History DuelingShows / WesternAnimation

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|| Initiators || Followers || Capsule Pitch Description || Implementation || Winner? ||
|| ''[[WesternAnimation/ThomasTheTankEngine Thomas (the Tank Engine) & Friends]]'' (1984) || ''WesternAnimation/MagicAdventuresOfMumfie'' (1994) || Short stories told by a narrator who also voices the characters based on old British children's books that teach morals to preschoolers. || Both series are produced by Britt Allcroft, but it's also important to know that the Mumfie books predated TheRailwaySeries by '''ten years'''. They also appeared together on [[ABCFamily Fox Family]] and NickJr UK at one point. || ''Thomas & Friends'' wins, as it's a very successful franchise amongst the target demographic and is still on today. Mumfie, on the other hand, had beat Thomas in popularity for a year and a half when it was on Nick Jr. UK, but that all changed when ''WesternAnimation/LittleBill'' premiered. Needless to say, the show faded into obscurity, and you're more likely to find someone who watched the PilotMovie of the show rather than the episodes it was made out of or the episodes that came after it. Wether Mumfie will pop out of obscurity and one again topple Thomas depends on how well the upcoming Zodiak Kids remake does.||
|| ''[[WesternAnimation/ThomasTheTankEngine Thomas (the Tank Engine) & Friends]]'' (1984) || ''WesternAnimation/{{Chuggington}}'' (2008) || Short stories about a fleet of [[SentientVehicle anthropomorphic train engines]] and their daily working lives on the railway targeted at young children. The stories often contain AnAesop for the target audience to learn. Expect to hear lots of [[FlintstoneTheming train-themed puns]]. || ''Thomas & Friends'' was initially filmed using real railway models in live-action and the episodes were presented as if someone was reading them from a storybook; a storyteller would narrate the stories and do all the character voices. Later seasons use [[AllCGICartoon CGI models]] and gave each character their own voice actor (though the storyteller was still present). ''Chuggington'' used CGI models from the start and doesn't have a narrator; the episodes rely purely on dialogue. The characters in ''Chuggington'' are animated in a much more lively manner, showing lots of body language even if it defies the laws of [[ArtisticLicensePhysics physics]], [[NoOSHACompliance safety]] and [[ArtisticLicenseEngineering engineering]]. The body language for the engines in ''Thomas & Friends'' is largely restricted to facial expressions. || Most likely ''Thomas & Friends'', because it has a [[LongRunners much longer brand history]] than ''Chuggington''. The latter is still being derided as being a [[TheyCopiedItSoItSucks ripoff]] of the former. The fact that ''Chuggington'' was created by former employees who worked on ''Thomas & Friends'' doesn't really help. Either way, it shouldn't matter since when it comes to the toys, Creator/FisherPrice holds the rights to ''both'' franchises in the US, while Takara-Tomy holds the rights to ''both'' in Japan. ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformers'' (1984) || ''WesternAnimation/ChallengeOfTheGoBots'' (1984) || Western-produced shows with TransformingMecha. || ''WesternAnimation/ChallengeOfTheGoBots'' seems to be the obvious pale knockoff...so it comes as a surprise to many that the ''[[WesternAnimation/ChallengeOfTheGoBots GoBots]]'' toys [[OlderThanTheyThink actually predated]] ''Transformers'' by two years. Nonetheless, the ''cartoon'' Autobots beat the Go Bots to TV by a month. || ''[[WesternAnimation/TheTransformers Transformers]]'' became a CashCowFranchise that's still going strong some thirty years later. ''[=GoBots=]'' faded into obscurity and became [[AnyoneRememberPogs a punchline]] on purpose, mainly because Creator/{{Hasbro}} ended up later buying [=GoBots=]'s company and locked down the copyrights completely in order to keep "Transformers" in the public eye. ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/FilmationsGhostbusters'' (1986) || ''WesternAnimation/TheRealGhostbusters'' (1986) || Cartoon adaptation of a live action TV series/Film about a team of detectives/geeks confronting ghosts and such. || Both series premiered at the same year featuring Creator/{{Filmation}} and Creator/ColumbiaPictures' long dispute for the copyrights of the name. || ''The Real Ghostbusters'', by the virtue that only animation geeks who were into really obscure shows would know and care what ''Filmation's Ghostbusters'' is. ||
|| ''Anime/SaberRiderAndTheStarSheriffs'' (1987) || ''WesternAnimation/{{Bravestarr}}'' (1987) and ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfTheGalaxyRangers'' (1986) || SpaceWestern AnimatedSeries with {{Mechanical Horse}}s. || ''Saber Rider'' was the first of these shows; its original Japanese version, ''Anime/SeiJuushiBismarck,''[[note]]"Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs" is a heavily {{Macekre}}d version of the show.[[/note]] aired in 1984. In America, ''[[WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfTheGalaxyRangers Galaxy Rangers]]'' came first in 1986, with the other two shows following in 1987. ''[[WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfTheGalaxyRangers Galaxy Rangers]]'' was DarkerAndEdgier than its competitors[[note]]Well, not by much, anyway.[[/note]] and seems to have the biggest fan following today, although none of the series did very well in America. || ''Bravestarr'' is the best known of the three outside of the animation fandom, but ''Rangers'' is the most popular within that fandom. ||
|| ''[[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]'' (1987) || ''WesternAnimation/StreetSharks'' (1994) || A group of mutated antropomorphic animal brothers fight against a power-hungry madman and his two incompetent lackeys. || There were '''MANY''' TMNT [[FollowTheLeader imitators]] but ''WesternAnimation/StreetSharks'' is the most prominent. || ''Ninja Turtles'', no doubt. ''Street Sharks'' was actually decently popular during its time but it never got any continuation and is pretty much a [[AnyoneRememberPogs joke]] today. ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/{{COPS}}'' (1988) || ''WesternAnimation/RobocopTheAnimatedSeries'' (1988) || Both shows involve police who are (as C.O.P.S. put it) "fighting crime in a future time". || Although [[Film/RoboCop1987 the film]] that the latter show is based on predates the former series, the former series technically came first since it originally aired on weekdays. || It's hard to say. Both shows have toylines[[note]]The former show is based on a toyline called "C.O.P.S. 'n CROOKS".[[/note]] that have a similar "cap firing" gimmick, plus Robocop was already established as a popular (albeit, R-rated) movie. In any event, Robocop tends to be talked more than the other show especially since mentioning a show called "Cops" tends have people think of [[NamesTheSame that other]] [[Series/{{COPS}} show]].[[note]]Which is still being made today.[[/note]] ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/DenverTheLastDinosaur'' (1988) || ''WesternAnimation/DinkTheLittleDinosaur'' (1989) || Animated series about dinosaurs having adventures and a GreenAesop or two. || Denver had a one-year head start, aired in syndication and was set in modern-day while Dink came a year later (inspired partly by ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime'', released inbetween the two shows), was aired by CBS and took place in the Stone Age. || Both shows ran two seasons but ''Denver the Last Dinosaur'' is more fondly remembered and had more episodes (50 vs. 21) than ''Dink''. ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends'' (1988) || ''WesternAnimation/EekTheCat'' (1992) || Comedic [[ThreeShorts multiple-segment]] SaturdayMorningCartoon about a wisecracking FatCat who lives with an annoying owner, has lots of misadventures, and dislikes dogs with a passion. || Both cartoons have the same art design for some characters, and they even have a second segment that has very different characters[[note]]''Garfield'' had ''U.S. Acres'', while ''Eek!'' had ''The Terrible Thunderlizards''[[/note]], but ''WesternAnimation/EekTheCat'' seems a bit DarkerAndEdgier than ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends''. || While both are very well-known and well-remembered, ''Garfield and Friends'' wins because it still exists today in other media (comic strips, books, toys, printed merchandise and a revival [=CGI=] cartoon series) ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' (1989) || ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' (1999) || Primetime animated series about a DysfunctionalFamily with a moronic, brash jerk of a father, a patient and loving wife who sometimes has a mean streak, and three kids (a dimwitted son, a social outcast daughter, and a baby known for killing people). They also have a dog who is much more important to the latter show than the former. || DuelingShows made by [[Creator/{{Fox}} the same network]]. || While ''TheSimpsons'' has been on the air longer, inspired the likes of ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' and other animated shows about dysfunctional and idiosyncratic families, and is loved/remembered/revered/quoted/written about/studied more, ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' has been kicking the show's butt in the ratings and does have a sizable fanbase (mostly made up of former ''Simpsons'' fans), thanks to its three-year cancellation and revival through DVD sales and cable reruns in the mid-2000s. Nevertheless, both shows are among the most popular and widely recognized cartoons of all times.||
|| ''WesternAnimation/CaptainPlanetAndThePlaneteers'' (1990) || ''WesternAnimation/WidgetTheWorldWatcher'' (1990) || Saving the environment through use of superpowers. || || ''Captain Planet'' is generally more remembered than ''Widget'' (despite that ''Captain Planet'' is often mocked for being [[{{Anvilicious}} preachy and politically correct]], tried to do episodes about social issues such as AIDS, gang violence, and nuclear war, and not getting into any serious issues as to why pollution happens), so it wins. ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/GravedaleHigh'' (1990) || ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures'' (1990) || Cartoons taking place at a high school involving teenagers from a new generation based on classic characters from the GoldenAge of Hollywood (movie monsters/theatrical cartoon characters). || ''Gravedale High'' had teen-aged [[{{Expy}} expies]] of {{Universal}} monsters [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg and]] Creator/RickMoranis [[CelebrityToons as a human teacher, who happens to be the main character]]. ''Tiny Toons'' was a spin-off of the ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' (naturally) that not only had hijinks ensue, but would occasionally educate the viewers. Both shows have Creator/FrankWelker and Creator/MauriceLaMarche as regular cast members. || ''Tiny Toons'' lasted for three seasons, is fondly remembered, and airs in syndication on The Hub/Discovery Family Channel while ''Gravedale'' lasted 13 episodes, isn't remembered by anyone besides the people who remember seeing the show, and isn't syndicated anywhere.
|| ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow'' (1991) || ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife'' (1993) || Surreal kids' cartoons with extremely wacky animation styles and [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar disturbingly edgy styles of humor that skimmed toward older audiences]] || Back in the 1990s, ''Ren & Stimpy'' revitalized the concept of deranged and dangerous animation that could be for both adults and kids, leading to many imitations of its style. ''Rocko's Modern Life'' was one such imitator that was dismissed as a rip-off with no redeeming value. Also, ''Ren & Stimpy'' focused more on creepy and gross humor, while ''Rocko'' focused more on wacky and zany humor. || ''Rocko's Modern Life'' was a much better show in terms of quality and humor, and the fact that it didn't have the behind the scenes drama that plagued ''Ren & Stimpy''[[note]]though Joe Murray did stop working on ''RML'' because he blamed it for his wife's suicide. It didn't affect the show quality, but it is sad to hear that he felt this way about his work[[/note]], nor did it have an excessively vulgar revival that was canceled as quickly as it premiered (cf. ''Ren & Stimpy's Adult Party Cartoon''). However, ''Ren & Stimpy'' wins because it did (for better or worse) bring back the kind of edge and audacity in animation that hasn't been seen since the 1960s, is a more recognizable franchise than ''Rocko'', and animation fans and animators tend to copy ''Ren and Stimpy'' more than ''Rocko's Modern Life''. ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' (1992) || ''WesternAnimation/XMen'' (1992) || Comic Books adaptations that brought [[DarkerAndEdgier darker, more complex]] storylines to children's animation. || In 1992, Comic Book [[DuelingProducts rivals]], DC and Marvel, in about of a month of each other, released a show based on one of their most popular licenses onto Fox Kids. Both became not only popular, but are noted as being the start of bringing darker and more complex stories to comic book programming, and children's programming in general. || Both were very well received at the time and are considered staples of the comic book adaptation to this day, and both were about equally merchandized, as well as being both DC and Marvel's longest running animated series for a time. However, ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' had 85 episodes to ''WesternAnimation/XMen's'' 76, as well as two spin-offs (''WesternAnimation/TheNewBatmanAdventures'' and ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'') and two movies (''WesternAnimation/BatmanMaskOfThePhantasm'' and ''WesternAnimation/BatmanAndMisterFreezeSubZero''), which X-Men didn't have. ''Batman'' is also often cited as the greatest comic book adaptation of all time and some even go so far as to call it the greatest cartoon of all time, where as ''X-Men'', though popular in its time and considered a good series in its own right, never gets that kind of praise. ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'' (1993) || ''WesternAnimation/TheWackyWorldOfTexAvery'' (1997) || Collections of cartoon shorts in half-hour kid shows. || ''Tex Avery'' is alleged to be an homage to old Tex Avery cartoons while ''Animaniacs'' is original itself, but has a lot of the classic ''Looney Tunes''-style humor remade for the 1990s. || ''Animaniacs'' by a long shot. It had great ratings, lasted for 6 years, was very positively reviewed, and is on DVD and in syndication on cable. ''The Wacky World of Tex Avery'', on the other hand, is loathed by critics and viewers, only lasted a year before getting the ax, and hasn't been seen on TV since it premiered.
|| ''The WesternAnimation/BabyHuey Show'' (1994) || ''WesternAnimation/TheTwistedTalesOfFelixTheCat'' (1995) || A modern take on classic cartoon characters. || The second season of ''Baby Huey'' was produced by Creator/FilmRoman (the same company behind ''Twisted Tales of Felix''). || It's a tie. Both shows were good, but they didn't last long enough, though, if you did a Website/YouTube search, you would find more episodes of ''Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat'' than ''The Baby Huey Show''. ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/TheTick'' (1994) || ''WesternAnimation/{{Freakazoid}}'' (1995) || [[DeconstructiveParody Deconstructive Superhero parodies]] with completely insane main characters. || ''The Tick'' had over a year head start and had stared in comics since the mid 80s. || ''The Tick.'' Despite both being considered CultClassic with loyal fan bases, ''The Tick'' ended up with one more season and a recent comic revival while ''Freakazoid!'' was ScrewedByTheNetwork and was canceled after just two seasons. ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'' (1994) || ''WesternAnimation/MummiesAlive'' (1997) || Ancient monsters awaken in the modern day. TheyFightCrime. || ''Gargoyles'' was a major departure from much of what was happening in western animation, with arcing story lines, an expansive mythology, and emphasis on character development. ''Mummies Alive!'' tried to mimic many of these elements, but was less than successful in doing so. || ''Gargoyles'' got two seasons, a continuation series (''Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles''), and a comic book, as well as inspiring an annual convention that went on for a full twelve years after the show was canceled. ''Mummies Alive!'' only got one season, and while it garnered a small cult following, it didn't make nearly the impact that ''Gargoyles'' did. ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/WhatACartoonShow'' (1995) || ''WesternAnimation/OhYeahCartoons'' (1998) || [[AnimatedAnthology Animated Anthologies]] ||Creator/CartoonNetwork's ''WACS'' and Creator/{{Nickelodeon}}'s ''Oh Yeah'' both featured stand-alone shorts and recurring series. Several cartoons from both shows spun-off into full series (Including ''WesternAnimation/MyLifeAsATeenageRobot'', ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'', ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'', and'' WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents''). They even shared one cartoon series: ''WesternAnimation/MinaAndTheCount'', which debuted on ''WACS'' and moved to ''Oh Yeah''. Both were developed by the same man, Fred Seibert. || The jury's out on this one. Both shows went on to create some of the best modern classic cartoons. In this case, it all depends on which one you found to produce the better shows. ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/KaBlam'' (1996) || ''WesternAnimation/OhYeahCartoons'' (1998) || Nickelodeon animated sketch comedies that presented about four shorts an episode. || ''[=KaBlam!=] normally had the same shorts per episode, with a few one-shots in there to mix things up. ''Oh Yeah!'' featured different shorts every episode.|| ''Oh Yeah Cartoons'' got better treatment by Nickelodeon than ''Kablam!'' ever did, but ''Kablam!'' has a dedicated fanbase to fall back on. ''Oh Yeah Cartoons'' wins.||
|| ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' (1996) || ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}'' (1997) || A group of fourth grade kids and their usual and unusual adventures with their friends || ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' didn't have school as its main focus (while a bunch of episodes focused on school, it wasn't the main point of the show), while ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}'' focuses more on the kids at school. || While both are remembered fondly by those who grew up on 1990s cartoons, ''Recess'' wins, as it had a more successful movie than ''Hey Arnold!'' and had a longer run and more merchandising. ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}'' (1997) || ''WesternAnimation/{{Detention}}'' (1999) || A group of kids have misadventures in school under the eye of a large strict female teacher. || OneSaturdayMorning was beating KidsWB in the ratings race, so it seems pretty obvious here that Warner Bros. decided to FollowTheLeader. || ''Recess'' is the clear winner, having lasted six seasons and even landing a theatrical feature film. ''Detention'' was canceled after one season and isn't remembered much. ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' (1997) || ''WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks'' (2005) || Shows that satire certain current topics around plots of a community of idiots while the children turn out to usually be the only ones with common sense. || Both shows are cable cartoons that are more satirical than ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' and often go after taboo and rarely-mocked social issues. While ''South Park'' goes after everything and anything that may be bothering TreyParkerAndMattStone this week, ''The Boondocks'' tends to stick with issues about African-American culture and modern-day racial issues between white people and black people. || While both are very well known series. ''South Park'' is the clear winner. It's still on the air, still being praised for its humor (after being derided in its early days for being a vulgar, grossout show), and its satire is sharper than ever. ''TheBoondocks'' had a more SoOkayItsAverage reception when it premiered (mostly people complaining that it wasn't as scathing as the comic strips were or it was "too offensive"), and its humor peaked by season three (its fourth season is widely considered SeasonalRot due to Aaron [=MacGruder=] leaving the show). ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/MenInBlack'' (1997) || ''[[WesternAnimation/RoswellConspiracies Roswell Conspiracies: Aliens, Myths and Legends]]'' (1999) || Shows that feature an earth-based organization dedicated to protecting the planet from aliens. || While ''Men In Black'' did have a recurring villain who featured into an overarcing plot, most episodes were a stand alone affair. ''Roswell'' however featured a very strong central myth arc as well as several other story arcs that all concluded in the final set of episodes. || ''Men In Black'' lasted four seasons totaling 53 episodes while ''Roswell'' lasted only one 40 episode season. ''Men In Black'' was popular on the Kids WB block and is fondly remembered today. Sharing its name and characters with [[Film/MenInBlack a film]] didn't hurt matters. ''Roswell'' aired on BKN, and as a result never got the attention ''Men In Black'' did. ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/{{CatDog}}'' (1998) || ''WesternAnimation/OggyAndTheCockroaches'' (1998) || Wacky Nickelodeon cartoon featuring a hapless protagonist and bullying antagonists || Both shows are considered low points in Nickelodeon's history as a TV channel: [=CatDog=] is often accused of being the harbinger of mediocre shows on Nickelodeon (even though ''SpongeBobSquarePants'' has since been accused of that. Now, [=CatDog=] is barely remembered as being a show[[note]]though ''The90sAreAllThat'' has gotten people to remember it again[[/note]]) while ''Oggy and the Cockroaches'' was slated to be Nickelodeon's breakout show[[note]]even though it's been on the air on other channels in other countries since the late 1990s[[/note]], until the episode "(Un)happy Camper" caught the attention of TMZ and online denizens for showing a shot of a picture on a wall depicting a topless, big-breasted woman at the beach and caused the reruns to be pulled. || Despite the fallout from "(Un)happy Campers," Oggy was internationally successful, more entertaining, and ran for four seasons. CatDog, by contrast, only aired for three seasons, but [[SecondSeasonDownfall was only considered funny/entertaining in its first]].||
|| ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' (1998) || ''WesternAnimation/TeamoSupremo'' (2002) || A trio of children take time off from their schoolwork to fight crime. || The big difference, though, was that the Powerpuff Girls were superpowered sisters born as the result of a lab accident. Teamo, on the other hand, were ThreeAmigos of no blood relation who instead used supertools. || ''The Powerpuff Girls'' -- it has a movie, an [[Anime/DemashitaPowerpuffGirlsZ anime adaptation]], two anniversary specials, a complete series DVD set (including a lot of episodes that didn't air on TV), lots of merchandise, syndication on Cartoon Network's sister channel Boomerang, and more fans than ''Teamo Supremo'' could ever wish for. ''Teamo Supremo'', on the other hand, only ran for about a year, and was then cancelled due to low ratings and complaints that it ripped off PPG. ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/GodzillaTheSeries'' (1998) || ''AlienatorsEvolutionContinues'' (2001) || An animated series based off a movie in which scientists save the world from monsters. || ''Godzilla'' had to balance the exploits of the human team with Godzilla's epic battles with other monsters. Of the two shows ''Alienators'' seems to have been geared towards a younger audience. || ''Godzilla'' lasted for two seasons compared to ''Alienators'' one season. Fans fondly remember ''Godzilla'' for being intelligently written and for making the Godzilla from the [[Film/{{Godzilla 1998}} ill-received movie]] cool again by having him fight monsters. Conversely ''Alienators'' is mostly forgotten. ||
|| MTV's ''WesternAnimation/{{Downtown}}'' (1999) || ''WesternAnimation/MissionHill'' (1999) || Late 90's Adult [[AnimatedSeries Animated]] series about the bizarre city life. || Both shows were released in 1999, they were well animated following artistic styles of Alternative comics. They were so unique and strange, too strange for their own good. They both had strange characters and stranger settings. They had many sexual jokes and nerdy pop culture jokes. || Both shows lasted only one season with 13 episodes. ''Mission Hill'' wins only because it was rerun on Creator/AdultSwim after the show was cancelled, along with a proper DVD release (even though [[ClumsyCopyrightCensorship the licensed music has been replaced]]). ''Downtown'''s DVD release is only available online directly from the creators. ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' (1999) || ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' (2005) || DysfunctionalFamily animated shows created by Creator/SethMacFarlane. || ''American Dad'' was created a scant few years after FOX canceled ''Family Guy'' (Seth still had a contract with FOX, and they needed a new show since a lot of their live-action stuff was getting canceled -- both justly and unjustly). Then, ''Family Guy'' came back, thanks to high DVD revenue and big ratings from being rerun on Creator/AdultSwim. || In terms of quality, ''American Dad'' wins because it has better writing and feels more like that animated ''All in the Family'' series that SethMacFarlane has always wanted to do (at least in the early episodes. When ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' got more preachy and political, ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' became sillier and more cartoonish, only without the cutaway jokes). In terms of numbers, ratings, and cultural impact, ''Family Guy'' wins. ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/CourageTheCowardlyDog'' (1999) || ''WesternAnimation/{{Poochini}}'' (2000) || Animated series about timed dog who discovers weird stuff in his surroundings. || Both Courage and Poochini live with an adbusive male owner. || Courage has the upper-hand. Mainly because it had more seasons and merchandise, which Poochini lacks. ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' (1999, KidsWB) || ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManUnlimited'' (1999, FOX Kids) || MerchandiseDriven {{spinoff}}s of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' and ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheAnimatedSeries'' respectively, released in 1999. Both shows centered on familiar heroes with new PoweredArmor costumes with InvisibilityCloak powers, in a {{dystopia}}. || WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond was set in a BadFuture {{dystopia}}, centered upon a teenager trained by Bruce Wayne in the Batman role and somehow developed into a DarkerAndEdgier show than its predecessor, particularly in TheMovie that was based on it. ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManUnlimited'' - which was originally planned to be a AnimatedAdaptation of ''ComicBook/SpiderMan2099'' - eventually came to be about Peter Parker in an AlternateTimeline {{dystopia}}, where [[BeastMan Beast Men]] ruled the Earth. || ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'', which lasted for three seasons and inspired [[TheMovie a full-length animated film]]. ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManUnlimited'' was canceled after one season. ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' (1999) || ''WesternAnimation/CoconutFredsFruitSaladIsland'' (2005) || An eternally cheerful super-optimist in a nautical-themed world of anthropomorphic sea creatures/fruit annoys his fussbudget neighbor while having wacky adventures with his dim-witted best friend. || ''Fred'' premiered on Creator/KidsWB at the height of [=SpongeBob=]'s popularity, and the main characters of both shows act and sound extremly similar. The main difference was that Fred was a talking coconut who lived on an island with other talking fruit. || [=SpongeBob=] by a light year -- it is one of the most successful cartoons of all time, [[CashCowFranchise the cornerstone]] of Creator/{{Nickelodeon}}'s empire and has lasted for more than ten years. ''Coconut Fred'' was hated by critics, canceled after half a season, and considered an OldShame for voice actor Creator/RobPaulsen. ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' (1999) || ''WesternAnimation/FishHooks'' (2010) || Cartoon about underwater creatures living human lives. || ''[=SpongeBob=]'' is set in an ocean and stars a sponge working in a fast-food restaurant, while ''Fish Hooks'' is set in a pet store/TV repair shop and stars a group of fish [[StealthPun going to high school]]. ''WesternAnimation/FishHooks'' is also much more realistic in plot, fish locomotion, food, and scale, while [=SpongeBob=] is more cartoony. || [=SpongeBob=], no contest. It is one of the most successful, well-known, and well-received cartoons of all time, and pretty much is to Nickelodeon as Mickey Mouse is to Disney and Bugs Bunny is to Warner Bros. ''Fish Hooks'', on the other hand, is relatively obscure, widely hated, and doesn't have the success or fans that ''[=SpongeBob=]'' has. ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/TotallySpies'' (2001) || ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' (2002) || High school girls(s) must save the world from evil. || While ''Totally Spies'' did have a recurring villian here and there ''Kim Possible'' had a much stronger RoguesGallery in that they would appear more frequently. Said rouges gallery also got much more screen time than any of the villians in ''Totally Spies!''||Hard to say. ''Totally Spies! '' lasted on the air longer but after ''Kim Possible'' was cancelled following its third season, fan outcry was so extreme Disney put out a PostScriptSeason four. ''Totally Spies'', in its French dub, is more popular in Europe, however.||
|| ''WesternAnimation/ChalkZone'' (2002) || ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'' (2004) || A shy little brunette boy and his outgoing, scrappy blue imaginary friend have adventures with other made-up beings. || The titular [=ChalkZone=] took place in another dimension and was more adventure/fantasy based, while Foster's Home was in the real world, was more focused around comedy, and didn't have [=ChalkZone's=] adventure elements. || ''Foster's'' is the clear winner, with high ratings and critical support and having lasted six seasons and seventy-seven episodes, three TV movies, had plenty of merchandise, and is still reran to this day. [=ChalkZone=] only got high ratings during its' first season (before being ScrewedByTheNetwork in its' second), barely any merchandise, ran quietly for four seasons of forty episodes, and despite having a small cult following, remains one of the more obscure Nicktoons. ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown'' (2003) || ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' (2005) || Plot-driven animated series inspired by Asian culture, about a group of pre-teens and teenagers who fight evil by using elemental powers. || ''Xiaolin'' is a kid-centric series about the heroes collecting powerful artifacts and trying to keep them out of the villains' grasp. ''Avatar'' is a more mature series about a child who has the power of all four elements, which he must use to defeat an evil army. ''Xiaolin''[='s=] four protagonists have power over one of the four elements. ''Xiaolin'' is set in modern times, while ''Avatar''s setting is ancient times. ''Xiaolin'' is more action focused, while ''Avatar'' is more plot and character driven. But while ''Xiaolin'' aired first, ''Avatar'' had been conceived in 2001. || While ''Xiaolin'' was popular and well received, and even gained a [[WesternAnimation/XiaolinChronicles reboot]], ''Avatar'' had the better plot, the better writing, the better characters, and more popularity, leading to a [[WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra sequel series]] and a (badly received) live-action film adaptation. ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/{{WITCH}}'' (2004) || ''WesternAnimation/WinxClub'' (2004) || {{Animesque}} {{sentai}} show with {{Magical Girl}}s. || Somewhat similar shows that both originated in Italy, except ''WesternAnimation/{{WITCH}}'' has a bigger budget and scripts with less [[{{Filler}} filler]]. Many of the similarities were introduced through the adaptations. || In America, the Winx had broadcast TV coverage from day one while the Guardians started on cable, so the Winx ended up clobbering them {{ratings}}-wise and have now outlasted their dueling counterparts. However, WITCH wins out in terms of quality due to WINX being initially dubbed by 4Kids (Seen in anime circles as one of the worst dubbing companies in the world after a terrible dub of ''Manga/OnePiece'' and an average ''Yu-Gi-Oh!'' dub, while WITCH has a longer comic series (Lasting from 2001 to 2012), and WITCH was seen as a better show overall. ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'' (2004) || ''WesternAnimation/BenTen'' (2005) || Animated Science Fantasy action comedies about a schoolyard reject/HollywoodNerd who gains the ability to transform into a super powered form from a freak accident, decides to fight crime in secret, is the main combatant in a trio, is from families that hunted the creature he can become, and fights creatures like what he can become. || ''Danny Phantom'' premiered over a year before ''Ben 10'', and can be said to have started the craze of secret teen/child heroes that would come the following year. While there are a number of differences Ben 10 gave Danny Phantom its greatest competition of all of the shows. Both starred a Caucasian male lead that gains the power to transform into super-powered forms from a device that was connected to one of their family members, both star trios (two guys and [[TokenGirl one]] [[TheChick girl]]), both have a know-it all red-headed relative, and both used a catchphrase that was "Going [Blank]". The rivalry between the show's parent channels only upped the competition || Though both shows were well received and are well remembered, ''WesternAnimation/BenTen'' is the clear winner here. Not Only did it have four seasons to ''DannyPhantom's'' three, but also [[WesternAnimation/Ben10AlienForce three]] [[WesternAnimation/Ben10UltimateAlien spinoff]] [[WesternAnimation/Ben10Omniverse shows]], two [[Film/Ben10RaceAgainstTime live-action]] [[Film/Ben10AlienSwarm movies]], two [[WesternAnimation/Ben10SecretOfTheOmnitrix animated]] [[WesternAnimation/Ben10DestroyAllAliens movies]], a reboot, and much more merchandising than ''Danny Phantom'' ever had. ''Franchise/BenTen'' also became Cartoon Network's flagship franchise until 2010, where as ''DannyPhantom'' never exceeded shows like ''SpongebobSquarepants'', ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', or even its sister show ''TheFairlyOddParents'' for that role, though for what it's worth it did seemed to be loved by its network for the time it was on. ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDragonJakeLong'' (2005) || ''WesternAnimation/TheLifeAndTimesOfJuniperLee'' (2005) || Animated SupernaturalSoapOpera about a kid with supernatural powers, a talking dog, a wise OldMaster, and an annoying kid sibling tasked with protecting both the human and magic worlds. || Moderate differences, but in both, a young American of Chinese decent inherits the mystical mantle of a grandparent, becomes a mediator between the human and magical worlds, and has an irritating opposite-gender younger sibling and a talking pug dog. || Though both shows ran for about the same number of months, ''American Dragon'' has twelve episodes over ''Juniper Lee'' (although this was a standard Creator/{{Disney}} practice of stretching out seasons). ''Juniper Lee'' however has the advantage of getting three seasons whereas ''American Dragon'' only got two and even a DVD release of the first season ([[NoExportForYou albeit only in Australia]]). Of the two series though, ''American Dragon'' is more well-remembered, while ''Juniper Lee'' is one of the least-remembered Cartoon Network shows. ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' (2005) || ''WesternAnimation/{{Mad}}'' (2010) || Mashup of sketches and parodies of games, films, animations and everything else in media. || ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' is fully in stop motion while ''MAD'', based on the cult magazine of the same name combines traditional animation, stop motion and CG. Both air on the same channel. || ''Robot Chicken'' wins. It's more well-known and it's still on (despite claims that it's gone downhill). ''MAD'' lasted four seasons and was canceled in 2013. ||
|| ''El Chavo Animado'' (2006) || ''WesternAnimation/TheMightyB'' (2008) || Shows that center around a kid protagonist in world where [[ManChild adults act like children]]. || Portia's mom is an expy to Quico's mom. || ''El Chavo'' had higher popularity, merchandising and has a seventh season planned. ''The Mighty B'' on the other hand ran for 2 season and has no merchandise at all.||
|| ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'' (2008) || ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperHeroSquadShow'' (2009) || Silver Age esque kiddy-shows with a focus on lighthearted fun. || ''Brave and the Bold'' is still quite close to the comics in characterization, except much more far-out in its storylines, whereas ''Super Hero Squad Show'' is extremely OTT and wacky in everything that happens. Also, BTBATB focuses almost exclusively on ADayInTheLimelight, prioritizing characters like Clock King and Green Arrow over The Joker and Robin. || Both shows are quite popular, but so far ''Brave and the Bold'' is slightly more popular. ''Super Hero Squad Show'' will likely make more money thanks to being MerchandiseDriven, however. ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/BoltsAndBlip'' (2010) || ''WesternAnimation/PacManAndTheGhostlyAdventures'' (2013) || Shows about unlikely heroes in a futuristic setting. || Both shows uses different Canadian voice-acting groups in their shows. || ''Pac-Man'' has a slight advantage mainly due to tie-in merchandising and is already confirmed for a second season. ''Bolts & Blip'' lasted for one 26 episode season. ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' (2010) || ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' (2010) || Insanely popular shows that focus largely on humor and (mostly) episodic character building. Both have a large PeripheryDemographic despite a cutesy, lighthearted exterior, and both take place in a Fantasy setting that is still filled with modern elements. || ''Friendship is Magic'' mostly consists of SliceOfLife episodes while ''Adventure Time'' is known for being [[WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs a little on the weird side.]] || Another tough call. Both shows are critically acclaimed and are largely considered ''the'' best original shows on their respective networks. Despite getting their start at around the same time, MLP is in its fifth season while Adventure Time is in its seventh. Though it's generally thought that Adventure Time is the easier to get into and the more well-known show to casual audiences, MLP has a larger and more infamous fanbase. ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' (2010) || ''WesternAnimation/{{Littlest Pet Shop|2012}}'' (2012) || Musical cartoons about {{talking animal}}s on Creator/TheHub based on a 80s/90s toy line by Creator/{{Hasbro}}. Both shows have a main character interested in fashion design, a leadership specialist, and a pink CloudCuckoolander. They also share a voice cast, animation studio, music team, and some writers. || MLP is a show that combines slice of life elements with aesops mostly about friendship and perseverance and typically has only one plotline per episode, while LPS focuses more on the slice of life aspect and either has single plots or divides into two separate plots, focusing on the escapades of the TokenHuman and the titular pets. || LPS does have its fans and is still going strong, but MLP sparked a more famous Periphery Demographic (bronies) and is more well-known online. ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' (2010) || ''WesternAnimation/FillyFuntasia'' (2014) || MerchandiseDriven shows about colorful talking ponies. || Both shows have villains, however the Fillies look more like traditional horses compared to FIM ponies. || ''Friendship is Magic'' is an insanely popular show, so ''Filly Funtasia'' is facing tough competition. However, there is still a possibility of the show attracting a small fandom of which are those put off by the direction Hasbro took with the MLP pony designs in G3.5 and [=FiM=]. ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPandaLegendsOfAwesomeness'' (2011) || ''WesternAnimation/DragonsRidersOfBerk'' (2012) || Animated CGI tv-series based off hit Creator/DreamworksAnimation films. || Despite both series being owned by Dreamworks, ''Panda'' is being aired on Creator/{{Nickelodeon}} while ''Dragons'' airs on Creator/CartoonNetwork. || Jury's still out on this one. ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'' (2011) || ''WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan'' (2012) || Action cartoons about teenage superheroes from the DCUniverse and MarvelUniverse respectively, training under the world's greatest superheroes while dealing with [[WakeUpGoToSchoolSaveTheWorld everyday teenage problems]]. || ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'' is the more serious and serialized of the two, especially in its [[GrowingTheBeard second season]]. ''WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan'' is more jokey, frequently featuring cutaway gags and slapstick comedy. It is also known for working AnAesop into most episodes. Young Justice airs on Creator/CartoonNetwork, while ''Ultimate Spider-Man'' airs on Creator/DisneyXD. || Young Justice has the critical edge and is well liked by comics fans, with ''Ultimate Spider-Man'' suffering by comparison to its [[WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan predecessor]], and is generally hated by Spider-Man fans. ''Young Justice'' ended its run with its second season (after a lot of [[ScrewedByTheNetwork scheduling changes and hiatuses]]) while ''Ultimate Spider-Man'' is on its ''third''. ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan'' (2012) || ''Westernanimation/TeenTitansGo'' (2013) || Cartoons about teenage superheroes from the DCUniverse and MarvelUniverse || Both shows are DenserAndWackier animated adaptations of their comics of the same name. || ''Titans'' met with mixed reviews due to the non-existent plot and new emphasis on humor but was renewed for a second season with "succesful ratings" cited. ''Ultimate'' has acquired a mixed reputation among ''Spider-Man'' fans, as it's coming after ''Spectacular'', one of, if not the most well-received ''Spider-Man'' series. They are both currently still going with ''Ultimate'' having a two season head-start. ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' (2012) || ''WesternAnimation/CampLakebottom'' (2013) || A group of kids find that the place they're staying over the summer has strange, paranormal events happening near them. || Both shows air on Disney networks in America, but ''Camp Lakebottom'' is not an official Disney production, and it's produced in Canada instead of America. || ''Gravity Falls''. It's been on the air longer and it has gained more recognition and praise than ''Camp Lakebottom'', which is new and relatively obscure. ||
|| ''WesternAnimation/WanderOverYonder'' (2013) || ''WesternAnimation/UncleGrandpa'' (2013) || Animated series about goofy characters with sidekicks seeking fun in their worlds. || ''Uncle Grandpa'' is a spin-off of ''WesternAnimation/SecretMountainFortAwesome'', and both ''UG'' and ''SMFA'' are based off of a pilot short called ''Uncle Grandpa''. || So far, ''Wander'' has been more well-received than ''Grandpa''. It helps that ''Wander's'' creator, CraigMcCracken, already has two [[WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls successful]] [[WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends shows]] under his belt, while ''Grandpa's'' creator, Pete Browngardt, only has [[WesternAnimation/SecretMountainFortAwesome one poorly-received one]]. ||

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|| ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformers'' (1984) || ''WesternAnimation/ChallengeOfTheGoBots'' (1984) || {{Sentai}} show with TransformingMecha. || ''WesternAnimation/ChallengeOfTheGoBots'' seems to be the obvious pale knockoff...so it comes as a surprise to many that the ''[[WesternAnimation/ChallengeOfTheGoBots GoBots]]'' toys [[OlderThanTheyThink actually predated]] ''Transformers'' by two years. Nonetheless, the ''cartoon'' Autobots beat the Go Bots to TV by a month. || ''[[WesternAnimation/TheTransformers Transformers]]'' became a CashCowFranchise that's still going strong some thirty years later. ''[=GoBots=]'' faded into obscurity and became [[AnyoneRememberPogs a punchline]] on purpose, mainly because Creator/{{Hasbro}} ended up later buying [=GoBots=]'s company and locked down the copyrights completely in order to keep "Transformers" in the public eye. ||

|| ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown'' (2003) || ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' (2005) || Plot-driven animated series inspired by Asian culture, about a group of pre-teens and teenagers who fight evil by using elemental powers. || ''Xiaolin'' is a kid-centric series about the heroes collecting powerful artifacts and trying to keep them out of the villains' grasp. ''Avatar'' is a more mature series about a child who has the power of all four elements, which he must use to defeat an evil army. ''Xiaolin'''s character who has the element of fire is one of the heroes, while ''Avatar'''s characters who have the element of fire are the villains. ''Xiaolin'''s setting is modern times, while ''Avatar'''s setting is ancient times. ''Xiaolin'' is more action focused, while ''Avatar'' is more plot and character driven. But while ''Xiaolin'' aired first, ''Avatar'' had been conceived in 2001. || While ''Xiaolin'' was popular and well received, and even gained a [[WesternAnimation/XiaolinChronicles reboot]], ''Avatar'' had the better plot, the better writing, the better characters, and more popularity, leading to a [[WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra sequel series]] and a (badly received) live-action film adaptation. ||

|| ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown'' (2003) || ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' (2005) || Plot-driven animated series inspired by Asian culture, about a group of pre-teens and teenagers who fight evil by using elemental powers. || ''Xiaolin'' is a kid-centric series about the heroes collecting powerful artifacts and trying to keep them out of the villains' grasp. ''Avatar'' is a more mature series about a child who has the power of all four elements, which he must use to defeat an evil army. ''Xiaolin'''s character who has the element of fire is one of the heroes, while ''Avatar'''s characters who have the element of fire are the villains. ''Xiaolin'''s setting is modern times, while ''Avatar'''s setting is ancient times. ''Xiaolin'' is more action focused, while ''Avatar'' is more plot and character driven. But while ''Xiaolin'' aired first, ''Avatar'' had been conceived in 2001. || While ''Xiaolin'' was popular and well received, and even gained a [[WesternAnimation/XiaolinChronicles reboot]], ''Avatar'' had the better plot, the better writing, the better characters, and more popularity, leading to a [[WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra sequel series]] and a (badly received) live-action film adaptation. ||

|| ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' (1992) || ''WesternAnimation/XMen'' (1992) || Comic Books adaptations that brought [[DarkerAndEdgier darker, more complex]] storylines to children's animation. || In 1992, Comic Book [[DuelingProducts rivals]], DC and Marvel, in about of a month of each other, released a show based on one of their most popular licenses onto Fox Kids. Both became not only popular, but are noted as being the start of bringing darker and more complex stories to comic book programming, and children's programming in general. || Both were very well received at the time and are considered staples of the comic book adaptation to this day, and both were about equally merchandized, as well as being both DC and Marvel's longest running animated series for a time. However, ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' had 85 episodes to ''WesternAnimation/XMen's'' 76, as well as two spin-offs (''WesternAnimation/TheNewBatmanAdventures'' and ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'') and two movies (''WesternAnimation/BatmanMaskOfThePhantasm'' and ''WesternAnimation/BatmanAndMisterFreezeSubZero''), which X-Men didn't have. ''Batman'' is also often cited as the greatest comic book adaptation of all time and some even go so far as to call it the greatest cartoon of all time, where as ''X-Men'', though popular in its time and consider a good series in its own right, never gets that kind of praise. ||

|| ''Anime/SaberRiderAndTheStarSheriffs'' (1987) || ''WesternAnimation/{{Bravestarr}}'' (1987) and ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfTheGalaxyRangers'' (1986) || SpaceWestern AnimatedSeries with {{Mechanical Horse}}s. || ''Saber Rider'' was the first of these shows; its original Japanese version, ''Anime/SeiJuushiBismarck''[[note]]"Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs" is a heavily {{Macekre}}d version of the show.[[/note]], aired in 1984. In America, ''[[WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfTheGalaxyRangers Galaxy Rangers]]'' came first in 1986, with the other two shows following in 1987. ''[[WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfTheGalaxyRangers Galaxy Rangers]]'' was DarkerAndEdgier than its competitors[[note]]Well, not by much, anyway.[[/note]] and seems to have the biggest fan following today, although none of the series did very well in America. || ''Bravestarr'' is the best known of the three outside of the animation fandom, but ''Rangers'' is the most popular within that fandom. ||

|| ''WesternAnimation/{{COPS}}'' (1988) || ''WesternAnimation/RobocopTheAnimatedSeries'' (1988) || Both shows involve police who are (as C.O.P.S. put it) "fighting crime in a future time". || Although [[Film/RoboCop the film]] that the latter show is based on predates the former series, the former series technically came first since it originally aired on weekdays. || It's hard to say. Both shows have toylines[[note]]The former show is based on a toyline called "C.O.P.S. 'n CROOKS".[[/note]] that have a similar "cap firing" gimmick, plus Robocop was already established as a popular (albeit, R-rated) movie. In any event, Robocop tends to be talked more than the other show especially since mentioning a show called "Cops" tends have people think of [[NamesTheSame that other]] [[Series/{{COPS}} show]].[[note]]Which is still being made today.[[/note]] ||