1996 was an incredible year for animated television and it doesn’t get talked about nearly enough. Now that it has been 30 years since that fantastic era, it’s as good a time as any to look back on what made that time period so good. It’s no secret that great animated shows were in the midst of stellar runs in 1996, including X-Men: The Animated Series, Batman: The Animated Series, Rugrats, The Simpsons, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, and more. However, what truly makes 1996 such a special time is just how many iconic animated shows debuted that year. For example, Blue’s Clues, which was animated but featured a main character in live-action, premiered in 1996, as did The Tex Avery Show, which showcased classic shorts from the past. There were several other shows that first arrived in 1996 that went on to have a lasting legacy, whether as one of the best cartoons in history or as a cult classic.
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The iconic 1996 cartoons chosen here are great to find and binge because they’re worth a watch and cover more than 330 episodes. They include a superhero series, a unique comic book-like show, a legendary Nicktoon, and more.
5) Superman: The Animated Series
Over the past few decades, we have seen so many iterations of Superman on both the big and small screens. When it comes to choosing the best version, Superman: The Animated Series deserves to be in the conversation. Premiering in 1996 and running for 54 episodes until 2000, this show was praised for everything from its voice acting to its modern setting to the animation style to the writing. It worked as something of a sequel to the acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series, which was evident in its stylistic choices.
Tim Daly does some tremendous work as Superman, while the supporting cast was more than up to the task of keeping up with him. Episodes like “Apokolips…Now!”, “Knight Time”, and “World’s Finest” are some of the best installments of a show ever put out by DC. The outstanding show even took home a couple of Daytime Emmy Awards. Superman: The Animated Series is among the best DC projects in history, as well as one of the best superhero shows ever made. Superman: The Animated Series can be streamed on HBO Max.
4) Dexter’s Laboratory
While Nickelodeon and Disney Channel get a lot of praise and admiration for their runs during the ’90s and 2000s, it feels like Cartoon Network gets somewhat forgotten about. They aren’t as prominent these days, but when the channel was at its peak, it debuted some great series, including Dexter’s Laboratory. The show followed a simple premise, centering on the titular Dexter, a boy genius with a secret lab in his bedroom, who has his experiments constantly thwarted and ruined by his annoying sister.
Dexter’s Laboratory was a rousing success and holds up remarkably well. It’s an intelligent series that doesn’t dumb things down, features legitimately good humor, and is one of the more original concepts the network ever put out. After 78 episodes, the show ended, yet it spawned video games, books, toys, and more. Dexter’s Laboratory also landed several Emmy nominations and won three Annie Awards, further cementing its status as a truly great cartoon. All episodes of Dexter’s Laboratory can be streamed on Tubi.
3) Kablam!
Kablam! is likely the least famous or well-known cartoon on this list, but those who remember it understand why it can be considered iconic. Debuting on Nickelodeon, Kablam! was unlike anything else airing on TV for kids at the time. Instead of being one medium, the series aimed at showcasing different styles of animation. Two hosts, Henry and June, introduced each vignette by turning the pages of a comic book, and no short looked the same as the other.
“Prometheus and Bob” was a stop-motion segment about an alien trying to teach a caveman; “Action League Now!” was a superhero series featuring action figures; and “Life with Loopy” was a look at a pair of siblings with puppet bodies and magnetic features. Watching any of the 48 episodes of Kablam meant you could see unique visuals from a slew of creators. It was a beautiful thing to behold and so many aspects remain funny to this day.
2) Beast Wars: Transformers
When the most memorable eras of the Transformers franchise are discussed, it usually comes down to the original animated series from the ’80s and the live-action movies from Michael Bay. It’s easy to forget that in between those projects, one animated show was able to reignite interest in the franchise. Beast Wars: Transformers premiered in 1996 and did something fresh with the same core concept that made the ’80s cartoon such a big hit.
Beast Wars: Transformers took place several centuries after the events of The Transformers TV series and focused on the Maximals and Predacons, who are descendants of the Autobots and Decepticons. Instead of transforming into cars and weapons, they turned into beasts like a gorilla, a cheetah, and a rhino. The animation style stood out, as this was one of the earliest CGI TV shows in history. The series won an Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation and despite ending after 52 episodes, it led to a sequel show, comic books, and more. Beast Wars: Transformers is available to stream on Tubi.
1) Hey Arnold!
There has always been something special about Hey Arnold! The Nicktoon started in 1996 and ran all the way through 2004, including a couple of movie adaptations. The show followed young Arnold Shortman on the adventures of his everyday life, dealing with school, living at a boarding house with his grandparents, and surviving his bully (who harbors a crush on him) named Helga. What made Hey Arnold! stand out was the way it gave us a rare look at urban inner-city life in a cartoon. For a lot of kids, the show felt close to their real lives.
The music was cool, the characters were relatable, and the animation style remains timeless. Characters like Arnold, Gerald, and Helga are some of the most memorable created by Nickelodeon, which is saying something. It was also praised for the way it incorporated urban legends, like the Headless Cabbie, the Haunted Train, and Stoop Kid, into the world. Through 100 episodes, Hey Arnold! didn’t shy away from telling important stories and featuring characters from different backgrounds. Hey Arnold! can be streamed on Paramount+.
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Image Courtesy of DC Comics
