Were the 90s really better?

HOWEVER, aside from those live-action sitcoms Nick ALSO aired the original Nicktoons, game shows, sports-themed programs, and sketch comedy. In other words...Nick in the `90s was WAY more diverse than today's Nick.
 
Well, the 90s and 00's each had action cartoons and comedy cartoons, so I say they're equal.

They have a... dance show, I guess you'd call it. I'm not sure how to classify Dance on Sunset, but it's not a sitcom at anyrate. I don't really care for those kinds of shows, to be honest.
 
The 90s was much more diverse in general when it came to animation, music, movies AND TV shows. While I can think of many good examples from all those categories that exist now, the choices still aren't as diverse.

So yeah, I'd say the 90s were better for that reason.
 
Diversity doesn't necessarily equal quality. Though they did have All That for the first half of the 2000's.. and they still air Nicktoons, so that's kind of obvious.
 
EVERY decade had action and comedy cartoons. Go back to the `60s. You had action (Jonny Quest) and comedy (Flintstones). The `90s went beyond done. For starters, lets not forget the game shows. Remember Double Dare, Get the Picture, and Make the Grade? Also, there was sports-themed shows. Remember Wild & Crazy Kid and Guts. It also had "horror" shows like Goosebumps and Are You Afraid of the Dark. As well as sketch comedy like All That. And, finally, live-action shows in the action adventure genre like Power Rangers and Space Cases.

Face it, man. The `90s were more diverse.
 
But their diversity is diminished, and the cartoons themselves rarely differ in settings and character type And as for quality let me put it that way. Which actor would you view to be more talented? The one who's played various roles or the one who sticks to the same character type?

The 90s had three things that todays cartoons don't. Ambitiousness, diversity (as in a heavy number of cartoons outside the schoolyard for one) and patience.

And again, your arguement that people are being nostalgic while it does have some merit and accuracy strikes me as an attempt to end the debate. A lot of us here enjoy shows that predate and follow our childhood, so the nostalgia arguement is more of a half truth.
 
The Weekenders premiered in February 2000, and Courage premiered in late 1999 with the pilot having been made about 5 years earlier so that one doesn't count.

I don't see anything wrong with a lot of recent cartoon shows having a school theme. It's the current trend. In the 80's it was all about macho men and cute animals.
 
Just the same, I don't see whats wrong with diversity. And there really isn't anything wrong with a lot of school themed shows, as long as they have a lot of other shows outside the schoolyard. Plus the 80s also had video game based and robot shows as well. Their diversity was quite a bit higher than this decade. Besides, we're talking about whether the 90s is the best decade for animation or simply better. The 90s if it had any trend was minor. That decade had a little of something for everyone. The networks had more ambition with animation, and were a lot more patience (Very little shows were rarely canceled because they didn't become a trend over night).

Going with my interest in comic. My favorite comics are of the superhero variety, but I can just as easily enjoy the fuzzy animal stories and Shojo Mangas just the same.
 
Well...

The 1940s are divided into various things. Movie-wise, Walt Disney was started to produce the classic Disney movies. He had already done Snow White in the `30s and that opened the doors animated movies. Shorts-wise Looney Tunes was in its prime. Then you had Tex Avary and his wild cartoons at MGM. And, of course, Hanna-Barbera with the violence of Tom and Jerry. Which, of course, is the inspiration for Itchy and Scratchy on The Simpsons.

The `50s was the end of shorts and the beginning of television. Hanna-Barbera was getting its feet wet in the television industry. Shorts-wise thats the decade when Chuck Jones took Looney Tunes from a funny cartoon to an artistic cartoon. What's Opera, Doc is considered a masterpiece. Rightfully so.

`60s and `70s was just your typical Hanna-Barbera stuff. The `80s was the action-adventure cartoons. And the `90s and `2000s is what we've been discussing in this thread.



That has been a subject in cartoons since the 1930s. Lets not forget Betty Boop and Bugs Bunny dressing up like a chick.



Are you talking about Drake & Josh? Yea, I'm amazed by the breasts on that show. It has beaten Saved by the Bell as the kids/tween show with the hottest girls. lol.



You could say the same thing about Saved by the Bell.
 
I would have to say it's not really the decade just the great cartoons like Tiny Toons, Rocko, Rugrats, Pokemon (well Season 1 anyways), Ren and Stimpy and even Spongebob. Now Ducktales which is from the 80s is a great cartoon making the 80s a good time for toons also. Even today with Foster's Home cartoons are great. It mostly depends on your perspective on what is great or not.
 
When viewed as a whole, the 90s seems better. Although I'm not sure how it would compare to today if we went only by shows that were running at the same period as one another; it's not like the TV schedule was just one way for the entire decade.

Personally, the first couple years of this century (around the time Samurai Jack was airing) was my favorite era for cartoons.
 
I think I understand what you're saying. And...there was a period in the `90s when line-ups were fantastic. I'd say by 1993 you had some fantastic line-ups. On Fox Kids you already had Batman, Animaniacs, and Power Rangers on the schedule. Disney Afternoon was already airing all the classics like Chip n Dale, Goof Troops, and Darkwing Duck. Nick already had all the original NickToons. Actually...they already had all the NickToons since `91. So...you had some great stuff out there at the same time.
 
There's also many disadvantages too, but that's getting extremely off topic.

I thought we were talking about Nick again, since you were comparing Doug and Ned's. :shrug:
 
Then feel free to PM me and I'll see if the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. And you still didn't answer my question if something like Gargoyles could convincing work on live action.
 
True, the 90s gave us Batman: The Animated Series and Gargoyles...as well as Superman: TAS, Spawn: TAS, Ren & Stimpy, The Tick, Duckman, The Simpsons, Daria, The Maxx, Aeon Flux however this decade hasn't been bad:

1. Avatar: The Last Airbender
2. Justice League (Unlimited)
3. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (excluding Fast Forward)
4. Samurai Jack
5. Megas XLR
6. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
7. Invader Zim
8. The Spectacular Spider-Man
9. X-Men: Evolution

depending on how some people count a decade (either 2000-2009 or 2001-2010) we still have a few more years to add to our favorites list. Who knows what's coming down the pike in '09/'10.
 
I think we did this in that other thread about Live-action/Animation advantages.

Maybe, maybe not. It's a good show but not something I think adults would get into unless it was done more "adult" with its supernatural stuff like Heroes or Moonlight

I'll see that list and raise it.

Avatar: The Last Airbender, Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Samurai Jack, Megas XLR, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Invader Zim, The Spectacular Spider-Man, X-Men: Evolution, W.I.T.C.H., Ben 10, Ben 10 Alien Force, Chowder, Spongebob Squarepants, Batman Beyond, Static Shock, Xiaolin Showdown, American Dragon: Jake Long, Phineas and Ferb, Fairly Odd Parents, Jimmy Neutron, Kim Possible, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Mission Hill, Home Movies, Transformers Animated, Teen Titans, Jackie Chan Adventures, Futurama, Venture Bros, Aqua Teen Hunger Force...

Whew... that's a mouthful. Looks like plenty of good shows for the 2000s to me. Most of my favorites are in there.
 
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