In the 80s, Disney CEO Michael Eisner was convinced to focus on developing animated television shows. This resulted in the creation of Disney Television Animations, and the Disney Channel to host their new cartoons. Their first program, The Wuzzles, aired in 1985.
Today, the Disney Channel is still going strong and has aired dozens of cartoons across all genres, including action, adventure, slice of life, and comedy. Many of them were praised at the time for their writing, voice acting, and animation. Older ones still have dedicated fans among their original audience and those who got introduced years later thanks to Disney+.
'The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh'
Deep in the Hundred Acre Wood, a boy named Christopher Robin goes on many adventures with his toy animal friends. Chiefest among them is Winnie the Pooh, a bear with very little brains and a boundless appetite for honey. Their adventures include trying to find more honey, fending off greedy Heffalumps and Woozles, and overcoming their fears and self-doubt.
Kids and their parents fell in love with this show for its nuanced and mature messages. Despite being for younger audiences, the writers were not afraid to tackle subjects including depression, identity loss, and even the pain of a parent letting their child go. Combined with a perfect voice cast, including Jim Cummings, Paul Winchel, and John Fielder, it's no wonder the show won multiple Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Animated Program.
'DuckTales'
Within the city of Duckberg lives Scrooge McDuck, a billionaire always on the lookout for a chance to increase his fortune. When his nephew, Donald, joins the navy, he sends Hewie, Dwey, Louie, to stay with Scrooge. With an accident-prone pilot to fly their plane, they travel the globe looking for treasure, adventure, and thwarting villains trying to make off with Scrooge's riches.
The idea for DuckTales has its origins in Disney comics, which have a long history of exploring the Duck family and their many adventures. The show tries to mimic the style with grand scenarios and a host of villains ranging from the criminal Beagle family, Scrooge's millionaire rival Glomgold, and the witch Magica de Spell, voiced by June Foray. It got a successful reboot in 2017 with David Tennant as Scrooge, but the original is still the best for its creativity and sense of fun.
'Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers'
Chipmunk best friends Chip and Dale decide to form a detective agency to solve the crimes considered too small for the human police. Aiding them are a mouse mechanic named Gadget, an Australian adventurer mouse named Monterey Jack, and his best friend Zipper the fly. Together they make sure criminals like the dastardly Fat Cat are brought to justice.
The show made the most out of its premise and had fun showing how everyday objects could be turned into nifty inventions by Gadget and the antagonists. The voice cast is made up of legends in the world of voice-acting, including Tress MacNeille from The Simpsons, Corey Burton from Star Wars The Clone Wars, and Jim Cummins from various Disney properties. The show's popularity would lead to a live-action/animated hybrid released on Disney+ in 2022.
'Darkwing Duck'
Within the city of St. Canard lives Drake Mallard, though by night he's known as Darkwing Duck. Aided by his daughter and Launchpad McQuack from DuckTales, he fights crime while trying to juggle his life as a single dad. Unfortunately, his greatest enemy tends to be his own ego.
This show broke new ground for Disney cartoons by being its first dedicated action series. It achieved this thanks to a strong focus on comedy, including on-point slapstick, clever dialogue, and plenty of homages to the tropes of the Golden Age of comics. A reboot is currently in the works for Disney+.
'Gargoyles'
From the mind of Greg Weisman comes the story of six Gargoyles —warriors who turn to stone during the day — whose clan is slaughtered by Viking raiders in 994 before being put into magic stone sleep. In 1994, they are set free in New York City. They befriend a human detective and decide to protect the city from evil while trying to find their place in this new world.
Audiences fell in love with Gargoyles for its complex characters and storytelling, which were compared to Batman: The Animated Series. Every character goes through personal growth, and the villains in particular were beloved for their complexity and memorable voice work. Unfortunately, behind-the-scenes drama would see most of the staff removed for the show's third season, but Weisman has tried to continue the story through comic books.
'Hercules: The Animated Series'
Before Hercules was ready to save all of Greece from the ambitions of Hades, he was a junior hero in training attending high school. With his friends Cassandra the seer and the accident-prone Icarus, Hercules hones his skills battling monsters and learning life-lessons. Sometimes the gods themselves take a role in Hercules' education, and not always with his best intentions in mind.
Disney has made several TV shows based on their classic movies, but Hercules is the best. The episodic format allowed the writers to pull from many Greek myths to come up with conflicts for Hercules and his friends to overcome, and the gods were each given unique personalities. It also improves on some of the original film's faults by making Hades aware that Hercules is alive, allowing for a proper hero-villain dynamic to build between the two.
'Kim Possible'
Kim Possible may seem like an average high school girl, but she is also a famous crime fighter. With her best friend Ron, his pet naked mole rat, and a computer genius on tech support, she travels the world and fights against super villains and domestic terrorists. That is, so long as her superhero life doesn't interfere with school.
One thing that helped Kim Possible stand out among other teen superheroes was not giving Kim a secret identity. They're able to get a lot of jokes out of this fact, ranging from Kim's fame doing nothing to help her in school, to people being willing and eager to give Kim and her friends a ride because she helped them offscreen. This allows the writers to establish Kim as a humble protagonist, as she always responds with a friendly, "no biggie."
'Phineas and Ferb'
There are only so many days of summer vacation, and step-brothers Phineas and Ferb are going to make the most of them. Each day they come up with a new and impossible thing to entertain themselves and their friends, while their controlling sister, Candace, tries to expose them. Meanwhile, the boy's pet platypus lives the life of a secret agent and must save the tri state area from the affably evil Dr. Doofenshmirtz.
While the formula of the show would go stale in the hands of lesser writers, Phineas and Ferb maintains momentum thanks to its boundless creative potential and unique blend of humour. Nearly every joke is quotable, to the point where several became running gags, and Doofenshmirtz and Perry the Platypus' rivalry is a hilarious blend of work-buddies and bromance. It manages to capture the essence of escapism that a child's mind can create and present it in a way kids and parents can enjoy.
'Gravity Falls'
Dipper and Mable Pines are sent to stay with their great uncle over the summer in the town of Gravity Falls. While helping him run his tourist trap, the kids discover a series of journals that detail many strange and fantastical things around the town. However, the mystery of who wrote the journals and why goes deeper than they could have imagined.
Gravity Falls offers a bit of everything: hilarious jokes, likable characters who go through personal growth, and an engaging mystery that builds up every episode. It's one of the few shows to successfully juggle slice-of-life episodes alongside a continuous story rather than leaning heavily to one side or the other. Unlike other shows, Gravity Falls ended when creator Alex Hirsch wished, rather than falling into mediocrity, yet it lives on through references in newer shows.
'Amphibia'
After stealing a strange music box, Anne Boonchuy finds herself separated from her friends in a strange world with humanoid frogs. She befriends a family of farmers called the Planters and slowly integrates into their frog community. As she learns more about the world of Amphibia, she keeps an eye out for her friends and any way to return to Earth.
Amphibia's world is very creative, especially in showcasing how a world ruled by sentient amphibians would operate. While the first season relies more on slice-of-life fun, the second dives into episodic stories that give insight into the characters and ancient history. Each character goes on their own individual journey, resulting in memorable character arcs and emotional highs.