History OnceOriginalNowCommon / WesternAnimation

* ''WesternAnimation/InspectorGadget'' was one of the first shows that signaled the end of UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfAnimation in part because it was one of the first cartoons produced for first-run syndication instead of network television. This not only enabled a higher animation quality than most of its contemporaries, but the absence of network censors also meant fewer restrictions than what cartoons airing on Saturday Morning had to deal with (Gadget, Penny and Brain were often put in peril, which would have been unthinkable on a Saturday Morning cartoon). As the cartoons that came after it were given even larger budgets and fewer restrictions, it may be hard for modern viewers to appreciate how much of a step up the show was.

** It also had silly songs that were legitimately good, and still [[EarWorm have people humming them today]] - to the point where they had entire albums released (and they weren't ''just'' sold in the Christian Rock section). They also emulated song genres without coming off as cheesy attempts to be relevant like Christian Rock is often criticized as being. Some of their songs, especially during the series' height in the late 90s and early 2000s were [[AffectionateParody well-meaning parodies]] of songs popular around the time. Unfortunately, this has been lost in the decades following ''Veggie Tales'' - a modern viewer will probably just ''not'' get the subtle jokes, since many tropes in music videos and genres are played straight for laughs.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePjs'' in its original run gained controversy among African-American groups for its stereotypical portrayal minorities, to the point where Spike Lee [[https://ew.com/article/1999/03/05/pjs-stirs-controversy/ called the series]] "hateful to black people".[[labelnote:note]]Notably, Thurgood and some other characters stopped drinking after season one because the NAACP complained about how ''stupid'' it was for the characters to be drinking that much liquor.[[/labelnote]] Since it ended in 2001, other series that feature black people prominently have came and went that became more controversial than what ''The [=PJs=]'' ever was, and whatever "controversial" content present in the series seems rather quaint nowadays.

** It was one of the few religion-based programs that had actual popularity outside of its Christian demographic. It contained some legitimately good slapstick and just the right amount of [[WidgetSeries weird]] to keep kids' attention in the 90s... and enough [[ParentalBonus jokes for parents]] that ''didn't'' rely on sex or {{toilet humour}}. Opinions about SeasonalRot aside, a modern viewer would be surprised at how closely in line its style of comedy (which includes a good dose of referential gags and observational jokes) fell in line with beloved secular programming of the era.

** ''The Simpsons'' is also often acknowledged as having been a GenreKiller for the entire genre of "functional family sitcom", a genre that completely dominated the airwaves in the late 80s and early 90s, and that many early episodes directly satirized. Homer in particular was a satire of the StandardFiftiesFather, an archetype that was still going strong, and, along with [[Series/MarriedWithChildren Al Bundy]], he basically dunked it straight in the DeadHorseTrope pile overnight. Nowadays, family sitcoms are nowhere near as overwhelming, and wholly unironic family sitcoms are borderline nonexistent; it's expected that they be at least a little dysfunctional or cynical. Homer's own archetype, the BumblingDad, has gone from a sudden and surprising attack on the role of the father and American values to ''the'' standard sitcom protagonist, and often knocked for its frequently irritating nature and occasional UnfortunateImplications.

** The show also became influential over the "[[ThreeAmigos main trio]]" set-up, establishing definite personalities for each character: the serious/abrasive one (also the nominal leader/voice of reason), the neurotic/dorky one and the silly/fun-loving one. Many animated shows since then have followed this pattern, some subverting it by having either the "serious" or "neurotic" one becoming a foil to the other two.

* ''WesternAnimation/InspectorGadget'' was one one of the first shows that signaled the end of UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfAnimation in part because it was one of the first cartoons produced for first-run syndication instead of network television. This not only enabled a higher animation quality than most of its contemporaries, but the absence of network censors also meant fewer restrictions than what cartoons airing on Saturday Morning had to deal with (Gadget, Penny and Brain were often put in peril, which would have been unthinkable on a Saturday Morning cartoon). As the cartoons that came after it were given even larger budgets and fewer restrictions, it may be hard for modern viewers to appreciate how much of a step up the show was.

* ''WesternAnimation/VeggieTales'' was groundbreaking in a lot of ways that are lost. While Christian media is [[AcceptableTargets routinely made fun of by internet critics]], ''[=VeggieTales=]'' gets somewhat of a pass (apart from [[SeasonalRot the stuff made after the production studio was sold off]]) because of how groundbreaking it was - not ''just'' for Christian media:

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePjs'' in its original run gained controversy for its portrayal of minorities, to the point where Spike Lee once called the series "harmful to black people". Since its end in 2001, the show seems largely tame, considering that other series that feature black people have came and went that became more controversial.

** "WesternAnimation/TheThreeLittlePigs": When looking back, this classic Disney short is quaint. It's a straightforward adaptation of the story with good animation and a catchy song. Yet in 1933, this was effectively the ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory'' of its time; Chuck Jones commented that the characters ''looked'' similar, but ''acted'' totally differently, which was a huge step forward at the time.

** It also had silly songs that were legitimately good, and still [[EarWorm have people humming them today]] - to the point where they had entire albums released (and they weren't ''just'' sold in the Christian Rock section). They also emulated song genres without [[WereStillRelevantDammit coming off as cheesy attempts to be relevant]] like Christian Rock is often criticized as being. Some of their songs, especially during the series' height in the late 90s and early 2000s were [[AffectionateParody well-meaning parodies]] of songs popular around the time. Unfortunately, this has been lost in the decades following ''Veggie Tales'' - a modern viewer will probably just ''not'' get the subtle jokes, since many tropes in music videos and genres are played straight for laughs.

* ''WesternAnimation/InspectorGadget'' was one one of the first shows that signaled the end of UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfAnimation. It had much better animation (courtesy of, among other studios, Creator/TMSEntertainment) than any of its contemporaries, and it told stories with far more action and stakes than censors would have ever allowed a cartoon airing on Saturday morning on ABC, NBC or CBS. Now that high-quality animation and fewer content restrictions are the norm for cartoons, ''Inspector Gadget's'' lesser aspects (such as being StrictlyFormula) stick out more to modern viewers.

* ''WesternAnimation/DonkeyKongCountry'' was groundbreaking in one respect -- not for being among the first wave of 3D-animated show, but rather, it was the first full-length, regular CG TV series to be animated entirely using MotionCapture[[note]]''The Moxy Show'' was the first TV series to feature motion capture-based animation, but only during short interstial segments, and in a comparatively jerky and limited manner.[[/note]]. While now widely used in blockbuster films and video games, ''Donkey Kong Country'''s use of motion capture was unprecedented enough at the time that an Emmy nomination for the show was rejected on the grounds motion capture could not be considered animation. Nowadays though, the show looks hardly impressive, and modern audiences are more likely to [[UncannyValley creep out]] or [[{{Narm}} laugh]] [[SpecialEffectFailure at the animation's frequent glitches, stilted movement, and goofy facial expressions]].