20 cartoons from the '90s that should be rebooted

Environmental concerns remain pressing in modern times. Maybe we could use another “Captain Planet,” though perhaps one that is less heavy-handed. In “Captain Planet and the Planeteers,” a group of kids with certain powers can conjure up the eco superhero to do battle with polluting bad guys. The last we saw of Captain Planet, Don Cheadle was playing him in a parody sketch. That’s not getting anybody to go green.

We’d like to see Doug Funnie and company with modern technology. Beebe with TikTok! Or, rather, a fictional version called like ClikClok or whatever. Of course, Doug should still write in a paper journal. Part of this would be getting a retconning to the Nickelodeon era. Disney’s “Doug” is dead to us.

Admittedly, in 2017 we got “Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie,” which nicely wrapped up the series’ storylines, including reuniting Arnold with his long-lost parents. Well, bringing a show back could mean a full-on reboot. “Hey Arnold!” could return without touching the arc of the original run. Consider this a new version, but with all the classic characters.

Granted, those of us who watched cartoons of this ilk in the ‘90s are far from our recess days, and also our “Recess” days. This one won’t be for us. Sorry, millennials. You have to get your nostalgia from, oh, every other entry on this list? “Recess” focuses on the sociological hierarchy of an elementary school, and as long as kids still play kickball and four square, this premise still works.

Something of a cult hit “Courage the Cowardly Dog” has some “Scooby-Doo” to it, but the comedy is darker, and the action more surreal. Speaking of another dog known for a lack of bravery, there was actually a direct-to-video crossover movie in 2021 featuring Courage hanging out with the Scooby gang. Maybe this can get the show a second chance, one that could get even weirder and embrace its cult status.

Fresh in the wake of the massive hit “The Lion King,” the comedic duo of Timon the meerkat and Pumbaa the warthog got their own silly, slapstick cartoon. It ran for three seasons and 85 episodes, but Timon and Pumbaa remain popular. Why not cut out the lessons for kids and bring the iconic twosome back for more adventures.

Wow, did they ever burn through “Goof Troop” episodes. The entire run of the show aired between September and December of 1992, but they got through 78 episodes in that time. Love for “A Goofy Movie” lives on, so why not bring “Goof Troop” back as well?

“Beetlejuice” the cartoon is strikingly different from the film. The gross-out humor remains, but in the cartoon, Beetlejuice and Lydia are friends. As opposed to the movie, when the evil bio-exorcist tried to, um, take Lydia as his child bride. Yeah… different vibe. Anyway, a long-gestating “Beetlejuice” sequel is happening. Why not reboot the cartoon as well?

Yes, this is one of those “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” knockoffs designed to sell toys. On the other hand, it’s about half-human, half-shark hybrids and involves a machine called a “gene slammer.” Also, the show is called “Street Sharks.” Why wouldn’t we want to bring it back?

An absurdist cartoon based on an absurdist video game series, “Earthworm Jim” focuses on an earthworm in a super suit fighting alien baddies. The video games are still popular, even if they were super difficult for some reason, and the voice of Jim, Dan Castellaneta, is still around to bring the character to life!

We make a lot about Jim Carrey’s amazing 1994, when he was in “Ace Ventura,” “The Mask,” and “Dumb & Dumber.” If you needed further proof that Carrey was the biggest thing in Hollywood at the time, all three of those shows were turned into cartoons. Of those three, “Ace Ventura” was the best (odd, as it was the worst movie of the three). As such, it is the one we’d like to see brought back.

“Johnny Bravo” was bonkers, in a good way. The character was silly as is, but then celebrities like Adam West would pop in, and the show was full of pop-culture references. Notably, Johnny Bravo was based on Elvis and James Dean. Maybe for a reboot that could be updated to, um, Eddie Vedder and Tom Cruise or something?

There were several kids’ cartoons in the ‘80s and ‘90s based on movies very much for adults. In addition to “Rambo” and “RoboCop,” there was an “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes” cartoon as well. This one makes more sense, though. The “Killer Tomatoes” movies are winking parodies of horror films, after all. We’d like to see this get another shot.

Why is James Bond’s nephew named James Bond Jr.? Well, if we leave that question aside, the idea of a kid version of James Bond in lighter, animated fare has potential. “James Bond Jr.” maybe had a little too many references and call backs, but if a new version threaded that needle, it could really work.

“Archie’s Weird Mysteries” had a lot of potential. It also isn’t any good. The budget was just too low. However, the premise is effectively “Tales From the Crypt” but in Riverdale, and why wouldn’t that work? By the way, Andrew Rannells voiced Archie. Would he return?

One more classic Nickelodeon show. The show is called “Rocko’s Modern Life,” so he and his friends can drop into any era. In 2019 there was a special on Netflix called “Static Cling,” and frankly we could see a reboot show building off of that. “Static Cling” was good, so we’re optimistic about the idea.

Based on a series of books mostly about jobs people have, “The Busy World of Richard Scarry” is very much for young kids. That’s fine! People have cell phones and stuff now. We want to see a version of this world, busy even in the ‘90s, with modern touches. What would that look like? Let us see!

Part of Nickelodeon’s “KaBlam!” collection of animated shorts, “Prometheus and Bob” has the most potential to it. With all due respect to “Action League Now,” every joke on that premise has been established. Prometheus is an alien in prehistoric times who interacts with a caveman named Bob. The animation was good, and the premise could be fleshed out further.

“Space Ghost Coast to Coast” is the forerunner of Adult Swim as we know it. It is also an evergreen premise. Space Ghost is a talk-show host, and he “interviews” guests (answers to questions by the guests are spliced in for comedic effects) amid a cavalcade of absurdist humor. The only concern is finding guests who wouldn’t try to be “in on” the comedy.

“Freakazoid” was originally supposed to be a straightforward action cartoon about a teen superhero, but perhaps a bit on the lighter side. Then, the executive producer requested it to be a comedy. That producer was Steven Spielberg, so he got what he wanted, and for the better. “Freakazoid” was effectively “Animaniacs” but centered on a superhero in terms of humor and style. Only 24 episodes were ever made, though. We could easily get some more. Ideally, with Spielberg involved again.