1980's Saturday Morning Historical Preservation Society

True, but there is another dimension to it. Cartoons are often designed for a specific age group in mind, and that age group grows up rather quickly so there is a narrow window to catch an audience before the show becomes that old show you older brother watched before he started high school. To compensate, shows often try to peel back the concept of the show in an attempt to cater to a younger audience, exactly what happened to the Real Ghost busters. This in turns means a lower quality product that is older and has to compete with new shows that get full funding and marketing behind them. Most cartoons from the 1980's have an expected run of about 4 years. But even two years can be considered very successful.