Throughout the history of cartoons there have been some that have been flat out disastrous but there have also been seriously underrated considering that they should have been good enough to keep around for multiple generations. The act of canceling cartoons that people actually liked and responded to should be criminal, but in the end it’s all about ratings and determining how much staying power the programs had in relation to others that might have had a deeper and more interesting story to tell.
Then again it could just be about which ones sold more toys.
10. SWAT Kats
Two vigilante cats that were ousted from their regular law enforcement gig decided to build a state of the art jet and go on a crime-fighting vendetta. It was a cool cartoon for a couple of seasons but rather than continue to develop the story line the network it belonged to up and cancelled it. This could have been a great series to be honest.
9. Undergrads
This could have been a great cartoon for way longer than it lasted simply because it’s a story that allows people to relate to the characters and the situations they’re in. Anything having to do with college could be great for adolescents and adults, but the show was taken off the air before it could really get going.
8. Freakazoid
Take the craziness of the Animaniacs and make it into a superhero cartoon and this is what you get. Freakazoid was a bit too out there for a lot of the audience that it was aimed and, and unfortunately there’s not a lot to say about the reason why the show was cut. With enough development it could have been something great, but it was still kind of an odd show.
7. Space Ghost Coast to Coast
Something about the dry humor should indicate why this show kind of faltered after awhile, since it couldn’t have been the fact that it was being hosted by a cartoon hero from the 70’s. That part was golden and the guest stars that came on made the show even more appealing. When you’re competing for a time slot though it usually pays to have something that a network can’t do without.
6. The Tick
Superhero cartoons tend to suffer from a big case of being underdeveloped which is confusing since so many of them should be open to so many different ideas. The Tick was a buffoon to be honest but that was a big part of his charm. A lot of people tuned in just to see him yell “Spoon!”
5. Rocko’s Modern Life
Rocko’s Modern Life was an awesome cartoon during its time and it’s actually been hinting at a return for a while now. The comeback doesn’t seem to be as popular as the cartoon was in the first place but it still bears watching since Rocko was one of the more interesting cartoons of his time.
4. Clone High
This cartoon had a premise that really worked and could have kept on working had the studio been interested in keeping it. Just imagine how many famous people could be cloned over and over and how many different stories could have been wrung from this series.
3. Gargoyles
Disney attempted to break into the more dramatic cartoon scene with this one. They had a good plot and a good premise but it was perhaps lack of development and the story line that really killed this one off.
2. The Critic
Listening to Jon Lovitz voice the main character was a lot of fun, but aside from a guest spot on the Simpsons at one point the Critic really didn’t go much of anywhere since the cartoon was roughly the same each and every time.
1. Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man
This cartoon was definitely created for adults and was highly disturbing in many ways but still something interesting to watch. Like all other cartoons on this list however it fell by the wayside due to lack of interest.
Good cartoons suffer just a much as good TV shows, it’s all a matter of keeping the right people interested.
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