Ulysses 31

Ulysses 31 - October 1981 to April 1982

This animated sci-fi retelling of the Greek poet Homer's epic poem, "The Odyssey", was a French-Japanese co-production originally produced in 1981, with animation from premier Japanese animation studio TMS (Tokyo Movie Shinsha). The series was originally envisaged as being 52 episodes long, but production difficulties cut back the number of episodes to 26.

The show was written by the French writing team of Nina Wolmark and Jean Chalopin, before being animated by TMS in Japan. Many of the show's key Japanese staff came from the very popular (in France as well as Japan) anime, Rose Of Versailles (Lady Oscar), although the original director, Tadao Nagahama died after production of the first episode, leaving the remaining directors to carry on in a similar style. Some of the show's mechanical designs were also created by Shoji Kawamori and Studio Nue, the famed creators of Macross.

Although the show's worldwide debut was on September 12 1981, on Luxembourg's RTL channel, France's FR 3 (the first 'official' home of the series) was not far behind in showing the series. In the mid-1980's the show was given a very respectable and mature English dub by DIC, courtesy of Jean Chalopin and the cast and crew at Multidub International in Montreal, Canada. In the USA, the show was shown in syndication from September 13 1986 as part of Kideo TV a DIC-produced package of animated series such as The Get-Along Gang, Popples and Rainbow Brite (which Ulysses later replaced). The show was also shown on the UK's BBC and Channel 4 networks. Ironically, for a show co-produced by the Japanese, Ulysses 31 wasn't shown on Japanese television until February 6 1988, when a run of twelve episodes was shown there under the title of Space Legend Ulysses 31.

Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds

Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds - October 1981 to December 1981

Dogtanian is a cartoon version of the classic Alexandre Dumas story of d'Artagnan and The Three Musketeers. Most of the characters are anthropomorphisms of dogs, hence the title of the cartoon. Exceptions to this are the temptress Milady (a cat); Pip, Dogtanian's sidekick mouse; the avian jewel thief Blue Falcon; Planchet (a bear), Dogtanian's main servant; and some random townspeople and guards of the Cardinal.

The cartoon was created by Spanish studio BRB Internacional and produced in Japan by Nippon Animation. It was first broadcast in Spain (D'Artacan y los tres mosqueperros) and Japan (ワンワン三銃士) (Wanwan Sanjushi) in 1981 (while the show aired in Japan first, the initial dub was Spanish). There was also an Afrikaans adaption that was broadcast on SABC during 1985 and the early 1990s. The name was changed to "Brakkenjan", which has become a popular name for dogs in South Africa. The voice for Brakkenjan in his earliest years, was done by Gerben Kamper during his time of working for SABC.

The partnership between BRB and Nippon Animation worked so well, that they collaborated in another successful animated series two years after Dogtanian called Around the World with Willy Fog in 1983.

Doctor Who 1980s

Doctor Who (1980's) - 1981 to 1989

The series began in 1963 with William Hartnell. By the 1980's the Doctor was in his 5th incarnation and saw Peter Davison play the Doctor Who charector from 1981 to 1984. The Fifth Doctor's era was notable for a "back to basics" attitude, in which "silly" humour (and, to an extent, horror) was kept to a minimum, and more scientific accuracy was encouraged by the producer, John Nathan-Turner. It was also notable for the reintroduction of many of the Time Lord's enemies; such as the Master, Cybermen, Omega (a founding-father of Gallifrey), the Black and White Guardians, the Sea Devils, and the Silurians.

The sixth Doctor was played by Colin Baker who remained in the role from 1984 to 1986. The Sixth's Doctor's brightly coloured, mismatched clothes and brash personality set him apart from all his previous incarnations. The Sixth Doctor appeared in three seasons; however, in Season 21 he appeared only in the final episode of The Caves of Androzani which featured the regeneration from the Fifth Doctor and thereafter in the following serial The Twin Dilemma to end that season. The Sixth Doctor's era is noted for the decision of BBC controller Michael Grade to put the series on an 18-month hiatus between seasons 22 and 23.

The seventh Doctor, played by Sylvestor McCoy saw the series to it's end in 1989.

In his first season, the Seventh Doctor started out as a comical character, mixing his metaphors ("Time and tide melt the snowman," for example), playing the spoons, and making pratfalls, but soon started to develop a darker nature and raised the profound question of who the Doctor actually is. The Seventh Doctor era is noted for the cancellation of Doctor Who after 26 years. It is also noted for the Virgin New Adventures, a range of original novels published from 1992 to 1997, taking the series on beyond the television serials.

The Seventh Doctor's final appearance on television was in the 1996 Doctor Who television movie, where he regenerated into the Eighth Doctor, played by Paul McGann. A sketch of him is later seen in John Smith's A Journal of Impossible Things in the new series 2007 episode "Human Nature".

Doctor Who - 5th Doctor Titles

Doctor Who - 6th Doctor Titles

Doctor Who - 7th Doctor Titles

Danger Mouse

Danger Mouse - 28 September 1981 – 19 March 1992 (1981-09-28)

Danger Mouse is a British animated television series which was produced by Cosgrove Hall Films for Thames Television. It features the eponymous Danger Mouse, an English mouse who works as a superhero/secret agent. The show is a loose parody of British spy fiction, particularly James Bond and the Danger Man series starring Patrick McGoohan. The show originally ran in the United Kingdom from 1981 to 1992. In the English-language version, the titular hero was voiced by David Jason. 

Contrary to popular belief, the show has no connection to Mighty Mouse and actually pre-dates SuperTed.

Dynasty

Dynasty - January 1981 to May 1989

Created by Richard and Esther Shapiro, the working title for Dynasty was Oil, and the starring role originally went to George Peppard (later of The A-Team). In early drafts of the pilot script the two main families featured in the series, the Carrington and Colby families, were written as Parkhurst and Corby respectively.

Peppard, who had difficulties dealing with the somewhat unsympathetic role of Blake,was replaced with John Forsythe (who voiced Charles Townsend in another Aaron Spelling production, Charlie's Angels). In the final production drafts the names Parkhurst and Corby were changed to Carrington and Colby, and their rivalry was written to emulate the Montagues and Capulets of Romeo and Juliet, that is, crossed in love and war.

The first season, filmed in 1980, was delayed by animosity between the networks and the partnership of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, which caused a strike. Many new shows were delayed for months, and Dynasty did not see the light of day on ABC until the first weeks of 1981.