4 Nostalgic Cartoons on Tubi

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Tubi is a treasure trove of old TV shows, including many cartoons from the 80s. I revisited 4 cartoons that I remembered from my childhood to see how well they hold up today.


1. Jem (1988)



Jerrica runs a home for orphan girls and makes music with her friends. After her father's death, she discovers that he left her a computer system called Synergy, which can create realistic holograms. Using her magic (well, high-tech enough to seem like magic) earrings, Jerrica is able to transform into Jem, a hologram pop star who helps Jerrica past her stage fright to become the lead singer of the band The Holograms. The Holograms frequently do battle with the rival band, The Misfits (not the American punk band, as cool as that would be), competing for fame, record and movie contracts, and at one point a free mansion to live in.

I had forgotten how many songs there were in this show! There are two or three per episode, complete with trippy videos. While there are plenty of musical films out there, you don't see too many musical TV shows. The only other one I can think of off the top of my head is Glee. Another thing that is unusual about Jem is that it features a (very chaste, blink and you'll miss it) lesbian romance, something that was unheard of on TV in the 80s, especially children's television.

Tagline: "Truly Outrageous!"
Does it hold up? The plot is melodramatic and the characters are simplistic, so my enjoyment of this show as an adult is mainly down to nostalgia. The 80s fashions and neon colours are fun to look at, but I think anyone who didn't watch it as a child would have trouble sitting through more than a single episode.
However, if you do like Jem there is now live action movie (albeit a reboot that plays a bit fast and loose with the premise) and a series of Jem and the Holograms comics which were able to flesh the characters out a bit more, as well as feature more diversity.
Does it have a cool theme song? Well, I don't know if you'd call it cool, but it is certainly catchy. It has been stuck in my head for two days now.




2. Transformers: Generation 1 (1984 -1987)



There have been many versions of Transformers with 9 different shows just on Tubi, but the one I'm talking about here is the one from 1984, which is the version I remember watching while eating cereal as a kid.

The Transformers are living robots with the ability to transform from humanoid forms into vehicles and other shapes. They flee their home planet, Cybertron, in search of energy, and crash land on the prehistoric Earth where they remain in hibernation until they awaken in 1985. One team of Transformers, called the Autobots, are led by Optimus Prime, who can transform into a large truck. Their rivals, the Decepticons (obviously the baddies), are led by Megatron, who can become a gun, a jet or a tank (depending on the series/version of the franchise). The Decepticons aim to plunder Earth's resources in order to return to Cybertron and ultimately conquer the universe. This isn't a great thing for humanity, but fortunately, the Autobots are there to save the day.

There is a lot of action and explosions in this classic battle between the forces of good and evil, making it a fun watch. My main criticism of the show is the same thing that used to bother me as a child- the lack of female characters. It makes sense that robots would not have gender, but they could have at least used some female voice actors. Eventually, a female Transformer named Arcee turns up, but only for a single episode of this particular series. She's pink, because of course she is.

Tagline: "More than meets the eye."
Does it hold up? Well, it really depends on whether, as a grown adult, you still think robots that transform into cars (or dinosaurs) are cool. So yes, yes it does.
Does it have a cool theme song: Yes



3. My Little Pony (1986)



My Little Pony is another franchise which has had numerous reboots and also exists in comic form . This version is the original cartoon series from the 80s. In it, a group of magical talking ponies live in Ponyland, and are frequently menaced by three evil witches in the manner of Gargamel in The Smurfs. The ponies and other inhabitants of Ponyland are cute pastel creatures leading such simple, happy lives that a single 10-minute episode might leave you desperately in need of insulin.

Tagline: I don't think this first series has one.
Does it hold up? It doesn't look good, partly because animation has come a long way since then, but also perhaps because the film stock decayed and hasn't been remastered. It looks pale and washed out. The stories are very simple, so it's not as much fun to watch as an adult as the reboot My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.
Does it have a cool theme song? No, it's pretty forgettable.




4. Inspector Gadget (1983)



I heard someone describe this show as having basically the same premise as Robocop, and now I can't unhear that, so I'm sharing it with you. Inspector Gadget is a cyborg police officer, equipped with various upgrades such as helicopter blades that come out of his hat and extendable legs. He's not very bright, so his brilliant niece, Penny and anthropomorphic dog, Brain help him to solve crimes and thwart the schemes of the evil Dr Claw.

Unlike My Little Pony, Inspector Gadget feels like more than a cheap attempt to sell toys. The plots are silly but make sense, and the voice acting is top-notch. Gadget is voiced by Don Adams, who played Maxwell Smart in the spy comedy Get Smart and he brings the same energy and comic timing to this role.

Tagline: He has a lot of catch phrases, but I suppose "Go go Gadget [item]!" is the main one.
Does it hold up?
Does it have a cool theme song? Yes. It's catchy and fun.




More articles by Jennifer Muirhead:
Jem and the Holograms Volume 2: Going Viral
4 Reality Shows on Tubi That I Watched So You Don't Have To
Don't Tell the Bride- Australian Edition
Nailed It - TV Series Review
5 Trashy Reality Shows On Tubi
3 Nostalgic Comics
3 Classic Comics From the 70s and 80s
5 Weird Anime Shows on Crunchyroll
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Volume 10

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