When a family-friendly movie is a success at the box office, many studios capitalize on it by adapting it to TV, and this practice was especially common in the '90s. Not only did it become standard in the industry, but a surprising amount of effort actually went into the shows and most of them were pure quality. The '90s was a golden age for kids’ entertainment.
Whether it was a direct continuation of a Disney movie, using the IP purely for its name and having nothing to do with the original movie, or reimagining the story for a fun, episodic animated show, children were spoiled with so many TV adaptations of movies.
Timon & Pumbaa
Being the token comic relief characters of the Disney movie, Timon and Pumbaa were the best characters in The Lion King, and they even got their own movie with The Lion King 3: Hakuna Matata.
As the duo was one of the reasons why the original Lion King is timeless, the franchise seemed to be getting built around them, and that reached its apex when they got their own show. The show saw them going on all sorts of zany and ridiculous adventures, including going to outer space, but it was still hilarious.
Men In Black
It’s unfortunate that the series didn’t carry over any of Will Smith’s hits that elevated the movies tenfold, as the “Men in Black” single would have made a great opening theme for a cartoon.
However, besides a so-so soundtrack, the TV show stays surprisingly true to the tone of Men In Black considering how dark and creepy it is. If anything, the Men in Black show is even creepier at times, and given the series’ penchant for amazing gadgets, it makes for the perfect 90s morning show.
Hercules
With Hercules being released in 1997, there was an extremely quick turnaround, as the TV show followed just one year later. Given that Hercules was a proper theatrically released Disney animation, the look of the TV show obviously wasn’t on par with its cinematic older brother.
Tate Donovan, who voiced Hercules in the movies, reprised his role for all 65 episodes of the cartoon, as does James Woods, who voiced Hades, which is surprising considering that actors almost always abandon any TV adaptation of a movie they were a part of.
The Real Ghostbusters
Ever since the second movie, the Ghostbusters series has been going down a rocky road. From the not as well received sequel to the 2016 reboot that divided audiences, the future of the film franchise is looking questionable with the upcoming Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
But one piece of media that seemed to understand the original, one of Ivan Reitman’s best movies, more than any of the follow ups was the cartoon adaptation. They were fun episodes and more of the same of the movie, only Slimer was an aid to the ghostbusters and it had turned Janine in to a cool and likable heroin.
Mighty Ducks
Talk about stretching a series thin. The Mighty Ducks and its two sequels follow Coach Bombay begrudgingly turning a group of dim-witted high-school students into ice hockey pros. The movies have become treasured to millions of 20-somethings and are full of memorable quotes.
However, the TV show takes the IP and throws everything in the trash except its name. Taking the title literally, the TV show is about an ice hockey team who are literally ducks. Absurdity and creative license aside, it’s still a fun cartoon.
Aladdin
Robin Williams is one of the reasons Aladdin has aged so well, as his voice role of the Genie is one of the most iconic animated characters in cinema history. But surprisingly enough, even without Williams’ incredible delivery and improvisational skills, the animated series is great and it expands on the world that the movie built brilliantly. Not only that, but the 2019 remake even took lyrics that were originally used in the TV show.
Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation
As the '90s was a golden era for morning kids’ shows, there’s still some bottom-of-the-barrel drivel that comes with the good stuff. Rated a 4.4 on IMDb, Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation was a continuation of the live-action movies that came out earlier in the decade, and the show was littered with some of most humiliating of action scenes.
Batman: The Animated Series
Though Batman: The Animated Series isn’t exactly a direct adaptation of the Tim Burton Batman movies, it is clearly the show’s single biggest influence. Whether it’s the elongated Batmobile, the towering gargoyle mounted buildings, or the presence of gangsters, there are loads of parallels between the animated series and Batman and Batman Returns.
Batman: The Animated Series is the most adult-themed kids’ show of the '90s; it takes the source material seriously and has a killer opening theme. These reasons are why it’s considered one of the greatest TV shows ever.
The Mask
Being one of Jim Carey’s most hilarious characters, it’s hard to separate the comedian’s voice from the green-faced anti-hero. The TV version of The Mask is a direct adaptation of the movie, as the titular character bounces around in the same yellow zoot suit and even has the same tie as Stanley Ipkiss in the movie. Not only that, but it features the same music and it’s just as comedically violent.
The Pink Panther
The Pink Panther has come in many shapes and forms over the years, whether it’s one of the old Peter Sellers movies or the tragic Steve Martin remakes. But it was revived in the late '60s as a cartoon, and taking The Mighty Ducks approach, took the title literally and decided to follow a literal pink panther as he goes about disturbing the peace.