If you hang around TV fans long enough, you’ll eventually hear the snobbier ones disdainfully describe classic shows that were made “just to sell toys.” The implication is clear: if a show was made mainly to move merchandise, there’s no way it can be any good.
However, like any good ‘80s kid, I’m here to tell you that some of the best shows ever made originated as a way to push products to children. Sure, it’s capitalism all the way down, but does it matter when the episodes are this great? With that in mind, it’s time to transform and roll out–or at least check out my definitive roundup of the best shows ever made to sell toys!
Release year
1986
2
65
Status
Ended
When people imagine TV shows made to sell toys, they often imagine the kinds of power fantasy shows (like He-Man) that were aimed squarely at young boys. However, one of the most important toy-selling shows of the ‘80s was aimed at young girls, and we’re still feeling its cultural impact to this day. I’m talking, of course, about the originalMy Little Pony. It tells the tale of Ponyland, a kind of mystical paradise which the Ponies must help defend from a bevy of fantasy monsters who are determined to ruin everyone’s good vibes.
Strictly speaking, the TV series is a continuation ofMy Little Pony: The Movie, so purists may wish to track that down before diving into the show. While the originalMy Little Ponyis a nostalgic treat for ‘80s kids, it’s also a fun watch for younger audiences who are big fans ofMy Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. That later series created entirely new generations of Pony fans while injecting serious life back into the franchise. Watching the original show is a great way to see how the magic began and makes for great parent/child (or even grandparent/child) viewing.
Pluto TV
Long before everyone learned that “friendship is magic,” My Little Pony won over ’80s kids with cuteness overload.
2002
39
I grew up watching the originalHe-Manshow and playing with all those classic toys. And these days, my home office is a shrine to this fictional universe (seriously, Castle Grayskull looms above me and an oversized Snake Mountain is to my left). As a lifelong fan of the franchise, I’m here to drop a seriously hot take: this universe and its characters have never been cooler than they were in theHe-Man and the Masters of the Universe2002 reboot.
While featuring new designs, this show brings back all of your favorite characters from the ‘80s. It also does some impressive lore-building, providing insight into who Skeletor really is and how he came to work for Hordak. If you don’t go for lore, rest assured that this series delivers great fight scenes in every episode. For better or for worse, those fight scenes are very anime-inspired, but what else would you expect from a show that was, like Dragon Ball Z, acartoon from the classic era of Toonami?
Prime Video
This revival of the original He-Man show adds better animation, deeper lore, and anime-inspired fight scenes.
1985
4
98
As a toy concept, Transformers remains absolutely brilliant. The thinking was simple: boys like cars and boys like robots, so why not have robot toys that could transform into cars? But these cool designs still needed a narrative, and that’s where theTransformerscartoon came in. It laid out an ancient battle between heroic Autobots and evil Decepticons that was now taking place on Earth. And whether humanity experienced salvation or annihilation would come down to whether Optimus Prime could put the mighty Megatron in his place.
The success of the original show has created a series of sequels and spinoffs ranging fromBeast Wars(which was excellent) toArmada(which was deeply “meh”) and its offshoots. While all those shows had their own strengths, none of them was ever able to replicate the fun of the original show’s iconic characters and voice acting. The characters inTransformersare innovative, the voice acting is great, and the action is surprisingly outsized, making this one show that’s (ahem) more than meets the eye.
Roku Channel (Web Version)
Autobots: transform and roll out! While there have been many different Transformers shows, nothing beats G1.
3
49
The Care Bears Familycartoon was designed largely for early Millennial audiences. That’s fortunate, because I can only imagine how much Generation X would have ground their teeth at this TV show’s schmaltzy message. You see, the premise in this sequel series, just like in the original, is that our titular heroes live in a place called Care-a-Lot. But they don’t stay there: rather, they venture into the greater Kingdom of Caring and beyond on a mission to bring care to everyone who needs it.
I’ll be honest, I didn’t exactly collect Care Bears as a kid because I was too busy playing with G.I. Joe and Transformers toys. But there’s a special kind of Zen joy that comes from viewing this bearalicious cartoon through older eyes. We live in a jaded, politically polarized time where everyone wants to constantly argue, both online and in real life. In this darkest timeline, a show that’s all about making others feel good (think of it likeSmiling Friendswithout the jaded irony) is cheesy chicken soup for my middle-aged soul.
Need a nostalgic, feel-good episode or two? This show will teach you all about friendship and the power of the “Care Bear Stare.”
2018
5
52
Even back in the ‘80s, I was a big fan of She-Ra. Not only was she a cool character, but some of her enemies (including Catra and Hordak) were cooler than most of He-Man’s rogues’ gallery. Because of that, I went intoShe-Ra and the Princesses of Powercautiously, thinking that it was destined to be another creatively bankrupt reboot. Instead, I was delighted to find a show with a sprawling mythology and refreshingly original takes on the franchise’s various heroes and enemies.
Over the course of several seasons,She-Ra and the Princesses of Powerwill make you laugh and cry, often in the same scene. That’s because the show has a strong emotional core that anchors its characters and their motivations. Good guys and bad guys alike get to grow and change over the course of the series, and it’s worth binge-watching the show just to see all the ways these characters will come to surprise you.
By the time the credits roll, you’ll be asking the same question I’m always asking: can anyone hook me up with an invitation to the Princess Prom?
Netflix
Colorful characters, brilliant writing, and a mythology that rewards close watching. She-Ra and the Princesses of Power remains the best animated remake ever made!
1987
10
193
Like other franchises on this list, the Ninja Turtles have had several different cartoon incarnations. For this ‘80s kid, though, it never got better than the originalTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesfrom 1987. The show was nothing less than a complete reinvention of the titular characters, whose original comic book exploits were filled with over-the-top violence (heck, they killed the Shredder in the very first issue!). In the show, these ninja teens are reimagined as laid-back pizza lovers whose carefree days of training and partying are frequently disrupted by a bad brain bad guy from a different dimension.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesis like a show in which the writers threw in everything, including the Technodrome’s kitchen sink (don’t tell Krang). It’s got action, adventure, and comedy, with characters periodically breaking the fourth wall to crack wise, Deadpool-style. The show also features homages to old monster movies, all while serving as a perfect time capsule of the ‘80s.
ForgetStranger Things. If you really want to re-live the 1980s, order up a pizza and start binge-watching this classic show!
Paramount Plus
There has been a new Ninja Turtles show for every generation. But for old-school shellheads, there’s no beating the original series.
130
As a middle-aged man, I’ve learned how to do an instant vibe check with people my age. All I have to do is yell “ThunderCats,” and if they don’t respond with a hearty “hooooo,” then I know they had a miserable childhood. Or, at least, a childhood withoutThunderCats, the cartoon about spacefaring cat-like warriors who end up fleeing their dying homeworld to settle on another planet. Their efforts to start a new life, though, are frequently stymied by evil mutants who will stop at nothing short of the ThunderCats’ complete destruction.
For fans of a certain age,ThunderCatswas an amazing adventure full of great characters and surprisingly intense action. It’s an ’80s classic I always love tostream when I’m feeling nostalgic. Furthermore, the anime-inspired animation helped others discover just how much they enjoyed the innovative art style coming out of Japan. As for the rest of us, the show opened our eyes to just how cool it is to watch a cat warrior use a huge sword to kick the butts of mutants and mummies alike!
After watching a few episodes of this exciting action show, be warned: you’re likely to start shouting “ThunderCats, ho!” at random times throughout the day.
1983
G.I. Joe: A Real American Herois relatively unique on this list because it’s a show that helped to rebrand the franchise. The original G.I. Joe toys were 12-inch figures designed in the ‘60s to appeal to young boys via their love of action and adventure. In 1982, though, we got smaller Joes whose 3.75-inch figures were more in line with the size of Kenner’s wildly popular Star Wars toys. To expand on the personalities and storylines of these colorful new characters, Hasbro created both a comic book and a hit TV show.
There’s nothing quite like G.I. Joe, a cartoon where crazy soldiers fight even crazier terrorists using the power of cheesy dialogue and space-age lasers.
Ever since the ’80s, companies have shamelessly made TV shows to sell toys for children. Fortunately, some of them are killer shows that have aged insanely well, and you can stream all of these titles whenever you need a heavy dose of major nostalgia!
