The 1970s were a strange, beautiful, and occasionally baffling time for Saturday morning cartoons. With psychedelic colors, surreal storylines, and characters that seemed like they were drawn up during a brainstorm over sugary cereal and lava lamps, these shows didn’t just push the envelope—they mailed it to another planet. Some were funny, some were spooky, and some were so bizarre you probably thought you imagined them until someone else brought them up years later. Whether they featured time-traveling teens, groovy animals, or magical rock bands, these cartoons were pure, animated chaos—and we loved every weird second of them.
1. The Groovie Goolies
This one was like if the Universal Monsters got their own variety hour after taking a wrong turn into a haunted record store. Frankenstein, Dracula, and the Wolfman shared a house and played in a rock band—with jokes that landed somewhere between a pun and a head-scratcher. Add in musical numbers and laugh tracks, and it felt like The Monkees met The Addams Family at a Halloween disco. In addition to a helpful rundown of the premise and cast, IMDb provides a clever nod to the inspiration behind the show’s name.
The animation was zany, the humor was corny, and the whole thing had a goofy charm that made it unforgettable. Watching it felt like flipping through a monster-themed coloring book come to life. It made being spooky seem downright groovy.
2. H.R. Pufnstuf
Even as kids, we knew something was off about this one. A talking dragon mayor, a magical flute, and a witch who flew around in what looked like a psychedelic go-kart—it was like a dream that made no sense but was too colorful to question. Sid and Marty Krofft weren’t messing around when it came to bending reality. Frankly Curious credits this show and its sister shows with successfully shaping kids’ television-watching experiences for years.
The costumes were wild, the sets were foggy and strange, and everything had that soft-edged, slightly warped ‘70s TV feel. Freddie the Flute had eyes, and that alone should’ve raised some questions. But instead, we tuned in, transfixed by the weirdness.
3. The New Adventures of Gilligan
Imagine being stuck on that island again—but now it’s animated, and somehow even weirder. This cartoon picked up where the original sitcom left off but added talking animals and slapstick that would make even the original Gilligan scratch his head. The characters looked almost like themselves, but just off enough to feel unsettling. SlashFilm also reminds us that Gilligan had a couple other adventures outside the main show that fans should know about.
The island’s logic made even less sense than before, and the plots often felt like fever-induced retellings of the show. Still, there was something comforting about hearing those familiar voices in such an unfamiliar format. It was like a childhood echo through a funhouse mirror.
4. Lidsville
A boy falls into a magician’s hat and enters a land ruled by sentient headwear—yes, really. Every character was a hat with legs, personalities, and deeply confusing motivations. HooDoo, the villain, was part evil wizard, part nightclub comic, and 100% strange.
Another Sid and Marty Krofft special, this one took the concept of fashion and spun it into full-blown fantasy. Watching it now feels like decoding a dream where your closet comes to life and turns on you. It was weird, wild, and somehow still airing at breakfast time.
5. The Jackson 5ive
Take one of the most famous musical families in America, animate them like rubber-limbed bobbleheads, and toss them into a world of slapstick chases and disco dreams. This show had catchy music (naturally), but the stories made even less sense than the wild outfits. Michael and his brothers were often being chased, cloned, or rocketing through space—all in a day’s work.
The animation style was bold and fast, full of Technicolor backgrounds and cartoon logic. Even the pet mice and snake had their own personalities. It was part music video, part Scooby-Doo episode, and part kaleidoscope.
6. The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan
A mystery-solving family of ten kids and their dad, who was modeled after the famous detective Charlie Chan—what could go wrong? Well, everything and nothing, depending on how you looked at it. The show was a flurry of action, clues, gadgets, and confusing accents, all packed into a half-hour sprint.
Each kid had a role, from driving the van to using a decoder ring, and somehow they always wrapped things up just in time for the credits. It was chaotic but cheerful, like a detective story performed by a band of overcaffeinated cousins. You barely had time to breathe before the next twist hit.
7. The Banana Splits Adventure Hour
Technically starting in the late ’60s, but most of us remember reruns from the early ’70s, when it still felt fresh and bonkers. The Banana Splits were costumed animal musicians who introduced cartoon segments between skits—basically if Laugh-In were run by a lion, elephant, dog, and ape. The songs were catchy, the jokes made no sense, and the sets looked like a rainbow exploded.
They’d drive bumper cars, surf on land, and cause complete mayhem—and it was glorious. The entire show had the energy of a piñata filled with glitter and noise. You didn’t question it—you just went along for the ride.
8. Devlin
Only in the ’70s could a cartoon about a motorcycle stuntman trying to raise his siblings make it to air on Saturday morning. Devlin had a serious tone and animation that felt more grounded, but the concept was wild: Evel Knievel-style stunts and family drama wrapped into one. It felt like a gritty prime-time show done in crayons.
The action scenes were surprisingly tense, with flames, jumps, and dramatic orchestration. Yet somehow, it was still made for kids, complete with moral lessons tacked onto each episode. It was part PSA, part thrill ride.
9. Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space
Just when you thought Josie and her band couldn’t go anywhere new, they got launched into orbit. This spinoff of the original show saw the girls and their goofy entourage dealing with aliens, robots, and intergalactic jams. The plots were as spacey as the backgrounds.
Despite the change in setting, the show kept its musical numbers, mini skirts, and hijinks. It was like Star Trek crossed with a bubblegum pop album. And yet, it somehow worked—if you didn’t think about it too hard.
10. Inch High, Private Eye
Imagine a detective who’s exactly one inch tall, solving crimes and escaping danger with a magnifying glass and sheer luck. That’s Inch High, Private Eye, and yes, it was as ridiculous as it sounds. He had a crew, a miniature car, and a big mouth.
The show leaned into its absurd premise and never looked back. Crime fighting had never been so…compact. It was tiny heroics with big cartoon energy.
11. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids
This wasn’t a western—it was a rock band that also solved crimes while dodging villains. Butch was the cool frontman, and his team included a computer genius, a blonde, a monkey, and a lot of questionable logic. Most of the time, they were on the run while trying to squeeze in a concert.
The show was full of chase scenes and musical montages, all set to groovy tunes. The plots were secondary to the vibes, and that was fine by us. It felt like Scooby-Doo by way of a garage band.
12. The Funky Phantom
A Revolutionary War-era ghost named Jonathan Wellington “Mudsy” Muddlemore haunts a clock and helps teenagers solve mysteries. He also has a ghost cat named Boo. That’s it—that’s the premise.
The ghost talked like Snagglepuss and popped out whenever something needed solving, scaring villains and cracking puns. It was Scooby-Doo with colonial cosplay and paranormal punchlines. Somehow, it aired for a full season.
13. Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch
A car that talks without a driver and fights a gang of biker bullies? Sure, why not. Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch took vehicular combat and revved it into something barely comprehensible.
The characters made engine noises instead of real dialogue, and their antics felt like rejected scenes from Wacky Races. Still, there was something mesmerizing about the endless sound effects and chrome-coated chaos. You weren’t sure what you just watched—but you watched it anyway.
14. The Bugaloos
British insect-teenagers who sang, wore antennae, and were constantly being chased by a villain named Benita Bizarre—it’s exactly as wild as it sounds. The Bugaloos lived in a magical forest and floated around in giant flowers, occasionally breaking into song. Their outfits sparkled, their music was catchy, and their plots were pure sugar-fueled madness.
Another Krofft creation, this one leaned heavily on music and whimsy. It felt like a music video got trapped inside a fairy tale. And we never wanted it to end.
The ’70s cartoon landscape was bursting with imagination, and sometimes that imagination ran completely off the rails—in the best way possible. These shows weren’t trying to be “normal” or even logical—they were colorful escapes into worlds where anything could talk, sing, or sprout arms. Watching them now is like revisiting a dream you half-remember but still love. And no matter how bizarre they were, they made our childhoods brighter, wackier, and unforgettable.
