1980's SMHRS Build-The-Excitement Poll #1 - GOLDEN AGE

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

GETTING PSYCHED FOR OUR ALL-NEW 1980'S SATURDAY MORNING WATCH-ALONG HISTORICAL REENACTMENT THIS SATURDAY!!!

So about this poll (because everyone loves a good poll), this is building on a theory that I've heard bandied about at comic cons and the likes for YEARS now - that the "Golden Age" of most things you love happened when you were approximately 12 years old. And what exactly does "Golden Age" mean? It's when things were better than they had ever been before AND better than they ever will be again.

EXAMPLE: I think that the comic books of 1983-1986 were THE BEST ever made - not corny like they had been in the past, not grim-n-gritty like they became shortly after that. To me, the Golden Age of comics were right around 1985 which, coincidentally enough, was when I was right around 12 years old. EVERYTHING was better then - Happy Meal Toys were the best ever, Cartoons were the best ever, Toys were the best ever - it never was and never will be as good as it was in '85.

But if you ask my older brother, he'd swear that the stuff *I* loved was garbage because the TRUE golden age was right around 1976 (when HE was 12), and he'd have plenty of evidence to back up that claim. And as for my Dad? Well everything started going down-hill once they stopped publishing Captain Marvel comics in 1953 (you'll never guess how old he was then).

And so in regards to our Saturday Mornings of the 1980's, It's got me wondering...

[Poll #1934399]

Remember to please be as honest in your answers as possible... this is for SCIENCE!

Comments

[the-gneech.livejournal.com]

I've already commented elsewhere that Star Trek: The Animated Series has always been the high-water mark for Saturday morning cartoons in my mind. There was plenty of good stuff in the early- and mid-'80s too, but late '70s were my "Golden Age."

-TG

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

Late 70's, for me, was the base on which the awesomeness of the 80's cartoons were built. But it was all *perfected* in the 80's.

[aurora77]

I may have to go watch ST:TAS. I still haven't seen any of it. I assumed it would be terrible, but maybe it isn't. It's now on my Netflix list to check out.

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

It's as good as TOS, at the very least :)

[nyxalinth.livejournal.com]

No ranting, just that 1970-1980 were the times I remember most fondly. After that era, my favorites were the Smurfs and handful of others.

[nyxalinth.livejournal.com]

It's surprisingly mature, likely because they stayed true to the spirit of TOS.

[the_con_cept.livejournal.com]

I voted for 86 being my favorite mostly because I still really love the Alvin & the Chipmunks theme song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cElOuuPxqc") for that era. But I really loved Fat Albert in its time, and of course Muppet Babies.

Also, my boss and I spent an afternoon comparing Saturday morning cartoons from his era (70s) and mine, and it was, er, edifying, to say the least. There were a lot of, "What the fuck were those people SMOKING?" comments on my part, (lol, H.R. Pufnstuf) which he agreed with completely. He feels Saturday morning cartoons from the 70s explain the way his entire generation turned out. I'd love to see a comparison of 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s cartoons and get a feel for the Zietgeist of each!

[volare.livejournal.com]

Fat Albert, Hercules, Thundarr, D&D, Herculoids, Beetle Bailey... Boston TV in the late 70s-early 80s was such a mash-up of eras, we never quite knew what to expect. I can't really vouch for any single year being the greatest but I do linger in the "'81 to '88" zone as far as comics, cartoons, toys and games.

[volare.livejournal.com]

TAS OWNED me and my brother for quite awhile, especially when the then-fledgling Nickelodeon started running it right when my brother got old enough to enjoy it.

[hibiscusrose.livejournal.com]

I can't pin a year, but let's say, like my taste in pop music, the best stuff was between 1980-1985. Still running Looney Tunes, Muppet Babies, I did actually like Smurfs then, Schoolhouse Rock, and the different versions of Scooby Doo.

I probably would have more, but my parents limited us to how much TV we could watch, both on Saturday mornings and in the afternoons (remember how some channels had mid-afternoon kids' programming?).

[kaitydid33087.livejournal.com]

I turned 12 innnn...1999. Honestly, I think all the good cartoons were between 1980 and 1999. I haven't liked anything that's been in the 2000s.

As for my favorite cartoons? That's too hard to choose there, so I didn't vote. XD

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

I only do official Network Broadcast Saturday Morning shows - ABC, NBC, CBS. Ducktales was a syndicated show that was much more likely to be found on a weekday afternoon than on a Saturday morning :) This is why you also don't see any mention of Transformers, GI Joe, Jem, My Little Pony or Strawberry Shortcake either! I have my self-appointed boundaries and I sticks to 'em!

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

The straight-up 2000's were pretty bleak, but so were most of the 90's - but recent years, n the 2010's have seen some pretty wicked-awesome cartoons come in to being :)

[janusfiles.livejournal.com]

As captain_slinky said, it's as good as TOS. Part of the reason was that Gene Roddenberry was involved, and he insisted that it be Star Trek first and foremost. It just happened to be animated rather than live-action. And Larry Niven wrote an episode.

And if I'm not mistaken, Shatner and Nimoy insisted that all of the other cast members be included in voicing their characters.

[deepseasiren.livejournal.com]

1980 and 1980 were my answers :))