Tonto riding Scout and the Lone Ranger riding Silver
Formally titled "The New Adventures of The Lone Ranger", this Animated Adaptation by Filmation was aired in two seasons of 28 episodes over a period of 2 years, spanning from September 13, 1980 to January 30, 1982. It was aired in a double-feature with reruns of Filmation's Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle as The Tarzan/Lone Ranger Adventure Hour and later with Zorro as The Tarzan/Lone Ranger/Zorro Adventure Hour.
The Ranger is voiced by William Conrad (aka J. Darnoc) and Tonto by Native American actor Ivan Naranjo.
This series includes examples of:
- And Knowing Is Half the Battle: Every episode ends with the Ranger and/or Tonto narrating a bit of real world history highlighted in the episode we've just seen.
- Animated Adaptation: Of The Lone Ranger.
- Assassination Attempt: Our heroes have to thwart an attempt on President Grant's life in "The President Plot." There is another attempt to use Latex Perfection to swap President Grant with a double. However, that is foiled with Tonto helping foil it, with the Lone Ranger replacing the double in The Reveal.
- City of Gold: One episode features the Ranger and Tonto encountering a maniac who has been capturing travelers and forcing them to help him hunt for Coronado's legendary City of Gold. The episode ends with the Ranger dismissing the idea as a legend. Ironically, the later episode "The Valley of Gold" has a group of settlers find a valley so littered with gold that it may as well be this; the valley gets destroyed by the end of the episode.
- Historical Domain Character: Quite a few, including Ulysses S. Grant, Buffalo Bill, and Mark Twain.
- Identity Amnesia: Happens to the Ranger after drinking from a poisonous spring. Tonto's efforts to revive his best friend's memory are genuinely heartwarming.
- Latex Perfection: "The President Plot" has the Ranger and Tonto discover this was another threat to President Grant: that someone would try to swap the President with a facemask-wearing double. It's foiled when Tonto saved the President and the Ranger himself replaces the double.
- Master of Disguise: The Ranger is one. He's impersonated a "government man," a criminal gunman known as "The Sharpshooter" and a henchman who was supposed to (in turn) impersonate President Grant.
- Opening Narration: Uses the same one as the classic radio and TV series, with one change: Tonto goes from being the Ranger's "faithful Indian companion" to his "fearless Indian companion."
- "Scooby-Doo" Hoax: The titular "Hanga the Night Monster," menacing Chinese railroad workers.
- Sequel Series: While Tonto's improved English certainly implies this is set after the original series, the episode "The Great Balloon Race" firmly establishes it by showing that the Ranger's nephew Dan Reid is now an adult.
- Steampunk: The geyser-driven tech used by the villain in "The Yellowstone Conspiracy." The giant robot "Colossus" in "The President Plot" could qualify.
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What Could Have Been: After the success of getting Adam West and Burt Ward to voice Batman and Robin for "The New Adventures of Batman," Filmation tried to get Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels to reprise their roles of The Lone Ranger and Tonto for this series. However, the two actors required an extra day of rehearsals Filmation couldn't afford, so they went with William Conrad and Ivan Naranjo as the Ranger and Tonto.
