Filmation facts for kids

Filmation Associates, also known as Filmation Studios, was an American company that made many popular animated and live-action TV shows. It was started in 1962 and was located in Reseda, California. Filmation was known for creating cartoons based on famous characters and for its unique animation style.

Popular TV Shows by Filmation

Filmation produced a wide range of animated and live-action series that many kids and families enjoyed. They often brought comic book heroes and classic characters to life on the small screen.

Bringing Superheroes to Life

Filmation was well-known for its shows featuring popular superheroes.

• The New Adventures of Superman (1966–1967 CBS)
• The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure (1967–1968 CBS)
• Aquaman (1968 CBS)
• The Batman/Superman Hour (1968–1969 CBS)
• Shazam! (live-action TV series) (1974 CBS)
• The Secrets of Isis (live-action TV series) (1975 CBS)
• The New Adventures of Batman (1977 CBS)
• The New Adventures of Flash Gordon (1979–1980 NBC)

Classic Characters and New Adventures

Filmation also created shows based on beloved characters from comics and other stories.

• The Archie Show (1968 CBS)
• The Hardy Boys (1969 ABC)
• Sabrina and the Groovie Goolies (1970 CBS & ABC)
• Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1972 CBS) - This show taught important life lessons.
• The Brady Kids (1972–1974 ABC) - An animated spin-off of the famous Brady Bunch.
• Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973–1974 NBC) - This cartoon continued the adventures of the original Star Trek crew.
• Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle (1976 CBS)
• The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse and Heckle & Jeckle, & Quackula (1979–1981 CBS)

Fantasy and Sci-Fi Worlds

In the 1980s, Filmation became famous for its fantasy and science fiction cartoons.

• He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983–1985 Synd) - A very popular show about He-Man protecting Eternia.
• She-Ra: Princess of Power (1985–1987 Synd) - He-Man's twin sister, She-Ra, fought evil on the planet Etheria.
• The Original Ghostbusters (animated) (1986–1988 Synd) - This show was based on an earlier live-action series by Filmation.
• Bravestarr (1987–1988 Synd) - A space western cartoon.

Filmation Movies and Specials

Beyond TV series, Filmation also produced several animated movies and special TV episodes.

Animated Movies for the Big Screen

• Treasure Island (1972)
• Journey Back to Oz (1974)
• Oliver Twist (1974)
• Mighty Mouse in the Great Space Chase (1982)
• The Secret of the Sword (1985) - This movie introduced She-Ra to the world.
• Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night (1987)
• BraveStarr: The Movie (1988)

Television Specials

Filmation also created special TV episodes, often for holidays or to introduce new characters.

• Hey, Hey, Hey, It's Fat Albert! (1969)
• Daffy Duck and Porky Pig Meet the Groovie Goolies (1972)
• The Fat Albert Halloween Special (1977)
• The Fat Albert Christmas Special (1977)
• A Snow White Christmas (1980)
• The Fat Albert Easter Special (1982)
• He-Man and She-Ra: A Christmas Special (1985)

Images for kids

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  From left to right: Norm Prescott, Hal Sutherland and Lou Scheimer, the founders of Filmation.

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  A layout artist working on a key-frame of animation for He-Man and the Masters of the Universe in 1983. This was a typical workspace at Filmation.

See also

In Spanish: Filmation para niños