Our Retro Cartoon Journey - The 1970's

Welcome to the second part of the journey into our animated pasts to see what shows helped shape our humour.  Today we look at the era that spawned a load of shows that endured and franchises that have stood the test of time.  So settle down and feel the Nostalgia wash over you like so many waves of technicolour goodness

Mr Benn

First Aired

7 January 1971

Channel

BBC

Cast

Ray Brooks - Narrator

Synopsis

A man who regularly visits a costume shop gets to live out a story and fantasy appropriate to the costume he chooses

Why we Love it

A classic show that really spoke to our imaginations, we loved to see which outfits and subsequent characters Mr Benn would become each episode and though the animation was not fantastic it stuck in our memories for years

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The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show

First Aired

September 11th, 1971

Channel

CBS

Cast

Sally Struthers - Pebbles Flintstone

Jay North - Bamm-Bamm Rubble

Alan Reed - Fred Flintstone

Jean Vander Pyl - Wilma Flintstone

Mel Blanc - Barney Rubble

Gay Hartweg - Betty Rubble

Carl Esser - Fabian

Mitzi McCall - Penny

Don Messick - Schleprock

Lennie Weinrib - Moonrock 

Synopsis

A show focusing on Fred and Wilma's daughter Pebbles and Barney and Betty's son Bamm-Bamm, now a couple in highschool.

Why we Love it

A look into the future for our favourite stone age family gave us a much broader look into Bedrock than the original series.

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The Wombles

First Aired

5 February 1973

Channel

BBC

Cast

Bernard Cribbins - Narrator

Synopsis

The adventures of a group of creatures who live below Wimbledon Common collecting all different sorts of rubbish

Why we Love it

A classic cartoon in a fantastic stop motion style with characters that have stood the test of time (they have their own music), seriously Great Uncle Bulgaria still sticks in the mind today.

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Star trek, The Animated Series

First Aired

8 September 1973

Channel

CBS

Cast

William Shatner - Kirk

Leonard Nimoy - Spock

Nichelle Nichols - Uhura

George Takei - Sulu

James Doohan - Scotty

DeForest Kelley - Bones

Synopsis

Kirk and the crew continue to explore the Galaxy and protect the Federation from destructive aliens.

Why We Love It
A continuation of one of my all time favorite franchises following the original Enterprise crew (most of them anyway) as the venture further into the Final Frontier in stories that the TV show couldn't afford to broadcast in live action

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Bagpuss

qw

First Aired

12 February 1974

Channel

BBC

Cast

Oliver Postgate - Bagpuss, Mice, Narrator, Professor Yaffle

Sandra Kerr - Madeleine the Rag Doll, Mice

John Faulkner - Gabriel the Toad, Mice

Synopsis

A group of toys in a mysterious curiosity shop try to work out what new items that are brought in by the kindly owners daughter are used for.

Why we love it

Okay, Professor Yaffle the cantankerous, dismissive yet highly adorable character was a standout for us in an entirely sweet and cute show

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Hong Kong Phooey

First Aired

7 September 1974

Channel

ABC

Cast

Scatman Crothers: - Hong Kong Phooey, Penrod 'Penry' Pooch

Joe E. Ross - Sergeant Flint 

Don Messick - Spot

Jean Vander Pyl - Rosemary

Daws Butler - Big Duke 

Synopsis

Penrod "Penry" Pooch a mild mannered janitor at a local police station is the secret identity of martial artist Hong Kong Phooey who leaps into action using his questionable skills but is usually bailed out by his friend, a cat named Spot

Why we love it

An inept and incompetent superhero, a super smart and capable sidekick and various different ways for that super smart sidekick to save his headstrong friend, whats not to love.

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Roobarb and Custard

First Aired

21 October 1974

Channel

BBC 1

Cast

Richard Briers - Narrator

Synopsis

Roobarb is a green dog who is full of enthusiasm and energy and is constantly trying to invent new ways to have fun, while Custard a purple cat want to maintain a quite life in their garden.

Why we love it

This show truly is a classic, the rough around the edges animation just reminds me of my childhood and the fantastic title music stands out as one of the best.

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Paddington Bear

First Aired

‎5 January 1976

Channel

BBC

Cast

Michael Hordern - Narrator

Synopsis

The story of a talking bear from deepest darkest Peru who journeys to England after an earthquake destroys his home, he is found at Paddington Train Station by a kindly family who takes him in.

Why we Love it

Come on it's Paddington, a staple of most childrens childhoods that has stood the test of time with children now being treated to two really fun movies

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Moomin

First Aired

1977

Channel

ITV

Cast

Richard Murdoch - Narrator - English (1982)

Synopsis

The adventures of Hippopotamus style creatures called the Moomins who live in Moominvalley.

Why we Love it

Another franchise that has stood the test of time spanning books, stop motion animation, regular animation and even a movie, the cute characters and sweet stories are what sticks in our heads.

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The Flumps

First Aired

14 February 1977

Channel

BBC

Cast

Gay Soper - Narrator

Synopsis

The story centres around a family of furry creatures, who every episode sing songs and read stories.

Why we Love it

Okay this one is a little strange they are after all walking, talking coconuts!!  but come on they are adorable, though the stories may be generic we thought the animation alone deserved to make the list

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Scooby Doo and Scrappy Doo

First Aired

22 September 1979

Channel

BBC

Cast

Casey Kasem - Shaggy

Don Messick -  Scooby-Doo

Heather North - Daphne

Lennie Weinrib - Scrappy-Doo

Frank Welker - Fred 

Patricia Stevens - Velma

Synopsis

Scooby and the gang are back solving more cases but now they are joined by his nephew Scrappy Doo

Why we Love it

The show was everything we loved about the original but with the added bonus of Scooby's polar opposite in personality, Scrappy Doo and yes looking back at this as an adult Puppy Power is unbelievably annoying but as a kid, quite, quite quoatable!

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So that's the list, what cartoons from the 70's did you used to watch?  Did we miss any?  Let us know in the comments and remember to stay tuned for the next part where we delve into the awesome era that was the 80's

And remember...

Stay Floaty

Our Retro Cartoon Journey - The Early Days 1940's - 1970's

Cartoons have a major influence on our lives, teaching us important life and morality lessons whilst we giggle at silly sight gags, our humour and outlooks are shaped by the shows we watched (and in some cases continue to watch to this day), so we at GiS headquarters have compiled a comprehensive list of shows that had an impact on us in order of when they were aired to the world (in some of these cases the shows came out many many years before we were born!) so sit back and enjoy the coming series on Our Retro Cartoon Journey.....

1) Tom and Jerry

First Aired

February 10, 1940

Channel

ITV

Cast

N/A

Synopsis

The adventures of an inept cat named Tom who spends his life trying to catch a super smart mouse named Jerry.

Why we love it

How can we not, the original cartoon violence at its best with two lovable characters locked in an immortal feud, I crack up every time I hear Tom scream.  So sad that they decided to ruin the franchise in the way they did.

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2) Droopy

First Aired

March 20, 1943

Channel

MGM

Cast

Droopy has been played on and off over the years by many-many different voice actors such as:

Bill Thompson (1943–1958)

Tex Avery (1945–1955)

Don Messick (1949-1994)

Frank Welker (1980–1982)

Richard Williams (1988–1989)

Corey Burton (1990–1993)

Jeff Bergman (2001-present)

Michael Donovan (2006–2007)

Synopsis

Droopy, the slow moving depressed sounding but ultimately intelligent dog, who is quick to temper and surprisingly strong, easily outwits his enemies.

Why we love it

The voice, oh how we love the voice, it can make us smile just by a few lines, and though the episodes seem quite similar, it's great how the character grabbed our attention.

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Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy

First Aired

19 September 1959

Channel

First-Run Syndication

Cast

Daws Butler - Augie Doggie

Doug Young - Doggie Daddy

Synopsis

Originally appearing as a segment in the Quick Draw McGraw Show, Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy would go on to have their segments played as their own cartoons.  The stories would centre around a dad who would give out parental advice to his unappreciative slightly rebellious son.

Why we love it

Though I saw very few episodes of this and very late on thanks to rerun episodes on Cartoon Network, it helped cement my love of Hannah Barbara animation.

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Quick Draw McGraw

First Aired

19 September 1959

Channel

First-Run Syndication

Cast

Daws Butler - Quick Draw McGraw and Baba Looey

Don Messick - Narrator and Various

Synopsis

Quick Draw McGraw is a anthropomorphic horse who is the sheriff of a small town during the American Old West who each week would stop crime with the help of his deputy Baba Looey

Why we love it

Another example of a fantastic animation and cute stylings that caught my attention as a kid through re runs on Cartoon Network on the mid 90's

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Snagglepuss

First Aired

19 September 1959

Channel

First-Run Syndication

Cast

Daws Butler - Snagglepuss

Don Messick - Various

Synopsis

Originally appearing as a segment in the Quick Draw McGraw Show, Snagglepuss is a bright pink Mountain Lion who dreams of becoming a stage and screen actor, but his attempts to realise his dreams often leads to misadventure.

Why we love it

I had been exposed to Snagglepuss from a much younger age, the over the top mannerisms, catchphrases and typical Hannah Barbara animation in shorter form cartoons elevated this one for me.

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Mr Rossi

First Aired

1960

Channel

ITV

Cast

Giuseppe Rinaldi as Mr Rossi

Synopsis

A man, down and depressed escapes to search for happiness with the help of his dog Harold and a wish granting witch.

Why we love it

Having stumbled on this show when we were younger through re runs on CITV we loved the sidekick and the theme tune.  Though yes there was some questionable content by today's standards, Mr Rossi's quest for happiness is more relevant now than ever in this high stress modern world.

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The Flintstones

First Aired

30 September 1960

Channel

BBC

Cast

Jean Vander Pyl - Wilma Flintstone

Alan Reed - Fred Flintstone

Mel Blanc - Barney Rubble

Bea Benaderet - Betty Rubble

Synopsis

A cartoon based sitcom focusing on two neighbouring stone age families the Flintstones and the Rubbles.

Why We Love it

Another staple of most childhoods, The Flintstones felt more like a sitcom then a cartoon, with fun situations and even funnier dinosaur based devices, and who doesn't love Dino! 

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Top Cat

First Aired

27 September 1961

Channel

BBC

Cast

Arnold Stang - Top Cat

Leo DeLyon - Spook

Allen Jenkins - Officer Dibble

Maurice Gosfield - Benny the Ball

Marvin Kaplan - Choo Choo

John Stephenson - Fancy-Fancy

Synopsis

Top Cat and his gang of Alley Cats try to stay one step ahead pf the local neighbourhood Police Officer, Officer Dibble, who tries to stop their get rich quick schemes

Why We Love it

I loved the frenetic pace of this show and the sight gags can still get me laughing today.  Also Allen Jenkins' Officer Dibble voice is awesome.

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The Jetsons

First Aired

September 23, 1962

Channel

BBC

Cast

George O'Hanlon - George Jetson

Penny Singleton - Jane Jetson

Daws Butler - Elroy Jetson

Janet Waldo - Judy Jetson

Mel Blanc - Cosmo S. Spacely

Don Messick - Astro

Jean Vander Pyl - Rosie the Robot

Synopsis

A cartoon based sitcom focusing on a family in the far future where everyone has spaceships and robot maids.

Why We Love it

Another example of Hannah Barbara straying into sitcom territory with a future set cartoon, whose influences can be seen in other shows like Futurama, again great characterisation and funny sight gags which made Hannah Barbara cartoons so funny.

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Stingray

First Aired

4 October 1964

Channel

BBC

Cast

Ray Barrett - Commander Sam Shore

Robert Easton - Lieutenant George Lee 'Phones' Sheridan

Don Mason - Captain Troy Tempest

Lois Maxwell - Lieutenant Atlanta Shore

Gary Miller - Captain Troy Tempest

Synopsis

A team of aquatic protectors called The World Aquanaut Security Patrol or WASPs protect the oceans from various different threats using there secret weapon, the Stingray, a super technological submarine

Why We Love it

Our favourite of the Gerry Anderson Puppetry shows, combines the fantastic set designs of the sea bed with one of the most memorable theme tunes of all time!

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Squiddly Diddly

First Aired

9 September 1965

Channel

NBC

Cast

Paul Frees - Squiddly Diddly

Synopsis

Squiddly Diddley first appeared in his own cartoon segment on The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show.  Kept against his will at an Aquarium/Aquatic Fun Park, Squiddly Diddly regularly escapes so that he can pursue his dreams of being a musician.

Why We Love it

Another cartoon I used to watch through reruns on Cartoon Network, I loved to see what shifty means Squiddly would use to escape his captors every episode.

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Secret Squirrel

First Aired

2 October 1965

Channel

NBC

Cast

Mel Blanc - Secret Squirrel and Morocco Mole

Paul Frees - Double Q

Synopsis

Secret Squirrel and his sidekick Morocco Mole fight Crime and defeat evil Secret Agents on the orders of his boss Double Q

Why We Love it

Another voice I used to love hearing growing up and coupled with the slapstick take on the spy genre and Hannah Barbara's fantastic art style, Secret Squirrel was so much fun to watch

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Magic Roundabout

First Aired

18 October 1965

Channel

BBC

Cast

Jacques Bodoin - Dougal (voice)

Serge Danot - Brian (voice)

Micheline Dax - Ermintrude (voice)

Bernard Haller - Dougal (voice)

Christian Riehl - Dougal (voice)

Eric Thompson - Narrator (voice)

Synopsis

A group of friends and animals gather around a roundabout to tell stories

Why we love it

Dougal, Brian and Zebedee are such adorable characters and the theme tune for us made it a staple of our childhoods

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Batfink

First Aired

21 April 1966

Channel

BBC

Cast

Frank Buxton as Batfink and Hugo A-Go-Go

Len Maxwell as Karate and The Chief

Synopsis

A crime fighting Bat with wings made of steel travels around with his friend Karate in a car named the Batallac, fighting his arch nemesis, super villain Hugo A-GoGo.

Why we love it

Again some questionable content but growing up this show was a staple of CBBC  for us and so so quotable.

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Wacky Races

First Aired

14 September 1968

Channel

BBC

Cast

Daws Butler - Big Gruesome, Peter Perfect, Red Max, Rock Slag, Rufus Roughcut and Sgt. Blast

Don Messick - Gravel Slag, Little Gruesome, Muttley, Professor Pat Pending, Ring-A-Ding and Sawtooth

John Stephenson - Luke, Blubber Bear

Janet Waldo - Penelope Pitstop

Dave Willock - Narrator

Paul Winchell - Clyde Dick Dastardly, Pvt. Meekley

Synopsis 

A group of increasingly weird and strange characters compete against each other all over the world to win the Wacky races.

Why we love it

Memorable characters that have stood the test of time, I still own a shirt with Muttley on it, plus the fun side characters made this show so funny

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The Herbs

First Aired

12 February 1968

Channel

BBC

Cast

Gordon Rollings - Story Teller

Synopsis

Stories centred around humans and animals that live inside a walled garden that can only be opened by calling the word Herbidacious

Why We Love it

Just look at the animation, one of the prime examples of why animation on modern shows is terrible, computer generation is not needed or wanted, this show has way more charm and characterisation, plus Parsley The Lion is ridiculously cute! 

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Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines

aka

Catch the Pigeon

First Aired

September 13, 1969

Channel

BBC

Cast

Paul Winchell - Dick Dastardly, The General

Don Messick - Muttley / Zilly / Klunk

Synopsis

Dastardly, Muttley and a team of inept pilots try in vain to stop a carrier pigeon from delivering his messages

Why We Love it

Dick Dastardly and Muttley getting their own show?  How can we not love it?  Also introducing the likes of Klunk, genius!

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Scooby Doo where are you

First Aired

13 September 1969

Channel

BBC

Cast

Casey Kasem - Shaggy

Nicole Jaffe -  Velma

Don Messick - Scooby Doo

Frank Welker - Fred 

Stefanianna Christopherson - Daphne

Synopsis

A group of teenagers and their dog solve mysteries from the back of their van, The Mystery Machine, as they travel around the country

Why We Love it

The staple of most children's childhoods, Scooby Doo has still endured today with a combo of cute animation, silly stories and memorable characters.

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And that's part 1 of our odyssey into our animated pasts, what cartoons did you used to watch growing up?  Be sure to stay tuned for the next part of our journey, the 1970's

Thanks for reading

Stay Floaty