When a family movie is a box office success, many studios capitalize on it by adapting it for television, and this practice was especially common in the 1990s. Not only did it become the industry standard, but actually a surprising amount of effort was put into the programs and most of them were of pure quality. The 90s were a golden age for children’s entertainment.
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Whether it was a direct sequel to a Disney movie, using intellectual property solely for its name and having nothing to do with the original movie, or reinventing the story for a fun, episodic animated show, the children were spoiled with so many television adaptations of movies.
10 Timon and Pumbaa
Being the symbolic comic relief characters of the Disney movie, Timon and Pumbaa were the best characters in The Lion King, and they even got their own movie with The Lion King 3: Hakuna Matata.
As the duo was one of the reasons the original Lion King is timeless, the franchise seemed to be building around them, and that reached its peak when they had their own show. The show saw them go on all sorts of wacky and ridiculous adventures, including going into outer space, but it was still hilarious.
9 men in black
It is unfortunate that the series did not carry over any of the Will Smith hits that raised the movies tenfold, as the single “Men in Black” would have been a great opening theme for a cartoon.
However, aside from a regular soundtrack, the TV show stays surprisingly true to the Men In Black tone considering how dark and creepy it is. If anything, the Men in Black show is even creepier at times, and given the show’s penchant for awesome gadgets, it’s the perfect ’90s morning show.
8 Hercules
With the release of Hercules in 1997, there was an extremely rapid turnaround, as the TV show followed only a year later. Given that Hercules was a theatrically released Disney animation, the TV show’s look was obviously not on par with its cinematic older brother.
Tate Donovan, who voiced Hercules in the movies, reprized his role in all 65 episodes of the cartoon, as did James Woods, who voiced Hades, which is surprising considering that actors almost always abandon any television adaptation of a movie. of which they were part. .
7 The Real Ghostbusters
Since the second movie, the Ghostbusters series has gone down a rocky path. From the not-so-well-received sequel to the 2016 reboot that divided audiences, the future of the film franchise looks questionable with the upcoming Ghostbusters: Beyond.
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But one media outlet that seemed to understand the original, one of Ivan Reitman’s best films, more than any of the following was the cartoon adaptation. They were funny episodes and more of the same from the movie, only Slimer was a help to the ghostbusters and had turned Janine into a cool and nice heroine.
6 powerful ducks
Talk about stretching a thin series. The Mighty Ducks and its two sequels follow Coach Bombay, reluctantly turning a bunch of goofy high school students into ice hockey pros. Movies have become a treasure trove for millions of twenty-somethings and are full of memorable quotes.
However, the TV show takes the IP and throws everything away except his name. Taking the title literally, the TV show is about an ice hockey team that is literally ducks. Absurdity and creative license aside, it’s still a funny cartoon.
5 Aladdin
Robin Williams is one of the reasons Aladdin has aged so well, as his voice role of the Genie is one of the most iconic animated characters in movie history. But surprisingly, even without Williams’ incredible delivery and improvisation, the animated series is great and expands on the world that the movie brilliantly constructed. Not only that, but the 2019 remake even took lyrics that were originally used on the TV show.
4 ninja turtles: the next mutation
Since the ’90s was a golden age for children’s morning shows, there is still some goof that comes with the good stuff. With a 4.4 rating on IMDb, Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation was a continuation of the live-action movies that came out earlier in the decade, and the show was littered with some of the most humiliating action scenes.
3 Batman: the animated series
Although Batman: The Animated Series isn’t exactly a direct adaptation of the Tim Burton Batman movies, it’s clearly the show’s biggest influence. Whether it’s the elongated Batmobile, the towering gargoyle-mounted buildings, or the presence of gangsters, there are many parallels between the animated series and Batman and Batman Returns.
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Batman: The Animated Series is the most themed children’s show for adults of the 90s; takes original material seriously and has a spectacular opening theme. These are the reasons why it is considered one of the best television shows ever.
2 The Mask
Being one of Jim Carey’s funniest characters, it’s hard to separate the comedian’s voice from the green-faced anti-hero. The TV version of The Mask is a direct adaptation of the film, as the main character bounces around in the same yellow zoot suit and even has the same tie as Stanley Ipkiss in the film. Not only that, but it features the same music and is so comically violent.
1 The Pink Panther
The Pink Panther has taken many shapes and forms over the years, be it one of the old Peter Sellers movies or the tragic Steve Martin remakes. But it was revived in the late ’60s as a cartoon, and taking The Mighty Ducks approach, he took the title literally and decided to literally follow a pink panther as he goes about disturbing the peace.
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