History Creator / Filmation

The studio's first real success came in 1966 with ''WesternAnimation/TheNewAdventuresOfSuperman''; this was soon eclipsed by the runaway popularity of ''WesternAnimation/TheArchieShow'' in 1968. ''Archie'' spun off Filmation's next hit, ''WesternAnimation/SabrinaAndTheGroovieGoolies'', in 1971. In 1972, ''WesternAnimation/DaffyDuckAndPorkyPigMeetTheGroovieGhoulies'', a bizarre {{crossover}} film, was made for ''The ABC Saturday Superstar Movies'', featuring the Groovie Goolies meeting various ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' characters. The studio's first foray into socially conscious cartooning came in 1972 with ''WesternAnimation/FatAlbertAndTheCosbyKids''; thereafter, didacticism would be common not only on cartoons like ''WesternAnimation/MissionMagic'' (a precursor to ''Literature/TheMagicSchoolBus'' in featuring a supernaturally endowed teacher, [[PunnyName Miss Tickle]], along with later 1980s pop idol Music/RickSpringfield), but in Filmation's live-action productions as well, such as the environmentally educational ''Series/ArkII'', ''Series/Shazam1974'' and ''[[Series/TheSecretsOfIsis Isis]]'' (which featured another magical, HotLibrarian-ish teacher, who transformed into the Egyptian goddess [[[ByThePowerOfGrayskull "O mighty Isis!"]]] in order to fly around in a skimpy skirt and demonstrate social lessons into the bargain).

The studio's first real success came in 1966 with ''WesternAnimation/TheNewAdventuresOfSuperman''; this was soon eclipsed by the runaway popularity of ''WesternAnimation/TheArchieShow'' in 1968. ''Archie'' spun off Filmation's next hit, ''WesternAnimation/SabrinaAndTheGroovieGoolies'', in 1971. In 1972 a bizarre {{crossover}} film was made for ''The ABC Saturday Superstar Movies'' featuring the Groovie Goolies meeting various WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes characters. The studio's first foray into socially conscious cartooning came in 1972 with ''WesternAnimation/FatAlbertAndTheCosbyKids''; thereafter, didacticism would be common not only on cartoons like ''WesternAnimation/MissionMagic'' (a precursor to ''Literature/TheMagicSchoolBus'' in featuring a supernaturally endowed teacher, [[PunnyName Miss Tickle]], along with later 1980s pop idol Music/RickSpringfield), but in Filmation's live-action productions as well, such as the environmentally educational ''Series/ArkII'', ''Series/Shazam1974'' and ''[[Series/TheSecretsOfIsis Isis]]'' (which featured another magical, HotLibrarian-ish teacher, who transformed into the Egyptian goddess [[[ByThePowerOfGrayskull "O mighty Isis!"]]] in order to fly around in a skimpy skirt and demonstrate social lessons into the bargain).

* TalkingAnimal: Largely [[AvertedTrope averted]] in Filmation's series; though there were Jughead's Hot Dog (who didn't really "speak"; we just hear his thoughts) or He-Man's Cringer, and Belfry the Bat, this trope was nowhere nearly as popular with Filmation as with most other animation studios.

The studio's first real success came in 1966 with ''WesternAnimation/TheNewAdventuresOfSuperman''; this was soon eclipsed by the runaway popularity of ''WesternAnimation/TheArchieShow'' in 1968. ''Archie'' spun off Filmation's next hit, ''WesternAnimation/SabrinaAndTheGroovieGoolies'', in 1971. In 1972 a bizarre {{crossover}} film was made for ''The ABC Saturday Superstar Movies'' featuring the Groovie Goolies meeting various WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes characters. The studio's first foray into socially conscious cartooning came in 1972 with ''WesternAnimation/FatAlbertAndTheCosbyKids''; thereafter, didacticism would be common not only on cartoons like ''WesternAnimation/MissionMagic'' (a precursor to ''Literature/TheMagicSchoolBus'' in featuring a supernaturally endowed teacher, [[PunnyName Miss Tickle]], along with later 1980s pop idol Creator/RickSpringfield), but in Filmation's live-action productions as well, such as the environmentally educational ''Series/ArkII'', ''Series/Shazam1974'' and ''[[Series/TheSecretsOfIsis Isis]]'' (which featured another magical, HotLibrarian-ish teacher, who transformed into the Egyptian goddess [[[ByThePowerOfGrayskull "O mighty Isis!"]]] in order to fly around in a skimpy skirt and demonstrate social lessons into the bargain).

The studio's first real success came in 1966 with ''WesternAnimation/TheNewAdventuresOfSuperman''; this was soon eclipsed by the runaway popularity of ''WesternAnimation/TheArchieShow'' in 1968. ''Archie'' spun off Filmation's next hit, ''WesternAnimation/SabrinaAndTheGroovieGoolies'', in 1971. In 1972 a bizarre {{crossover}} film was made for ''The ABC Saturday Superstar Movies'' featuring the Groovie Goolies meeting various WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes characters. The studio's first foray into socially conscious cartooning came in 1972 with ''WesternAnimation/FatAlbertAndTheCosbyKids''; thereafter, didacticism would be common not only on cartoons like ''WesternAnimation/MissionMagic'' (a precursor to ''Literature/TheMagicSchoolBus'' in featuring a supernaturally endowed teacher, [[PunnyName Miss Tickle]], along with later 1980s pop idol Rick Springfield), but in Filmation's live-action productions as well, such as the environmentally educational ''Series/ArkII'', ''Series/Shazam1974'' and ''[[Series/TheSecretsOfIsis Isis]]'' (which featured another magical, HotLibrarian-ish teacher, who transformed into the Egyptian goddess [[[ByThePowerOfGrayskull "O mighty Isis!"]]] in order to fly around in a skimpy skirt and demonstrate social lessons into the bargain).

* CreatorBacklash: Some ex-Filmation staffers, such as [[UsefulNotes/NoteworthyDisneyStaff Will Finn]], Creator/JohnKricfalusi, [[WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures Eddie Fitzgerald]], Creator/PaulDini and Creator/JMichaelStraczynski have openly expressed their contempt for the company and the shows they worked on.

* DarkerAndEdgier: ''WesternAnimation/{{Bravestarr}}'' went to places that most shows of this company wouldn't dream of and some of the subject was surprisingly mature and solemn.

* DigitalDestruction: Many 2000s DVD releases of these cartoons have the sound higher pitched. This was because, when they owned the rights to the library in the 90s, Hallmark (the card company) ''deliberately'' threw out the original masters (as well as sound masters and other important archival material) and made new ones- but only for international distribution, apparently because they hated Filmation's library (which begs the question of ''why'' [[FridgeLogic they even bought the rights to begin with]]); this was discovered when Entertainment Rights (which has, though various mergers, been absorbed into Creator/DreamworksAnimation, and by extension, Creator/NBCUniversal) bought it off Hallmark. Hence, the majority of the library is now high-pitched, due to being in the PAL format as compared to NTSC. Some of the lucky few to escape this included ''Ghostbusters'' (both the live action and animated versions), several of their little-known live action series like ''Ark II'', and ''Star Trek: TAS'' (the latter being held by Paramount, then CBS), and likely other series held by other companies, like their DC Comics cartoons (distributed by Warner Bros.). That said, [[FridgeLogic one could always lower the pitch of the sound to replicate the original masters]].

Filmation was an [[WesternAnimation American animation]] studio founded in 1963 by Lou Scheimer and Norm Prescott that, along with Creator/HannaBarbera, dominated the American Saturday morning cartoon market throughout the 1960s, '70s, and '80s, particularly in the genre of action-adventure cartoons.

* IconicLogo: The two famous ones are the spinning "Lou Scheimer/Norm Prescott" and the Lou Scheimer signature.

* NoBudget: Even more so than [[Creator/HannaBarbera their]] [[Creator/RankinBass rivals]], seeing how [[UpToEleven one of their first employees was a mannequin dressed up to pass as a secretary]]!

* ''The Hardy Boys'' (1969)

Throughout the 1970s, Filmation produced some well-regarded {{animated adaptation}}s of various series, such as ''[[WesternAnimation/FlashGordon1979 The New Adventures of Flash Gordon]]''; ''WesternAnimation/TarzanLordOfTheJungle''; ''Franchise/{{Zorro}};'' ''WesternAnimation/TheNewAdventuresOfBatman'', and ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekTheAnimatedSeries'', as well as some less well-regarded ones, such as ''WesternAnimation/TheBradyKids'' (whose dancing pandas and helicopter-tailed wizard bird are [[ShoutOut deployed]] to hilarious effect in a MushroomSamba sequence in ''[[Series/TheBradyBunch A Very Brady Sequel]]''), ''[[Series/GilligansIsland The New Adventures of Gilligan]]'', ''My Favorite Martians'', and ''WesternAnimation/UncleCrocsBlock'', which featured an all-canine version of ''[[Series/{{Mash}} M*A*S*H]]'' called "M*U*S*H".

The studio's first real success came in 1966 with ''WesternAnimation/TheNewAdventuresOfSuperman''; this was soon eclipsed by the runaway popularity of ''WesternAnimation/TheArchieShow'' in 1968. ''Archie'' spun off Filmation's next hit, ''WesternAnimation/SabrinaAndTheGroovieGoolies'', in 1971. In 1972 a bizarre {{crossover}} film was made for ''The ABC Saturday Superstar Movies'' featuring the Groovie Goolies meeting various WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes characters. The studio's first foray into socially conscious cartooning came in 1972 with ''WesternAnimation/FatAlbertAndTheCosbyKids''; thereafter, didacticism would be common not only on cartoons like ''WesternAnimation/MissionMagic'' (a precursor to ''Literature/TheMagicSchoolBus'' in featuring a supernaturally endowed teacher, [[PunnyName Miss Tickle]], along with later 1980s pop idol Rick Springfield), but in Filmation's live-action productions as well, such as the environmentally educational ''Series/ArkII'', ''Series/{{Shazam}}'' and ''[[Series/TheSecretsOfIsis Isis]]'' (which featured another magical, HotLibrarian-ish teacher, who transformed into the Egyptian goddess [[[ByThePowerOfGrayskull "O mighty Isis!"]]] in order to fly around in a skimpy skirt and demonstrate social lessons into the bargain).

* ''Series/{{Shazam}}!'' (1974)

* EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys: Tracy on ''Ghostbusters''; N'kima on ''Tarzan''.

Filmation owned the rights to a 1975 live-action series called ''Series/TheGhostBusters'' starring ''Series/FTroop'' co-stars Forrest Tucker and Larry Storch (one of Filmation's favorite voice actors), and a [[EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys guy in a gorilla suit]]. Creator/ColumbiaPictures had to apply for the rights to call its 1984 movie ''Film/{{Ghostbusters|1984}},'' and after its success, Filmation revived the series in animated format, now called simply ''[[WesternAnimation/FilmationsGhostbusters Ghostbusters]]''. The SpinOff animated show from the movie thus became ''WesternAnimation/TheRealGhostbusters,'' while Filmation's version was for a while named ''The Original Ghostbusters''.

* ''The Franchise/{{Superman}}[=/=]ComicBook/{{Aquaman}} Hour of Adventure'' (1967)

* HeAlsoDid: Before he founded Filmation, Lou Scheimer supposedly worked as an animator for Creator/HannaBarbera's first animated series, ''WesternAnimation/TheRuffAndReddyShow'' (1957), before quitting early in production [[HilariousInHindsight over the show's animation quality]]. Of course his company would later go on to rival [[note]]and be [[NotSoDifferent unfavorably compared to]] [[/note]] Hanna-Barbera in the Saturday morning market throughout the 70s and 80s.

* TroubledProduction: Happened on several occasions, according to the book "Creating the Filmation Generation":
** The company ''itself''. After numerous production blunders involving the below-mentioned ''Journey Back to Oz'', the studio was close to becoming bankrupt and shutting its doors even before they began. It wasn't until Creator/DCComics gave them the contract for ''WesternAnimation/TheNewAdventuresOfSuperman'' that they were able to get out of bankruptcy.
** This was the reason why the ''Zorro'' cartoon was even given to Creator/TMSEntertainment in the first place. As the company was working on multiple shows at the time (Among them being ''WesternAnimation/{{Blackstar}}''), it was the only viable option. Problems were further complicated when TMS had to animate the first episode in '''''five weeks'''''.
** ''WesternAnimation/UncleCrocsBlock'' also suffered from things such as ExecutiveMeddling, low ratings, and an uncooperative Charles Nelson Reilly (who only took the job in order to get a show in prime time).
** The three movies they did fared little better- ''WesternAnimation/JourneyBackToOz'' took nearly a half a decade to complete (and three more years to even be released). ''WesternAnimation/PinocchioAndTheEmperorOfTheNight'' caught the unwanted attention of Creator/{{Disney}}, who took them to court over the matter (thus driving the budget to its final $9 million as a result). ''WesternAnimation/HappilyEverAfter'' meanwhile, was made near the end of Filmation's lifespan, and wasn't given a theatrical release until '''[[DevelopmentHell 1993]]''', six years after the company went out of business.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Plenty of examples.
** During their run on ''Superman'' the company experimented with a few more pilots. Among them included a show based on the Creator/MarxBrothers; a superhero series entitled ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cTZHnwosXM Dick Digit]]'' and a cartoon based on ComicBook/GreenLantern (who would ultimately get a recurring segment as part of the ''Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure'').
** In 1969, the company was in talks with Creator/{{Toho}} over making a {{Franchise/Godzilla}} film, but plans fell through. Also that year, talks of a ''Franchise/StarTrek'' cartoon were instigated[[note]]in this incarnation, the crew of the USS Enterprise were given child sidekicks[[/note]]. Though unlike most examples, it eventually ''did'' get [[WesternAnimation/StarTrekTheAnimatedSeries made]], but not as originally pitched.
** Before the lawsuit with Disney, the company was set out to produce twelve films in their "New Classics Collection", a series of films meant to be sequels to the original literature they were to be based upon. This included ''[[Literature/AlicesAdventuresInWonderland Alice Returns to Wonderland]]'', ''[[Literature/{{Frankenstein}} Frankenstein Lives Again!]]'' and ''[[Literature/TheTimeMachine The Time Machine II: The Man Who Saved the Future]]''. Of them, only two were ever released (''Emperor of the Night'' and ''Happily Ever After''). And ''Frankenstein Lives Again!'', the third in the series planned for release, was abandoned in pre-production after the lawsuit and subsequent failure of ''Emperor of the Night''.
** ''Hardchrome: The Last P.I.'', which would have been Filmation's first adult-oriented animation. The show was to have focused around a [[HollywoodCyborg half-man, half machine]] ex-police officer turned private investigator named Hardchrome, who makes his living in the slums of Frisco City. The show was never made beyond some pitch artwork due to the AnimationAgeGhetto being in full effect.
** Also around this time, a pitch for a cartoon based on ''Film/KingKongLives'' titled ''Kid Kong'' was also made. It too fell through after issues with Dino De Laurentiis.
** Just before the L'Oreal acquisition, two more cartoons -- ''Bugsburg'', a spin-off to ''Emperor of the Night'', and ''Bravo'', a spin-off to ''WesternAnimation/{{BraveStarr}}'' -- were in production. Both shows were ultimately scrapped by L'Oreal despite having two episodes of each series completed, with recording and scripts finished for both shows.
** Earlier in 2018, production artwork surfaced from a potential ''Ghost Busters'' animated series, which dated as early as ''1982.'' It would have been a continuation of the 1975 series, as the characters bore Forrest Tucker and Larry Storch's likenesses. One can only assume that 1) production on this was halted to make way for ''He-Man'' and 2) it's why Filmation took Columbia Pictures to court.
** They repeatedly attempted a game show called ''The Origins Game'' that combined live-action and animation; the premise was that the players would attempt to discern if the given origin of a word, saying, superstition, etc. is true or not. The first attempt was way back in 1971 with [[Series/Batman1966 Burt Ward]] as host; Dick Patterson hosted a 1976 pilot with kids as contestants. [[Series/TheNewlywedGame Bob]] [[Series/CardSharks Eubanks]] hosted a third pilot in 1978, and the final one in 1982 ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWJH29aQ_Oo of which a segment circulates]]).

* DiagonalBilling: From 1969 to 1982, the opening and closing credits of Filmation shows would have the words "Produced By" or "Executive Producers" with Lou Scheimer and Norm Prescott's words revolving around it, which was a creative way for both producers to get equal billing. [[https://daytonward.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/endtitle.png?w=640]] Later shows, starting with ''Gilligan's Planet'', would just have Scheimer's trademark signature script flashing on screen.

** They repeatedly attempted a game show called ''The Origins Game'' that combined live-action and animation; the premise was that the players would attempt to discern if the given origin of a word, saying, superstition, etc. is true or not. The first attempt was way back in 1971 with [[Series/Batman1966 Burt Ward]] as host]]; Dick Patterson hosted a 1976 pilot with kids as contestants. [[Series/TheNewlywedGame Bob]] [[Series/CardSharks Eubanks]] hosted a third pilot in 1978, and the final one in 1982 ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWJH29aQ_Oo of which a segment circulates]]).

** Just before the L'Oreal acquisition, two more cartoons- ''Bugsburg'', a spin-off to ''Emperor of the Night'' and ''Bravo'', a spin-off to ''WesternAnimation/{{BraveStarr}}'' were in production. Both shows were ultimately scrapped by L'Oreal despite having two episodes of each series completed, with recording and scripts finished for both shows.
** Earlier in 2018, production artwork surfaced from a potential ''Ghost Busters'' animated series, which dated as early as ''1982.'' It would have been a continuation of the 1975 series, as the characters bore Forrest Tucker and Larry Storch's likenesses. One can only assume that 1) production on this was halted to make way for ''He-Man'' and 2) it's why Filmation took Columbia Pictures to court.

* SmallAnnoyingCreature: For some unholy reason a favorite character with Filmation, including Ping and Pong the Pandas in ''The Brady Kids'', Ptolemy and Tut-Tut on ''Mission: Magic!'', Batmite in the ''The New Adventures of Batman'', Mo in ''WesternAnimation/SpaceSentinels'', The "Trobbits" in ''Blackstar'', Orko in ''He-Man'', Cowl and Imp in ''She-Ra'', Belfry and Brat-A-Rat in ''Ghostbusters'', Deputy Fuzz and his crooked cousin Outlaw Scuzz in ''Bravestarr''.

** ''WesternAnimation/UncleCrocsBlock'' also suffered from things such as ExecutiveMeddling, low ratings, and a uncooperative Charles Nelson Reilly. Who only took the job in order to get a show in prime time.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheNewAdventuresOfSuperman'' (1966)[[/index]]

* ''Aquaman'' (1968)[[index]]

* ''Series/{{Shazam}}!'' (1974)[[/index]]

* ''WesternAnimation/UncleCrocsBlock'' (1975)[[/index]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheTomAndJerryComedyShow'' (1980)[[/index]]
* ''The Franchise/{{Tarzan}}[=/=][[WesternAnimation/TheLoneRanger1980 Lone Ranger]] Adventure Hour'' (1980)[[index]]

* ''The Kid Superpower Hour with Shazam!'' (1981)[[/index]]

* ''Gilligan's Planet'' (1982; Filmation's final series for Saturday mornings; also the first to use the Lou Scheimer "signature" credit)[[index]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretLivesOfWaldoKitty'' (1975; inspired by ''Literature/TheSecretLifeOfWalterMitty'')

* ''WesternAnimation/TarzanLordOfTheJungle'' (1976)[[index]]

* ''The Secret Lives of Waldo Kitty'' (1975; inspired by ''Literature/TheSecretLifeOfWalterMitty'')[[index]]