Animation companies: Filmation

[waichingliu81]

Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation for television during the later half of the 20th century. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1963. During a period lasting from the 1960s through the 1980s, the only real competitors to Hanna-Barbera Productions in the field of TV cartoons were Filmation and DePatie-Freleng Enterprises. Filmation's founders and principal producers were Lou Scheimer and Norm Prescott.

A trademark of the company's productions beginning in 1969 was a rotating "Produced by" (and on some shows, "Executive Producers") credit seen in the end credits (and in later productions, the opening sequences) of Filmation programs, a device that was supposedly created to allow them to share equal billing (previously, Scheimer's name was placed above Prescott's), although later Filmation productions credited only Scheimer, in the form of his signature ("Lou Scheimer, Executive Producer"), starting with 1982's Gilligan's Planet.

Many of its shows—particularly the productions of the late 1970s and 1980s—are notable for imparting a simple moral or life-lesson (explained by a key character, in a child-friendly manner) in the epilogue.

[waichingliu81]

continued...

Animation style
Layout artist Lindsay Dawson working on a key-frame of animation for He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. This was a typical working desk for animators, layout artists, and background designers at Filmation in 1983.

As with other producers of Saturday morning cartoons, Filmation was more concerned with quantity rather than quality; however, they did make a number of attempts to rise above the standard animated fare and produce reasonably well-written cartoons. The best-known example of this is their animated adaptation of the Star Trek series, which included scripts contributed by well-known science fiction writers and starred most of the original cast. Other favorably remembered Filmation series included a 16-part animated serial of Flash Gordon (originally intended as a movie for theatrical release but shown in its entirety only thrice on NBC); Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, an animated educational series created by and starring Bill Cosby; and He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, based on the popular line of Mattel toys. The animated adaptations of the Archie Comics characters were also noteworthy for the pop music produced for it, particularly the song, "Sugar, Sugar", which was a #1 hit single.

In addition, certain episodes of He-Man and Bravestarr, in substance, and often animation, were pioneers in children's animated series of their time and paved the way for broader storytelling.

Ownership

The Filmation studio was owned by The TelePrompTer Company in the early 1970s, then by Westinghouse (through its Group W Productions division) in 1982, though in 1988 it was purchased by the L'Oreal cosmetics company. L'Oreal promptly closed the studio on February 3, 1989 and ended Filmation's legacy. The studio may also have been closed for tax purposes[citation needed]. Filmation's last production was the feature film Happily Ever After (an unofficial sequel to the story of Snow White), released to theaters in 1993. Also, at the time of the closing, two new animated TV shows, Bugzburg and Bravo (a spinoff of Bravestarr), were beginning production.Since then, most of the Filmation back catalog had come under the ownership of Hallmark Cards, through their Hallmark Entertainment subsidiary; however, since a large amount of Filmation's output was based on characters licensed from other companies, many titles which are also under the ownership of Entertainment Rights (see next paragraph) are actually under the control of other studios (such as Paramount and Warner Bros.).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filmation

[comedyfreak]

Filmation had so many animated series that I liked. Batman/Superman, He-man, Shazam, Isis and many more.

[TJL]

Remember that Ghostbusters cartoon?

Yeesh, what a stinker that was.

[rperegrine75]

My favorites from Filmation was He Man, Blackstar and Fat Albert.

[waichingliu81]

Originally Posted by TJL

Remember that Ghostbusters cartoon?

Yeesh, what a stinker that was.

yeah, that stank didn't it? the bill murray and harold ramis's real ghostbusters is 10 times better in contrast

[waichingliu81]

Originally Posted by rperegrine75

My favorites from Filmation was He Man, Blackstar and Fat Albert.

i haven't seen blackstar, whilst i only saw bits of fat albert and so i am not that familiar with it. i always preferred bravestarr over he-man though. that was such a great cartoon

[waichingliu81]

he-man masters of the universe and bravestarr

[TJL]

I really wish I watched the Star Trek animated series a bit more. That had some good stories.

The only filmation show I watched was Fat Albert And The Cosby Kids. That was pretty good, and Bill Cosby's segments were entertaining.

[TMC]

Before streaming. Before endless content. Before animation went global… there was one studio quietly shaping childhoods across America — Filmation Associates.

From He-Man and the Masters of the Universe to Fat Albert, The Archie Show, and even Star Trek: The Animated Series, Filmation wasn’t just making cartoons — they were building an empire on tight budgets, impossible deadlines, and one bold idea: deliver shows faster and cheaper than anyone else.

And for a while… it worked.

In this deep dive, we’re telling the full story behind Filmation’s unbelievable rise — from a three-man startup bluffing their way into a DC Comics deal… to becoming one of the most powerful animation studios in America… to the sudden collapse that shocked the entire industry.

What happened? How did a studio that invented the after-school cartoon era lose everything?

And more importantly… what did it leave behind?

Filmation helped define what it meant to grow up in the 70s and 80s. But their story isn’t just nostalgia — it’s a cautionary tale about success, innovation, and what happens when the industry you create moves on without you.

💬 Now we want to hear from you:

• What was YOUR Filmation show?
• Were you racing home for He-Man? Watching Fat Albert on Saturday mornings?
• Or did you grow up with BraveStarr or Ghostbusters?

Drop your favorite memory in the comments — we read every single one.

👍 If you enjoyed this deep dive, hit LIKE
📺 Subscribe for more behind-the-scenes nostalgia stories
🔔 And check out our videos on Hanna-Barbera and Ruby-Spears next

[TMC]

Filmation gave us some of the most memorable cartoons of the 1980s — including He-Man and the Masters of the Universe — but not every project became a Saturday morning classic.

In this video, we’re looking back at Filmation’s biggest cartoon flops of the 1980s, from forgotten network experiments and failed toy tie-ins to bizarre revivals, legal battles, bad timeslots, and animated features that helped push the studio toward its final days. We’ll revisit shows like Blackstar, Gilligan’s Planet, Filmation’s Ghostbusters, Sport Billy, The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show, and more.

Some of these cartoons were doomed by timing. Some were crushed by competition. Some were simply strange ideas that never had a chance. But hidden inside these failures is a fascinating story about the animation industry, Saturday morning TV, toy-driven cartoons, and the talented writers and artists who would go on to shape the golden age of 1990s animation.

Which of these Filmation flops do you actually remember watching? Were any of them underrated, or were they forgotten for a reason? Let us know in the comments!

If you enjoy nostalgic deep dives into classic cartoons, forgotten TV shows, 80s animation, and the weird corners of pop culture history, be sure to like, subscribe, and stick around for more from Dial Up Days.

[TMC]

Was Hero High the original My Hero Academia? Before Sky High or X-Men dominated the "superhero school" trope, Filmation took a massive gamble on a group of super-powered teenagers navigating chemistry grades and saving the world.

In this video, we dive deep into the history of the 1981 cult classic Hero High. Originally developed as "The Archie Adventure Hour," we explore how legal shifts turned Archie, Betty, and Veronica into Captain California, Glorious Gal, and Misty Magic. From its roots in Filmation Associates to its unique live-action segments on The Kid Super Power Hour with Shazam!, we uncover why this "superhero-lite" experiment burned bright and fast.

In this video, we cover:

• The "Missing" Archie Connection: Why the character designs look so familiar.
  
• Filmation’s Animation Secrets: Rotoscoping, stock footage, and Lou Scheimer’s "American" style.
  
• The Voice Cast & Live-Action Stars: Christopher Hensel, Becky Perle, and more.
  
• The Rarity of Hero High: Why the DVDs are now expensive collector's items.
  
• The Legacy: How it paved the way for Sky High and The Umbrella Academy.

Did you watch Hero High as a kid? Does Rex Ruthless remind you of a certain "Homelander" from The Boys? Let’s head back to the class of 1981 and see if this show holds up or if nostalgia is playing tricks on us!

Are you a fan of 80s cartoons? Did you watch Hero High as a kid, or do you remember the live-action segments? Let me know in the comments!