By
Zach Moser
Published 18 minutes ago
Zach Moser is a Philadelphia native who loves films, television, books, and any and all media he can get his hands on. Zach has had articles published on satirical sites such as Points In Case, Slackjaw, and McSweeney's.
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These five action animated TV shows get completely forgotten about, but are definitely worth returning to. Action and animation go hand-in-hand, and some of the best animated TV shows of the last couple of years have been in the action genre. The art form allows you to do some things that would be impossible in live-action.
Shows like Arcane, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Invincible are some of the best series of the last 10-20 years, and they each have pushed forward the idea of what an animated show can be. But animation and action have been around for decades, and over the years, many of these series have been completely forgotten.
Sometimes a TV show comes out at the wrong time, sometimes it gets buried underneath similar series, sometimes a show's entire network collapses, and it becomes impossible to find, sometimes it's just not very good, and sometimes viewers simply move on. These five animated action shows, for one reason or another, have been lost to time.
Butt-Ugly Martians (2001-2003)
Butt-Ugly Martians premiered on Nickelodeon in 2001 and only lasted for one season, which is probably why we've all collectively forgotten it. True to the name, the Martians at the center of the show are quite unattractive. That's not just a slight at their looks; this is one of the early computer-animated series, and it shows.
In the series, three plucky Butt-Ugly Martians (or B.U.M.s as they like to be called) are sent to Earth to take it over for the Martians. Instead, the B.U.M.s find they much prefer Earth culture and decide to live there forever, creating fake invasion reports for their overseers. It's a strange series, but not one completely devoid of charm.
Godzilla: The Series (1998-2000)
A sequel to the 1998 Godzilla, which features a version of the Japanese kaiju who has since been retconned as "Zilla", Godzilla: The Series shows what happened to that cracking Godzilla egg that's seen in the credits of the Roland Emmerich movie. This action animation feels like a precursor to Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.
The show follows the Humanitarian Environmental Analysis Team led by Dr. Nick Tatopoulos, who raises baby Godzilla from that egg after it imprints on him. Now nearly grown, Nick and his team use Godzilla to fight off other mutant monsters who threaten to destroy cities across the world. It's well animated and a lot of fun.
Street Sharks (1995-1997)
Street Sharks was released alongside a line of action figures, so you knew there was going to be plenty of action in the show itself. This series sees four brothers accidentally merge with shark DNA to become hulking, shark-human hybrids who use their formidable strength to fight a variety of creature-themed enemies.
However, the sharks are still young boys at heart and enjoy drinking milkshakes, eating hot dogs, and riding skateboards. It's a ridiculous show clearly meant to sell toys, but it's so creative and out there that you can't help but smile when you watch it. The series also led to a spinoff called Extreme Dinosaurs.
Action League Now! (1995-2002)
Action League Now! was a part of KaBlam!, a '90s animated Nickelodeon series and a sketch comedy with multiple recurring segments. Action League Now! was one of the best of them. Filmed in a crude style that combined stop-frame animation with live action shots of action figures simply being thrown.
The series follows a group of action figures, toys, and dolls who band together to form a superhero team named The Action League. More often than not, the team fails at whatever they're assigned and are horribly maimed by everyday household objects such as ceiling fans, vacuums, and neighborhood pets.
Codename: Kids Next Door (2002-2008)
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Like Follow Followed Codename: Kids Next Door TV-Y7 Animation Action & Adventure Comedy Sci-Fi & Fantasy Family 10/10 Release Date 2002 - 2008-00-00Cast
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Ben Diskin
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Lauren Tom
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Codename: Kids Next Door was one of the original Cartoon Network animated TV shows, though it always gets left out of the conversation when talking about the greatest Cartoon Network TV shows. The series is a young kid's dream where grown-ups are actual villains, and kids have access to secret hideouts.
The action animated TV show follows a group of five children who use code names, numbers 1 through 5, and are part of a global secret organization called "Kids Next Door" (K.N.D.). The children use their various talents to fight crimes against children, like homework, and apprehend "evil" adults, like adults and teenagers.
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