Originally Posted by
GarrettCRW
I wouldn't say only-the shows Steve Gerber shepherded (Thundarr, D&D-even after he left, G.I. Joe, and the third season of The Transformers) were all very intelligent, with a moral code that was more than just the "pro-social" mess that the networks were pushing.
The last couple of years of the Super Friends were also good on this end, which is no real shocker, since Alan Burnett was in charge. Also on the DC front is the '88 Ruby-Spears Superman show that Marv Wolfman spearheaded (it also stands as one of the few times when a network rep's suggestion-the Superman Family segments-actually worked).
Truth be told, before '95 or so, the rule for TV cartoons is as follows: Marvel, Sunbow, Warner Bros., Disney, and Filmation shows generally won't insult your intelligence. Ruby-Spears and Hanna-Barbera generally will. The small fry and imports are crap shoots. DiC, of course, requires its own rule: AVOID after '88, with very few exceptions. And after '95, all bets are off.