You'd think that very logically, the groove and the freaky style of the '70s would've translated to the cartoons of the decade, too. However, upon further inspection, you might find that isn't exactly the case, as '70s cartoons are, well, basically timeless! Yes, the groove is there, but it is rather inconspicuous, never outshining the real joy and classical values of animated series. Wanna check if it is the truth? Well then, check out our list of the best '70s cartoons and do an investigation of your own!
From such amazing series as the legendary Scooby-Doo to Underdog to the educational Schoolhouse Rock, the '70s might've been the best decade for regular Saturday morning viewings. If one cartoon had you laughing so hard your belly ached, then another would teach something important, and the third would show you that creativity and wit are a vital part of life. All in all, '70s cartoons were the perfect balance of fun and morals.
So, whether you grew up watching these animated series or wish to learn more about the entertainment of your ancestors, scroll on down below and meet our submissions to the best '70s cartoons list! Once you are there, be sure to vote for the cartoons you've enjoyed the most, and share this article with your friends!
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Looney Tunes
1930 - 1969
Looney Tunes, an animated comedy short film series, marked the Golden Age of American animation. Looney Tunes, together with its accompanying series Merrie Melodies, introduced to us such iconic characters as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Wile E. Coyote, Marvin The Martian, and plenty, plenty more! Each of these characters had their own skits assigned to them, but it was Bugs Bunny that eventually stole the show, becoming the leading rabbit of the universe. And, if you're into classic animation, Looney Tunes is basically a manual to the genre!
The original looney tunes is 100% the best, whatever their passing off as looney tunes these days is straight up trash. Same goes for Tom & Jerry, and Scooby Doo
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!
1969 - 1978 | 3 seasons | 41 episodes
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! is an animated comedy series created by the legendary animation studio Hanna-Barbera. The series revolves around a team of four teenagers - Fred, Daphne, Shaggy, and Velma - and their dog Scooby-Doo, as they travel around in their van, The Mystery Machine, and solve various mysteries. Each of the characters is loveable and memorable, especially the titular Scooby! Their adventures are grand, the jokes are hilarious, and there's not a thing to criticize this series for!
The Jetsons
1962 - 1963, 1985 - 1987 | 3 seasons | 75 episodes
The Jetsons is an animated sitcom centering around a family from the future. And although their lives are full of various futuristic appliances, they still get into one misadventure after another, often caused by mishandling said appliances. The Jetsons managed to combine such polar opposites as corny and clever, intelligent and silly at the same time, making this series a favorite not only among kids but adults, too.
I adored the original Jetsons. I remember how exciting the space age was for us kids.
The Tom And Jerry Show
1975 | 16 episodes
Tom And Jerry's exploits could be added to a list of basically any list mentioning TV shows, as the duo, in various incarnations, has been gracing our screens from the '50s right up to this day. The Tom And Jerry Comedy Show, though, ran for half an hour and included two segments of our favorite pair's antics and also a Droopy cartoon right in the middle. Unfortunately, this Tom And Jerry embodiment lived only for a couple of months in the '70s, but the episodes were later added to syndicated Tom And Jerry packages.
Fred Flintstone And Friends
1977 - 1978 | 1 season | 96 episodes
Fred Flintstone and Friends is an animated anthology wheel series and a spin-off of The Flintstones. This ultimate package of fun ran every Saturday morning and consisted of several shows, all narrated by Fred Flintstone. It included The Flintstone Comedy Hour, Goober and The Ghost Chasers, Jeannie, and a few others, meant to entertain you at your very young age so your parents could have their morning coffee in peace.
Schoolhouse Rock
1973 - 1984, 1993 - 1996 | 7 seasons | 64 episodes
Schoolhouse Rock is a series of animated musical educational short films that aired during the Saturday morning cartoon block. The series’ topics included all and everything that is important - from economics to grammar and from science to civics. The way Schoolhouse Rock talked about these topics was really catchy and fun, and even though it was Saturday morning, no kid ever complained about having to watch it!
The Pink Panther Show
1969 - 1978 | 11 seasons | 190 episodes
The Pink Panther Show is a showcase of animated shorts featuring the loveable panther. In each of the shorts, our clever Panther falls into some hilarious misadventure, always outwitting anyone trying to trick him. The Pink Panther Show series is never short of truly funny jokes, clever premises, and adorable characters - a truly classy piece of animation.
The Underdog Show
1964 - 1967 | 62 episodes (124 segments)
Underdog is an animated series that kept the American youth glued to their screens every Saturday for years. It follows Underdog - a Shoeshine Boy's (who's also a shoeshine boy by occupation) heroic alter ego. This alter ego seemingly appears only when his love interest Sweet Polly Purebred is being victimized by one of the series' mean boys. Underdog also has a very peculiar way of speaking, doing so only in rhyming couplets. With a wise moral in each episode and never-ending fun to boost, Underdog was one of the crown jewels of every Saturday morning.
Hong Kong Phooey
1974 - 1976 | 16 episodes (31 sub-episodes)
Hong Kong Phooey is an animated series following the (mis)adventures of the titular character. Phooey is the clumsy secret identity of Penrod Pooch, who's a mild-mannered janitor at a local police station. When Penrod turns to Phooey, he's up for fighting crime, relying on his martial arts instructions handbook. Phooey's incompetence and clumsiness are usually the main comedy source of the series, but it never disappoints!
Popeye The Sailor
Super Friends
1973 | 16 episodes
Super Friends, a series following a team of superheroes, was first aired in the seventies but continued well into the eighties, so it isn't cheating to add them to our list. Also, at the beginning of the decade, this League Of Justice comics-based cartoon got a name and format revamp, so it is basically a whole different series to what it was in the beginning. Now, the adventures of our main superheroes came in seven-minute shorts that were a part of ABC's Saturday morning cartoon lineup. The series was incredibly popular at the time, spawning various spin-offs, later video games, and collectible toys.