Let's begin...
Animaniacs, WB
IMDb; In2TV; Retro Junk; Toonarific; TV.com; Voice Chasers; Wikipedia
Well, this is a pretty good show, really it is, I just haven't seen enough of it. It's terribly funny and just really nuts, and a modern classic. The main characters are Yakko, Wakko, and Dot Warner. They basically annoy the other characters they interact with, but they're really funny and they sing truly inspired and hilarious songs and stuff. Wakko's my favorite. He seems the craziest to me. Maybe. They're all quite mad, though. Maybe I just like Wakko because he sounds like a Beatle. I dunno.
Anyway, there are other little cartoons within the show, such as Mindy & Buttons, Goodfeathers, Skippy and Slappy... whatever. Bunches of stuff, I don't know what all. And of course Pinky & the Brain got their start here, before they got their own series. So it really is a great show. I can't help feeling guilty about not putting this on a higher tier. But as much as I think it's objectively great and deserves to be loved by all crazy people like myself, I dunno... it's still not one of my favorites....
See also the movie Wakko's Wish (IMDb; Movie Tome; Wikipedia), which maybe I'll manage to review sometime, if I ever see it again.
The Emperor's New School, Disney Channel
Disney Channel; IMDb; TV.com; Wikipedia
So this show is like based on the movie "The Emperor's New Groove," which I haven't seen yet, but I'd like to. Still, I wasn't really expecting much from the series. But actually I rather like it. There's this teenager named Kuzco, who's supposed to become emperor. But first he has to graduate (from a school that's named after him). He's got a couple friends: Malina (who we kinda like), and Kronk, who actually works for a woman named Yzma, who always comes up with weird plots to prevent him from becoming emperor, so that she can become empress. I'm not real clear on how that works, but whatever. Yzma also secretly poses as Amzy, principal of Kuzco Academy, though the only one who seems not to know this is Kronk, who's surprised every time Amzy reveals to him that she's really Yzma.
Anyway, the show's pretty funny. Kuzco's not all that smart really, though Kronk's probably less smart. And um, Kuzco's very spoiled and self-centered and lazy. Though ultimately he occasionally does good things, I guess. And he stops the show sometimes to do things like "Kuzco's doodles" and stuff. Um... I dunno, I should explain all this better, but it's kind of weird. And cool. And funny. Not exactly a show I make it a point of watching regularly, but I do like it whenever I catch it.
Garfield and Friends, CBS
IMDb; Retro Junk; Toonarific; TV Tome; Voice Chasers
This show was good. Sometimes. I dunno what to say. You do know Garfield and Odie and Jon, right? Then there was this U.S. Acres stuff, about Orson the pig and all these other farm animals. Wade Duck, Roy Rooster, Bo and Lanolin Sheep, Booker the chick and Sheldon the... uh, egg.... And stuff. Maybe some other characters, I forget. Not as good as the Garfield stuff, but it could be okay at times. I guess.
Inspector Gadget
IMDb; Retro Junk; Toonarific; TV Tome; Voice Chasers
In some bizarre, remote way, this is vaguely inspired by Get Smart (see classic shows). In any event, Don Adams played Gadget. The character is pretty clueless, but he has all kinds of cool gadgets which occasionally actually work as he intends. Hmmm, I guess he's almost like a cyborg, sort of. But not really. And he has a niece named Penny who's really clever and actually is responsible for solving all the cases Gadget thinks he solves. Or isn't aware he's solved until the Chief congratulates him. Penny has a dog named Brain who helps her. He's a pretty clever dog, and does his best to keep Gadget out of trouble. The bad guys are a criminal organization called MAD, which is run by Dr. Claw, who has a cat named Mad Cat. Dr. Claw doesn't seem to be aware that Penny's actually responsible for constantly foiling his plans. Anyway, it's funny. And I have a fairly strong feeling I should maybe move this to a higher tier, but I'm just not quite sure. And I'd personally love to make a spin-off show someday with a grown-up Penny as an inspector herself. Prob'ly never happen, though, alas....
See also Inspector Gadget (IMDb; Movie Tome), a live-action movie inspired by the cartoon. It wasn't bad. There was also a sequel with different actors, which I doubt I'll ever see.
Martin Mystery, French
Absolute Anime; IMDb; Jetix UK; official website; Nickelodeon; Toonarific; TV.com; Wikipedia; YTV
Reruns on Nicktoons Network.
This is made by Marathon, the same studio that makes Totally Spies (see cartoons 4). I don't think it's quite as good, but then I haven't seen very much of it. Anyway, it's about this guy named Martin Mystery, who attends Torrington Academy, and also secretly works for a place called the Centre. The Centre is run by someone called M.O.M. (who we kinda like), who is assisted by a little green Martian named Billy. There seem to be alot of aliens working for this organization, and they have lots of advanced technology. Yeah, I think the show is sort of a cross between Men in Black and The X-Files, but more cartoony. Actually, the cartoon is based on comic books, which I don't know anything about, but which I think are more serious than this show. There are several other differences, I think, but I can't really comment.
So, Martin has to investigate paranormal stuff, with the help of his step-sister Diana Lombard (who we like), and a caveman named Java. Martin has a sort of watchlike device that he can use to select various techno-gadgets to assist in his investigations, which is cool. But other than that... he mostly relies on his knowledge of sci-fi and monster movies. He has an ego that goes way beyond his abilities, and he doesn't seem to focus very well on his assignments, especially when there are girls around. Diana, on the other hand, is much more intelligent and professional, though she also spends alot of time arguing with Martin. But eventually, of course, they solve every case. Can't really think of anything else to say. It's a reasonably amusing and interesting show I guess, but mostly it's just something to watch. And pretty much any girls on the show are cute. That's about all.
The Mask, CBS
IMDb; Toonarific; TV Tome
This was pretty funny. Based on the live-action movie of the same name (IMDb; Movie Tome), but there were some distinct differences. It was still pretty cool. You know, this guy Stanley Ipkiss gets this old mask that used to belong to Loki, the Norse god of mischeif, and he puts it on and becomes, well, not quite himself. And he's kinda nuts and just interested in goofing around, basically. But he has some strange super-powers, sort of. And does fight some villains, the best one being Praetorius. I dunno what else to say. Oh, he has a dog named Milo who's rather clever. Would've been on a higher tier, while it was on.
Raw Toonage, CBS
IMDb; Toonarific; TV Tome
This was a Disney show. Um, each week it was hosted by a different Disney character. And there were several different segments, mini-cartoons within the half hour. There was Bonkers, a crazy bobcat who later got his own show (IMDb; TV Tome) in which he'd been fired as a cartoon actor and became a cop. I didn't like that show as much as the Raw Toonage segment. There was Marsupilami, this Australian critter with a really long tail and a gorilla friend named Maurice. He later got his own show (IMDb; TV Tome) too, which was pretty much the same as the Raw Toonage segment. There was also a segment called "Totally Tasteless Video," I believe, which was sort of different each week, no regular characters as I recall. I can't think of any other segments, maybe that's it. But anyway, it was rather amusing, and the segments worked well, being as short as they were.
ReBoot
IMDb; Toonarific; TV Tome; Voice Chasers; YTV
Um, so like, computer animated, or whatever. I didn't see nearly all of this. It was on Cartoon Network in reruns recently, and I occasionally tuned in and saw that a great deal about this show changed over time. But anyway, it was kinda good. Buncha guardians inside a computer or something, and viruses and whatnot trying to take over, and occasionally characters had to work as game sprites or whatever and beat the user playing whatever odd game from the real world. I dunno.
Recess
Everything2; IMDb; Toonarific; Toon Disney; TV.com; Wikipedia
Reruns on Toon Disney.
I like this show. What to say? There's a group of fourth-graders who um... do stuff at recess. I guess the de facto leader is T.J. Detweiler. Then there's Mikey Blumberg, Ashley Spinelli, Vince LaSalle, Gretchen Grundler, and Gus Griswald. They're a pretty eclectic bunch. There's also a fair sized supporting cast of other kids (most of whom go by nicknames) who go to Third Street School with them, as well as Principal Prickly, Miss Finster, Miss Grotkey and other staff. Not sure what to say except it's a fairly amusing little show about T.J. and his friends having fun and adventures on the playground, frequenly getting into trouble, but also helping people out. They may enjoy breaking rules, but they tend to do what they think is right, and they're probably usually right.
See also Recess: School's Out (animated films 4).
Super Robot Monkey Team Hyper Force Go!, Toon Disney
IMDb; Jetix; Jetix UK; Toonarific; TV.com; Voice Chasers; Wikipedia
This show obviously wants to be anime. There's this kid named Chiro, who lives in Shuggazoom City. One day he found a super-robot, and also five robot monkeys: Antauri, Nova, Gibson, Sprx, and Otto. Chiro gets some super powers (the Power Primate), and the six of them fight evil, mostly the work of the Skeleton King (voiced by Mark Hamill!) There's really not much else to say, I guess. Not a great show, but I kinda like it.
Tripping The Rift (CGI), Sci-Fi Channel
IMDb; SadGeezers Guide; Sci-Fi Channel; Toonarific; TV.com; Voice Chasers; Wikipedia
This series is based on a short film of the same name from 2000 (IMDb; Movie Tome), though I don't think it's quite as good as the original. It's about these wacky aliens and androids or whatever flying around on this little smuggling ship, which in the original short was called the Free Enterprise, but in this series is the Jupiter 42. The captain is Chode, voiced by Stephen Root. He has a sex slave android named Six, who we like. I could've sworn she was voiced by Terry Farrell in the original, but I may have been wrong. She doesn't do Six's voice in the series, anyway. There's also a fussy robot named Gus. And some other characters I don't think were in the original: T'Nuk, who is some sort of alien centaur thing, and part owner of the ship; Whip, some kind of teenage lizard thing, who is Chode's nephew; and Bob, the ship's AI, I guess. There's also Darph Bobo, of course, who is the head of the evil Dark Clown Empire, and Chode's arch-nemesis. Anyway, the show's funny and crude, mostly about sex and violence and stuff. And really weird and irreverent. The good guys don't have much in the way of redeeming values about them, especially Chode. Six is probably the only one with much of any real brains or conscience or anything. And that's about all I can think to say for now.