10 cartoons from the '70s that still hold up today
10 cartoons from the '70s that still hold up today
Will HarrisFri, May 1, 2026 at 4:00 PM UTC
0
Scooby-Doo, Fat Albert, and Robin the Boy WonderCredit: Hanna-Barbera Productions (2); Filmation
Every generation holds a fondness for the cartoons that came about when they were coming of age. By the same token, it’s fair to say that other generations don’t necessarily find the same level of adoration for things that came before or after their formative era.
That’s definitely the case with the animated series of the ‘70s. For instance, who but someone who actually grew up in those years could defend a show called The C.B. Bears?
Still, some shows are so good, they transcend the era in which they were created and are still being appreciated to this day. Here are 10 such ‘70s cartoons that still hold up today, in chronological order.
01 of 10
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! (1969–1970)
Daphne, Shaggy, Velma, Fred, and Scooby. Meddling kids not picturedCredit: Hanna-Barbera Productions
Throughout the ‘70s, Hanna-Barbera Studios made a killing off a simple equation: meddling kids + sidekick + mysteries. It all started with a talking Great Dane and a quartet of teens named Fred, Daphne, Velma, and Shaggy.
This original incarnation of Scooby adventures only ran for two seasons, with its second season only consisting of eight episodes. But it’s the one that set the template for the franchise and has spawned more sequel series than we’d care to count. Almost six decades later, the Scooby brand is still going strong.
02 of 10
Groovie Goolies (1970–1972)
Count Dracula and Frankenstein's Monster discuss philosophy, breakfast cereals, and/or murderCredit: Filmation
It’s no wonder that a generation of kids who grew up watching the Universal Monsters collective (we’re talking about Frankenstein, Dracula, the Wolf Man, the Mummy, and their ilk) and the comedy of Laugh-In would happily latch onto a cartoon series melding the two concepts together.
Groovie Goolies originally began its run as the hour-long Sabrina and the Groovie Goolies, which featured two 15-minute segments starring Sabrina the Teenage Witch and 30 minutes of the Goolies. The characters crossed over between segments, but the Goolies were eventually syndicated separately. Even now, it’s a colorful and fun series.
03 of 10
Josie and the Pussycats (1970–1972)
Josie on guitar and lead vocals, Melody on drums, Valerie on, uh, tambourines (it was a different time)Credit: Hanna-Barbera Productions
Although based on the Archie Comics series, Josie and the Pussycats bears far more of a resemblance to Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!
This is, of course, because — unlike the Archie-related animated shows, which were produced by Filmation — the Josie cartoon was a Hanna-Barbera production. Therefore, it followed the aforementioned “meddling kids + sidekick + mysteries” format. In its second season, however, the series went full sci-fi, changing its name to Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space.
The 2001 live-action Josie film, now considered a cult classic, helped an entirely new generation discover the series — and its bubblegum pop songs kept them watching.
04 of 10
Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1972–1985)
'Hey, hey hey!' Fat Albert takes the mic to deliver a weekly lessonCredit: Filmation
Yes, it was the brainchild of a comedian whose reputation has been ruined as a result of awful actions that don’t need to be revisited here, but Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids was a truly groundbreaking animated series, the first to feature a predominantly African-American cast of characters.
It was also unabashedly educational, with Lou Scheimer, head of Filmation Studios, pointedly presenting stories that espoused good values. Clichéd though some of the characters may be, the valuable moral lessons taught by Fat Albert and his so-called Junkyard Gang educated a generation.
05 of 10
Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973–1974)
Even in animated form, Captain Kirk has that Shatner swaggerCredit: Filmation
Star Trek ran for a mere three seasons before it was cancelled. After leaving prime time, the series’ 79 episodes entered syndication and raised the show’s profile high enough for creator Gene Roddenberry to successfully sell NBC on doing an animated series.
Advertisement
As many of the original characters returned as the budget could afford (translation: Chekov was MIA, although Walter Koenig did write an episode), and while the animation is admittedly limited, these 22 episodes are non-stop sci-fi fun. “Yesteryear” is arguably one of the single best episodes of any Star Trek series, full stop.
06 of 10
Dynomutt, Dog Wonder (1976–1977)
The gloves and mask don't fool us, we can still tell you're just a dog in disguiseCredit: Hanna-Barbera Productions
This Scooby spinoff revolved around a Batman-like superhero called the Blue Falcon who worked alongside a robotic canine called Dynomutt, thereby allowing Hanna-Barbera’s writers to create a series of fun and ridiculous supervillains to challenge the heroes, including such bizarre characters as Fishface, the Red Vulture, Lowbrow, and the Swamp Rat.
Yes, there was the occasional crossover with Scooby and the gang, but it’s the goofy heroics of the title character and Blue Falcon that still make it entertaining — while keeping the characters popular enough to turn up on Dexter’s Laboratory, Johnny Bravo, and other series.
07 of 10
Laff-a-Lympics (1977–1978)
Quick-Draw McGraw (no relation to baseball legend Tug McGraw) steps up to the plateCredit: Hanna-Barbera Productions
Originally part of a two-hour block called Scooby’s All-Star Laff-A-Lympics, this animated competition series featured three teams of characters from the Hanna-Barbera library: the Scooby-Doobies, the Yogi Yahooeys, and the villainous Really Rottens. In the ’70s, seeing Scooby and Shaggy competing on a team alongside Captain Caveman, Speed Buggy, and Hong Kong Phooey against Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, and Quick Draw McGraw was one of the coolest things ever.
Does it hold up today? Well, it inevitably gets trotted out onto some streaming service or another whenever the Olympics roll around, which really ought to count for something.
08 of 10
Challenge of the Superfriends (1978)
Green Lantern, jealous as always of his Kryptonian superfriendCredit: Hanna-Barbera Productions
There were Super Friends series before this one and there were Super Friends series after this one, but when it comes to the incarnation holding the fondest memories for viewers, it always comes back to Challenge of the Superfriends.
The reason can be summed up in three words: Legion of Doom. For 16 episodes, DC’s greatest heroes were actually seen battling supervillains from the comics, including Lex Luthor, Brainiac, Bizarro, the Riddler, Cheetah, and Solomon Grundy. It was glorious. Sure, the storylines were ridiculous, but when it comes to sheer ’70s fun, no other DC-derived series can compete.
09 of 10
Battle of the Planets (1978–1980)
Princess and Mark, probably flirtingCredit: Sandy Frank Entertainment
In the 1970s, the word “anime” was virtually unknown in America, mostly because any Japanese-created animated series making American headway featured English dubbing.
The biggest success on our shores during that time was Science Ninja Team Gatchaman. Known over here as Battle of the Planets, it was about a quintet of kids — Mark, Jason, Princess, Keyop, and Tiny — who, with the help of robot companion 7-Zark-7, battled the villainous Zoltar.
Although tweaked a fair amount for American audiences, Battle of the Planets was must-see syndicated TV for the Star Wars generation. The action-packed episodes are still awesome.
10 of 10
The New Adventures of Flash Gordon (1979–1982)
Dr. Zarkov, Dale Arden, and Flash Gordon himselfCredit: Filmation
One might presume that this cartoon came about in conjunction with the 1980 Flash Gordon feature film, but it was actually greenlit by Filmation after the staggering success of Star Wars. The show revolved around the eponymous hero, his cohorts Dale Arden and Dr. Hans Zarkov, and the evil overlord Ming the Merciless.
The design was inspired by Alex Raymond’s original Flash Gordon comic strip, and the result is gorgeous, making it still go down smoothly even all these years later. If you’re a fan of the film, it’s well worth taking a trip to the animated Mongo.
Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
