The 40 most popular 1960s animation TV shows, ranked. Click any show for ratings, reviews, trailers, and where to watch.


Fuse
1962
country: SU
Fitil is a popular Soviet/Russian television satirical/comedy short film series which ran for about 500 episodes. Some of the episodes were aimed at children, and were called Фитилёк, Fitilyok, Little Fuse. Each issue contained from the few short segments: documentary, fictional and animated ones. Directed by various artists, including Leonid Gaidai who presented his famous trio of Nikulin, Vitsin and Morgunov into the cast. It was called in USSR as "the anecdotes from the Soviet government".


Sazae-san
1969
country: Japan
The adventures of Sazae Fuguta and her family and friends in their Tokyo suburb.


The Flintstones
1960
country: United States
The misadventures of two modern-day Stone Age families, the Flintstones and the Rubbles.


Astro Boy
1963
country: Japan
In the year 2000, Dr. Boyton creates a super-robot in his deceased son's image. He calls the robot Astro Boy. Astro Boy can swim oceans, leap over mountains, even fly into space on his own power. However, Astro Boy can't replace his son. Dr. Boyton becomes dissatisfied with the boy robot and disowns him. Astro Boy is befriended by Dr. Packadermus J. Elefun of the Institute of Science, who guides him through his adventures. Endowed with super strength, rocket-powered flight, a selfless heart and a kind demeanor, Astro Boy fights a never-ending crusade against the forces of evil!


Popeye the Sailor
1960
country: United States
Follows the adventures of the famed spinach-eating sailor man. Popeye is one of the most popular cartoon characters of all time. This spunky but loveable spinach-eating sailor continues to delight young and old with his comic adventures, and the entire gang is around to provide plenty of rousing fun and action: Olive Oyl, Swee'Pea, Wimpy and Bluto.


The Marvel Super Heroes
1966
country: United States
This cartoon series, characterized by extremely limited animation, features five of the most popular super-powered heroes from Marvel Comics: the Incredible Hulk, the Mighty Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, and the Sub-Mariner.


The Jetsons
1962
country: United States
Meet George Jetson and his quirky family: wife Jane, son Elroy and daughter Judy. Living in the automated, push-button world of the future hasn't made life any easier for the harried husband and father, who gets into one comical misadventure after another!


Gustavus
1966
country: Hungary
Gusztáv, also known as Gustavus, was Hungarian series of animated short cartoons for adults. It was extremely popular in Eastern Europe, where it has achieved cult status. It ran from 1964-1977. Each episode tells an adventure of the main character, Gustav, related to the gray realities of urban life. Characteristic feature of the show was that episodes were independent: for example, Gustav is sometimes a bachelor, sometimes has large family. In Eastern Europe and Yugoslavia the episodes were broadcast on TV in the 80s, usually as airtime filler. The series was also broadcast in Western Europe and even in New Zealand - because it was not using language, other than gibberish sound, it was able to easily transcend boundaries.


The Mr. Magoo Show
1960
country: United States
The Mister Magoo Show is an American animated television series which was produced from November 7, 1960 to February 2, 1962. A single episode included five five-minute shorts and could either be aired together with bumpers as a single half-hour show, or it could be split up with one short aired each weekday, along with other cartoons. It was produced by United Productions of America.


Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines
1969
country: United States
Dick Dastardly and his snickering canine co-pilot Muttley plot to stop Yankee Doodle Pigeon aboard their World War I flying machines.


Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!
1969
country: United States
Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, and the talking dog, Scooby-Doo, travel on the Mystery Machine van, in search of weird mysteries to solve.


Tales of the Wizard of Oz
1961
country: Canada
Tales of the Wizard of Oz, created in 1961, was an animated television series crafted by Crawley Films for Videocraft, (later known as Rankin/Bass Productions.) This was the studio's second venture into animation and Rankin/Bass's inaugural foray into traditional animation. Characters from L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz are given additional names, including Dandy the Cowardly Lion, Rusty the Tin Man, and Socrates the Strawman, expanding upon the original with these fresh monikers.


The Yogi Bear Show
1961
country: United States
From his home in Jellystone Park, Yogi Bear dreams of nothing more in life than to outwit as many unsuspecting tourists as he can and grab their prized picnic baskets all while staying one step ahead of the ever-exasperated Ranger Smith. Yogi's little buddy, Boo-Boo, tries to keep Yogi out of trouble but rarely succeeds. That's okay because not even Ranger Smith can stay mad for long at the lovable, irresistible Yogi Bear.


Space Ghost and Dino Boy
1966
country: United States
Intergalactic policeman Space Ghost navigates the cosmos in his tricked-out spaceship, The Phantom Cruiser, battling villains like Brak and Zorak in his legendary suit and powerful wristbands. Dino Boy teams with caveman Ugh and dinosaur Bronty to go primeval on the ancient menaces of their primitive home.


Cackling Kitarou
1968
country: Japan
Kitarou, a ghost, spends his afterlife helping humans in need of his skills. He thwarts the plans of evil spirits who live to torment humanity.


Aquaman
1967
country: United States
Aquaman is a Filmation animated series that premiered on CBS on September 9, 1967, and ended June 1970. It is a 30-minute version of The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure, repackaged without the Superman and Superboy segments. The show is composed of previously-aired adventures featuring the DC Comics superheroes Aquaman and his sidekick Aqualad, the Atom, the Flash and Kid Flash, the Green Lantern and Hawkman. The Justice League of America and Teen Titans are also featured in team adventures.


The New Adventures of Superman
1966
country: United States
The New Adventures of Superman is a series of six-minute animated Superman adventures produced by Filmation that were broadcast on CBS between 1966 and 1970. The 68 segments appeared as part of three different programs during that time, packaged with similar shorts featuring The Adventures of Superboy and other DC Comics superheroes.


Star of the Giants
1968
country: Japan
In 1969, at the press conference of Nagashima Shigeo who was joining a professional baseball team, Yomiurhi Kyojin, a ball was thrown at him by a boy. He was Hoshi Hyuma, and a thrown ball meant a letter of challenge. His father, Hoshi Ittetsu, had trained Huma since he had been very young to achieve his dream to make him a professional baseball player.


Fitil (Film Magazine)
1962
country: Russia
A satirical film magazine produced by various film studios in the USSR from 1962 to 1991 and in the CIS from 1992 to 2003. The magazine's issues consisted of various stories: feature films, documentaries (with dubbed characters), and cartoons.


The Atom Ant Show
1965
country: United States
Operating out of his private anthill, the formidable Atom Ant picks up distress calls via his built-in antennae and heads out to battle a fearsomely delightful array of dastards including Bug Fat Dynamo, Crankenshaft, M.D. and his arch-nemesis Ferocious Flea. Sharing screen time with our hero are Precious Pupp, a rascal of a mutt who hides his antics from the kindly Granny Sweets and the Hillbilly Bears, the most ridiculous bears to ever come from the Blue Ridge Mountains.


The Adventures of Batman
1968
country: United States
The adventures of Batman, with Robin, the Boy Wonder! Batman and Robin, the Dynamic Duo against crime and corruption, whose real identities as millionaire philanthropist Bruce Wayne and his young ward Dick Grayson and known only to Alfred, the faithful butler. Ever alert, they respond swiftly to a signal from the police, and moments later, from the secret Batcave deep beneath Wayne Manor, they roar out to protect life, limb and property as Batman and Robin, caped crimefighters! Batman and Robin, scourge of Gotham City's kooky criminals: The Joker, Clown Prince of Crime - The Penguin, pudgy purveyor of perfidy - and the cool, cruel, Mr. Freeze! Watch out, villains, here come... Batman and Robin!


Thunderbirds
1965
country: United Kingdom
Thunderbirds is a 1960s British science-fiction television series which was produced using a mixed method of marionette puppetry and scale-model special effects termed "Supermarionation". The series is set in the 21st century and follows the exploits of International Rescue, a secret organization formed to save people in mortal danger with the help of technologically advanced land, sea, air and space vehicles and equipment, launched from a hidden base on Tracy Island in the South Pacific Ocean.


Tiger Mask
1969
country: Japan
A villainous masked wrestler becomes a hero for the sake of protecting the orphanage in which he was raised.


Laurel & Hardy
1966
country: Unknown
The animated adventures of Laurel and Hardy.


Spider-Man
1967
country: United States
The bite of a radioactive spider transforms a teen into a superhero.


もーれつア太郎
1969
country: Japan
No overview available


Moby Dick and Mighty Mightor
1967
country: United States
Moby Dick and Mighty Mightor is a science fiction animated series created by Alex Toth for Hanna-Barbera Productions, which ran on CBS from 1967 to 1969. Despite Moby's name coming first, he had only one short per half-hour episode, sandwiched between two with Mightor; the same structure was used the previous season for H-B's Frankenstein, Jr. and The Impossibles.


The King Kong Show
1966
country: United States
An animated series about the adventures of King Kong and his young pal Bobby Bond. Also featured were the adventures of "Tom of T.H.U.M.B.", a 6" tall secret agent.


The Secret Squirrel Show
1965
country: United States
The half-hour The Secret Squirrel Show included three individual cartoon segments: "Secret Squirrel", "Squiddly Diddly" and "Winsome Witch".


Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
1967
country: United Kingdom
Captain Scarlet heads up an international intelligence agency as they battle against the Mysterons, an alien species from Mars that vows vengeance after a misunderstanding with humans.


The Magilla Gorilla Show
1964
country: United States
Magilla Gorilla is a fictional gorilla and the star of The Magilla Gorilla Show by Hanna-Barbera that aired from 1964 to 1967.


Attack Number One
1969
country: Japan
The story is about Kozue Ayuhara, a girl who transferred to Fujimi College and tried out for the school volleyball team. She develops a friendship with her teammate Midori Hayakawa, and her talents impress coach Hongō more and more each day. Though she showcases extraordinary volleyball skills, she makes enemies with Yoshimura, the star of the current team. Kozue discovers that being at the top would bring stress, incompatibilities and other dilemmas into her life. Her high expectations of becoming the best volleyball player in the school, Japan and eventually the world, set the tone for the drama to follow.


Kimba the White Lion
1965
country: Japan
The adventures of Leo, a young lion cub who becomes king of the jungle when his father, the previous king of the jungle is killed by a human hunter.


Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
1969
country: United States
Toon version of the Archie Comics witch who uses her powers to aide the uncertainty of adolescence.


The New 3 Stooges
1965
country: United States
Larry, Moe and Curly Joe bring their mastery of mirth, merriment and mayhem to plenty of places from the Old West to Outer Space and everywhere in between. The hijinks never stop as The Boys bumble and fumble their way from one zany adventure to the next in this animated slapstick series.


Wacky Races
1968
country: United States
Wacky Races is an animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera that originally aired in 1968. The show is a parody of traditional car races, featuring a variety of eccentric characters and their outlandish vehicles, all racing across different terrains in a madcap competition for first place. The series is centered around a group of 11 racers, each with their own unique vehicle and distinct personality. The main characters include Dick Dastardly and his dog Muttley, who are always trying to cheat and sabotage the other competitors, although they never succeed. Other notable racers include Penelope Pitstop, the glamorous but tough driver; the adventurous Red Max; and the lovable duo, the Slag Brothers, who drive a massive, rock-like car.


Les Shadoks
1968
country: France
Les Shadoks is an animated television series created by French cartoonist Jacques Rouxel which caused a sensation in France when it was first broadcast in 1968-1974. The Shadoks were bird-like in appearance, were characterised by ruthlessness and stupidity and inhabited a two dimensional planet. Another set of creatures in the Shadok canon are the Gibis, who are the opposite to the Shadoks in that they are intelligent but vulnerable and also inhabit a two-dimensional planet. Rouxel claims that the term Shadok obtains some derivation from Captain Haddock of Hergé's The Adventures of Tintin and the Gibis are essentially GBs. The Shadoks were a significant literary, cultural and philosophical phenomenon in France. Even today, the French occasionally use satirical comparisons with the Shadoks for policies and attitudes that they consider absurd. The Shadoks were noted for mottos such as: ⁕"Why do it the easy way when you can do it the hard way?" ⁕"When one tries continuously, one ends up succeeding. Thus, the more one fails, the greater the chance that it will work."


The Peter Potamus Show
1964
country: United States
Peter Potamus is an animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera. The main segment featuring Peter Potamus and his diminutive sidekick So-So the monkey. Peter is big, purple, and friendly, dressed in a safari jacket and hat. Episodes generally consisted of Peter and So-So exploring the world in his hot air balloon, which was capable of time travel at the spin of a dial. When faced with a precarious situation, Peter uses his Hippo Hurricane Holler to blow away his opponents. The second segment, Breezly and Sneezly, featured a polar bear named Breezly Bruin and his friend Sneezly the Seal who used various schemes to break into an army camp in the frozen north, while trying to stay one step ahead of the camp's leader Colonel Fuzzby. The final segment, Yippee, Yappee and Yahooey, featured three dogs named Yippee, Yappee, and Yahooey who work for the King, a short, complaining ruler who is often on the receiving end of their antics.


The Herculoids
1967
country: United States
Somewhere out in the deep space live the Herculoids. Humanoid Zandor, along with his wife Tara and son Dorno, lead a group of unique creatures: Zok the flying dragon, powerful simian Igoo, rhinoceros hybrid Tundro and two protoplasmic wonders named Gloop and Gleep. Together, they use their diverse super strengths to defend their utopian planet against attack from sinister invaders.


Top Cat
1961
country: United States
Top Cat, known as T.C. to his alley cat friends, is a mischievous prankster who lives in a trash can in the alley ways of New York City. He and his alley-cat cohorts think of get rich schemes and assorted pranks which are mostly involving and aimed at Officer Dibble, their nemesis and friend. T.C. manages to get out of his tight situations with hilarity and charm and even helps Dibble on occasion who is underscored by his overbearing sergeant...
1960s television was the medium's first confident decade, when the Western and the variety show gave way to a broader range of genre programming in colour.
Animated television covers everything from long-running adult satire to prestige anime. It's a format where a distinctive visual voice can survive far longer than in film, and where some of the sharpest writing on TV lives.