseased. Uh, I mean deceased.
RoboCop: The Animated Series (1988)
What do you do when you produce a highly successful, R-rated, ultraviolet, science fiction film? Well, naturally, you turn it into a kids animated series. Yes, this was one of those rare occasions when a film, which in no way was meant for children’s eyes, was suddenly turned into a weekly animated show of the same name. Only this time, RoboCop was going to be a little less physically confrontational.
Debuting only a year after the film's release, the creators of the series took steps to convert many of the subtle adult-themes to match a younger audience. For example, no more bullets taking down the bad guys, with lasers suddenly becoming the ammunition of choice. Also, RoboCop himself gets an unexplained technical upgrade, leading to plenty of pricey action figure accessories.
Toxic Crusaders (1991)
While RoboCop's feature film’s content made it difficult for parents to decide whether children should be allowed to watch it, The Toxic Avenger movie was a much easier decision. The film was a true R-rated event with ultra-violence, strong sexual situations, and a plot line that was clearly geared towards adults. But when you take an average person, throw in some toxic waste, then turn that person into a swamp man-like creature with enhanced strength, then you just can’t ignore the fact that you have the perfect ingredients for an animated series. Also, you can’t ignore the success of another “freaks-turn-heroes” kids show called The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Well, producers agreed, and created 1991’s Toxic Crusaders.
So how does one turn a toxic character who’s hell-bent on revenge, into a lovable animated children’s character? You give him a silly mop sidekick (yes it was a live mop), and add a few other equally-mutated characters to join his crusader squad. Then you get weeks and weeks of fun storylines!
Well, it only lasted a season so 13 weeks to be exact.
Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventures (1990)
For producers, this one was a no-brainer. The movie Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, debuting in the late 80s, combined comedy, education, and two lovable goofballs, which all happen to be the main ingredients of a successful Saturday morning cartoon series. And that’s just what happened in 1990 when Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventures debuted to the delight of plenty of little dudes and dudettes everywhere.
One of the most excellent features of this series (unlike the majority of converted films-to-animated series), was that the original cast was used to voice the main characters. Non-bogus fans got to hear an authentic Ted (Keanu Reeves), Bill (Alex Winter), and Rufus (George Carlin), as they continued their time traveling adventures over two full seasons.
Back to the Future: The Animated Series (1991)
By the time Back To The Future: The Animated Series debuted in the early 90s, the film version had already established itself as a cinematic empire. With three films completed, lunch boxes, themed cereals, and two actual attractions at theme parks were just a sample of how much the franchise was expanding. Therefore, it was no real surprise that an animated series zoomed in at 88 mph towards the small screen.
Debuting in the second half of 1991, the series doesn’t follow all the rules established in the three films, traveling along its own timeline. Each episode focused mostly on Dr. Emmett Brown‘s family as they use a newly modified DeLorean time machine to go on adventures only Bill and Ted could relate to.
Teen Wolf (1986)
Teen Wolf was like any other movie you’ve ever seen: a teenager in high school, who is kind of an outcast, finds out he’s a werewolf and becomes super popular, He decides to go back to being a regular teenager, and realizes he’s still popular no matter who he is. 1985’s Teen Wolf might’ve been on the unique side of plot lines, but the message was one that’s everlasting: it’s fine to be different, and you should be accepted by your peers, especially the folks at the local dog pound. If that’s not a lesson for a Saturday morning cartoon, nothing is. And that’s why the film became an animated series of the same name, one year later.
Despite some differences, the social message remained the same. The character Scott Howard returns as the teenage boy who can transform into an upright hairy beast, still searching for social inclusion and self acceptance. This time, however, it’s easier now that he’s moved with his family to the town of Wolferton, which is known for werewolf sightings. So now, his problem of being an outcast is a little more tolerable. Of course, there’s still a jock protagonist, still wanting to make Scott’s life a living hell by making him feel like a freak.