7 Great Animated Shows From Fox Kids & 4Kids TV You Completely Forgot About

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Fox Kids began in 1990 as a partnership between the Fox network and its local stations, aiming to provide good, family-focused shows. It quickly became popular, growing from a few hours of Saturday morning cartoons to a daily afternoon lineup. In 1996, it officially teamed up with Saban Entertainment, becoming Fox Kids Worldwide and significantly increasing its reach. The success of Fox Kids was built on popular and groundbreaking shows like X-Men: The Animated Series, Batman: The Animated Series, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Animaniacs, and Spider-Man, all of which aired on the block at different times. In 2001, however, News Corporation sold Fox Kids Worldwide to Disney, effectively ending Fox’s children’s programming and a long-running, influential era of Saturday morning television.

When Fox Kids ended in 2002, 4Kids Entertainment filled the gap with a new programming block called FoxBox, which later became 4Kids TV in 2005. This block ran until 2008, when a financial disagreement between 4Kids and Fox led to its cancellation. Over its six years, 4Kids TV became known for popular shows like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Sonic X, and Winx Club. Combined, Fox Kids and 4Kids TV provided animated programming on Fox’s Saturday mornings for eighteen years, creating many shows that gained a dedicated fanbase. Despite their success, some of these beloved programs aren’t as well-remembered today.

7) Eek! The Cat

From 1992 to 1997, Fox Kids broadcast the animated series Eek! The Cat, which has steadily gained a dedicated following over the past thirty years. Created by Savage Steve Holland, known for the 1985 film Better Off Dead, the show centered on a cheerful purple cat (voiced by Bill Kopp) who always tried to help others, but unintentionally caused chaos. The humor was fast-paced, unpredictable, and often featured the main character facing extreme misfortune. This comedic approach kept the show running for five seasons and even led to a spin-off segment called The Terrible Thunder Lizards, demonstrating the show’s humor could work in different formats.

6) Beast Machines: Transformers

Premiering on Fox Kids in 1999, Beast Machines: Transformers continued the story of Beast Wars: Transformers. While Beast Wars was an adventure-focused series with well-developed characters, Beast Machines told one continuous story across its 26 episodes. The show followed Optimus Primal (voiced by Garry Chalk) and his Maximals as they fought a corrupted Megatron (voiced by David Kaye) on a deserted Cybertron. Produced by Mainframe Entertainment, Beast Machines featured impressive CGI for its time and was unique in that the entire story was planned out before any animation began. This careful planning resulted in a straightforward narrative. Although it initially received mixed reactions in 1999, Beast Machines is now gaining recognition for its ambitious themes and is appreciated by many Transformers fans.

5) Kirby: Right Back at Ya!

In 2002, Kirby: Right Back at Ya! debuted on FoxBox as one of 4Kids Entertainment’s first efforts to replicate the success of Pokémon by bringing over and dubbing anime based on video games. While the original Japanese version had 100 episodes, 4Kids only showed 52 in the United States, meaning many storylines weren’t seen by American viewers. The show centers on Kirby, the pink hero from Nintendo’s popular video game series, who lands in Dream Land and fights monsters summoned by the selfish King Dedede (voiced by Ted Lewis) and his company, Nightmare Enterprises. Unlike many other shows 4Kids brought over, Kirby: Right Back at Ya! frequently featured Kirby’s signature copy abilities in each episode, creating a unique structure that appealed to fans of the games.

4) The Tick

From 1994 to 1996, the animated series The Tick aired on Fox Kids, introducing the popular comic book creation by Ben Edlund to a wide audience. The show followed the adventures of The Tick, a super-strong but not-so-bright superhero voiced by Townsend Coleman, and his sidekick Arthur (voiced by Micky Dolenz in season one and Rob Paulsen in seasons two and three). Arthur, a former accountant who dressed as a moth, provided a grounded perspective amidst a cast of bizarre villains. Over its three seasons, the series became known for its unique and quirky group of enemies – like Chairface Chippendale, El Seed, and the Evil Midnight Bomber – all designed as humorous takes on typical superhero tropes. While The Tick has been adapted a few times since then, many fans consider the original animated series to be the closest and most complete representation of Ben Edlund’s original idea.

3) Silver Surfer

I still can’t believe Silver Surfer only lasted one season back in 1998! It was on Fox Kids, and its cancellation after just 13 episodes remains a huge disappointment for Marvel fans like me. The creator, Larry Brody, had a really ambitious vision – a continuous story, and a unique look inspired by Jack Kirby’s incredible artwork, using both traditional and computer animation. What really set it apart was how smart it was; each episode tackled serious themes like imperialism, slavery, and even environmental issues – way beyond what most kids’ shows were doing. They actually wrote eight scripts for a second season, but sadly, everything stopped when Marvel and Saban Entertainment got into a legal battle because of Marvel’s financial troubles. It ended on a real cliffhanger, and we never got closure. Thankfully, it’s now on Disney+, and everyone discovering it there agrees – the show was genuinely great, and those initial good ratings totally prove it. It’s a shame Fox didn’t stick with it!

2) Godzilla: The Series

Following the release of the poorly received 1998 Godzilla movie, Godzilla: The Series debuted on Fox Kids and managed to succeed where the film failed. Created by Jeff Kline and Richard Raynis (who had worked on The Simpsons), the show centered on Dr. Nick Tatopoulos (voiced by Ian Ziering) and his team as they fought various mutant creatures, alongside Godzilla’s young offspring, which had bonded with Nick as a parental figure. The series quickly addressed a major complaint about the movie by giving Godzilla his iconic atomic breath and introduced a storyline featuring Cyber-Godzilla, inspired by the classic Mechagodzilla from the original Japanese films. After two seasons and 40 episodes, the show’s broadcast schedule became inconsistent due to competition from Pokémon and Digimon on Fox Kids.

1) The Pirates of Dark Water

Originally debuting on Fox Kids in 1991 as a five-part series called Dark Water, The Pirates of Dark Water was Hanna-Barbera’s most expensive animated project to date, costing $500,000 per half-hour episode. Created by David Kirschner, the show took place on the otherworldly ocean planet of Mer. Prince Ren, voiced by George Newbern, captained a crew of unique characters – including the nature-powered Tula (Jodi Benson) and the skilled fighter Ioz (initially voiced by Héctor Elizondo) – on a mission to find the Thirteen Treasures of Rule. These treasures were the only hope for stopping a dangerous, living darkness called Dark Water from destroying the planet. The series stood out for its continuing storyline, which was rare for cartoons at the time, and its thoughtful approach to themes like greed and working together. Despite its potential, Hanna-Barbera canceled the show after 21 episodes, leaving the quest incomplete due to the high costs, but it remains a hidden treasure for those who discover it.

What old Fox Kids or 4Kids cartoon would you love to see brought back or continued today? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-04-07 23:18