The 1990s were a golden age of animated TV, with many long-lasting and critically acclaimed TV shows aimed at both adults and children. Some of the best animated TV shows of all time, which are still airing today, launched in the 1990s, including Futurama and South Park. However, this success has left behind some underrated animated TV shows that everyone forgot about.
Many of the best animated shows in the 1990s eclipsed similar or equivalent shows that did not get the attention that they deserved at the time. Other 1990s animated TV shows were so experimental or outlandish that they were not easy to explain or classify. Many of these have gone on to grow cult followings, while others remain underrated TV gems.
The Dreamstone
1990
The Dreamstone was about the villain Zordrak’s never-ending quest to get his claws on the Dreamstone, a powerful gem that protected the inhabitants of the Land of Dreams from nightmares. It was beautifully animated, with a notable musical score that included the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Ozzy Osbourne, and featured voice acting by Christian Bale. Still, despite the show’s charm, it remains underrated.
Rufus (Bale) and Amberley, the heroes in The Dreamstone, are cute but nowhere near as interesting as the bad guys. The dragonlike Zordrak was a phenomenal performance by voice actor Gary Martin, and his inept army is hilarious. The Dreamstone was sometimes one of the more horrifying animated TV shows of the 1990s, and just as compelling as the better-known ones.
James Bond Jr.
1991
James Bond Jr. may not have been the best show of the 1990s, but it was a lot of fun seeing how its makers tried to turn the famous womanizer with a license to kill into a children’s TV character. James Bond may not have appeared in James Bond Jr., but the show cast his nephew in the role of the spy.
James Bond Jr. featured many familiar names and faces from the 007 franchise, including Q’s grandson, and reimagined many of the classic Bond villains as cartoonish antagonists. Jaws and Nick Nack appear, and Doctor No has inexplicably been given green skin. The makers might prefer the show be forgotten, but James Bond Jr. is too silly not to watch at least once.
Conan The Adventurer
1992
A major trend seen in the 1990s was the regular attempts of show creators to base a kids’ TV series around an extremely violent movie. Some were bizarre failures, while others were unexpected successes. Conan the Adventurer removed much of the violence and sexuality from Conan the Barbarian, and created a kids’ show following the young warrior’s first adventures.
Against all odds, Conan the Adventurer was an amazing fantasy cartoon that flew under the radar. The show kept the swords and sorcery themes that were central to the original stories, delivering great plotlines and interesting characters. Conan the Adventurer brought an epic fantasy tale to a younger audience a decade before The Lord of the Rings would hit theaters.
Biker Mice From Mars
1993
The success of the 1987 TV show Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ensured that shows featuring mutated and genetically modified animals would dominate the screen for much of the 1990s. This led to a saturated market with some of the best shows becoming underrated gems, like Biker Mice from Mars. The show is about alien mice who flee to Earth while a war rages on Mars.
Biker Mice from Mars has returned in comic book form, which could lead to the possibility of the series getting the attention it deserves, as the themes are still relevant today. Like other successful 1990s shows and movies, the series has a strong central theme of environmental responsibility, highlighting the fight against the overconsumption of natural resources.
Street Sharks
1994
Street Sharks might have been noticed when it was onscreen in the 1990s, but until recently, it has not enjoyed the enduring success of other TV shows with an action and superhero-adjacent theme. Like Biker Mice from Mars, Street Sharks is returning as a comic book series, which is set to continue the lore of the original story.
Street Sharks is a tale of four brothers who are turned into man-shark hybrids by an evil scientist using a machine known as the “gene-slammer.” Now taking on the form of four different sharks, the brothers team up to fight crime in their city, before taking regular fast-food breaks. The show is a great piece of 1990s nostalgia with an endearingly bizarre concept.
Earthworm Jim
1995
When thinking about animated TV shows based on video games, Earthworm Jim might not be the first one that comes to mind. The show was released a year after the 1994 game, and both have been criminally underrated. Earthworm Jim follows the adventures of an earthworm who finds a robotic suit that transforms him into a hilarious superhero, voiced by Dan Castellaneta (Homer Simpson).
Earthworm Jim took its hero on a villain-fighting journey across the universe. It is one of the most underrated animated video game TV series of all time, for its sense of humor. The issues facing Jim range from intergalactic menaces to his suit running out of battery. Most episodes end with a character being crushed by a cow, as a tribute to the game’s ending.
Percy The Park Keeper
1996
A criticism of modern kids’ TV compared to the 1990s shows is that current shows are overstimulating. The British animated TV show Percy the Park Keeper is a gentle antidote to the neon colors and quick cuts seen in many series today. Each episode lasts 10 minutes and covers the everyday life of a park keeper and his many animal friends.
While clearly aimed at a young audience, people of all ages have also enjoyed the show for its storylines, animation style, and voice acting, especially by Jim Broadbent as Percy. The short series has flown under the international radar for decades, but was so popular in the UK that a statue of Percy was placed in one of London’s surrounding parks in 2020.
The Angry Beavers
1997
Nickelodeon’s show, The Angry Beavers, does not always get the credit that it deserves. Set in the fictional town of Wayouttatown in Oregon, two very different beaver brothers called Daggett and Norbert live together in a dam and spend most of their time annoying each other. The show is comedically relatable to anyone with siblings, but it was competing with major successes.
Other Nickelodeon shows like Rugrats were more heavily promoted than The Angry Beavers, which had a type of humor that was harder to categorize. The Angry Beavers was often sarcastic and absurdist, with pop culture references that meant the age of its target audience was sometimes difficult to pin down. That said, The Angry Beavers became a cult hit over time.
The Wild Thornberrys
1998
The Wild Thornberrys is a fun take on the Doctor Doolittle story, in which Eliza Thornberry accidentally has a spell put on her, which leaves her with the ability to understand animals. The show would have been a fun idea without this detail, as Eliza’s parents are nature documentary filmmakers, but the extra magic makes The Wild Thornberrys stand out.
The Wild Thornberrys enjoyed success with its five great seasons and a movie, but its movie crossover with the Rugrats fell flat with a 39% Rotten Tomatoes rating from both audiences and critics. While some great TV shows should never be rebooted, The Wild Thornberrys could easily be successful today with new storylines and adventures for the animal-loving family.
Redwall
1999
Many 1990s kids’ TV shows are beautiful to watch while occasionally being traumatizing, with The Animals of Farthing Wood featuring many animal deaths. The show overshadowed the equally good and similarly-toned Redwall, which is an animated fantasy medieval TV show based on the long-running book series by Brian Jacques. Each season of Redwall follows a different book in the series.
Redwall is about a group of different animals who live together in an abbey, which they regularly have to defend from evil forces, like groups of pirating rats. The show was not heavily marketed and had a limited release without interest from major channels, so many prospective viewers weren’t aware that Redwall existed despite its potential for great success.