Aired: 1973-74
Budget: $100,000 per episode
“Star Trek: The Animated Series,” followed the space adventures of the Starship Enterprise as it traveled through the intergalactic worlds. Interestingly enough, the voiced on the animated series were the same as in the live-action series, including William Shatner, James Doohan, and more.
The animated series was cheaper to produce than the live-action show. The show aired in September 1942 and ended in October 1974. Of course, that wasn’t the last we saw of “Star Trek.”
The Jackson 5ive
Aired: 1971-73
Budget: $6.6 million in total
As you may have already guessed by the name, the show followed the lives of Jermaine, Marlon, Tito, Michael, and Jackie Jackson - The Jackson Five. The show was animated and was created for ABC by Jules Bass.
The band got their start in 1965, so they had been around for a few years before they got their own animated series. The famous five brothers were voiced by actors, though Diana Ross voiced herself, and like most 1970s Saturday morning series, "The Jackson 5ive" had an adult laugh track.
The Osmonds
Aired: 1972
Budget: $40,000 per episode
Much like "The Jackson 5ive," "The Osmonds" was an animated series based on the Osmond family. Though unlike The Jackson 5ive, the show was voiced by the brothers themselves. The show aired for a few months in 1972 and had seventeen episodes in total.
The show was an interesting one as it followed the Osmonds as they traveled around the world performing music. Each episode opened with the family in a new location.
Schoolhouse Rock!
Aired: 1973-79
Budget: $50,000 per episode
"Schoolhouse Rock!" aired from 1973 until 2009. The series aired during ABC's Saturday-morning kids' shows and consisted of educational short musical films.
The show turned "boring" topics like science, history, economics, math, and grammar, into fun, in a way that didn't make kids feel like they were learning. "Schoolhouse Rock!" won an Emmy, there were 64 episodes in total airing new episodes and songs until 1979, and playing reruns all the way to 2009.
Looney Tunes
Aired: 1930-1969
Budget: $28 million in total
You're probably well aware that "Looney Tunes" is one of the most popular cartoon series of all time. The show had many versions, but the one that ran from 1930 to 1969 is considered the "original" series. It was a rivalry between Warner Bros. and Walt Disney that started it all.
The show began in the late twenties as a competition against Mickey Mouse shorts. Throughout time, "Looney Tunes" has expanded into amusement parks, video games, comic books, and toys!