Gladiators

Gladiators - October 1992 to January 2000

Gladiators is a British television entertainment series, produced by LWT for ITV, and broadcast between 10 October 1992 and 1 January 2000. It is an adaptation of the American format American Gladiators. The success of the British series spawned further adaptations in Australia and other countries.

The series was revived in 2008 on Sky1, before again being cancelled in 2009. The series was originally presented by John Fashanu and Ulrika Jonsson, however, Fashanu was replaced by Jeremy Guscott in 1997. Guscott left the series in 1998, and subsequently, Fashanu returned for the final series in 1999. The series was refereed by John Anderson and the timekeepers over the show's run were Andrew Norgate, Derek Redmond and Eugene Gilkes. John Sachs was the show's commentator, and the series was accompanied by its own group of cheerleaders, known as G-Force.

Despite being made by London Weekend Television, all episodes of Gladiators, International Gladiators, the second series of The Ashes and the first series of The Springbok Challenge were recorded at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham. The first series of The Ashes and the second series of the The Springbok Challenge, however, were filmed on the sets of the Australian and South African versions of the shows respectively.

The series also spawned a version for children, entitled Gladiators: Train 2 Win, which was broadcast on CITV between 1995 and 1998.

X-Men

X-Men - October 1992 to September 1997

They are mutants, genetically gifted human beings - the world's newest and most persecuted minority group. Amidst an increasing climate of fear and bigotry, one enlightened individual, Professor Charles Xavier, has created a safe haven for some of these powerful outcasts. The mutants here are taught to harness their unique abilities for the betterment of the human race. They fight against hostile Government agencies and mutant supremacist Magneto, and his factions, which seek to destroy the human race.

Here's a list of the team members, and their mutant powers:

Cyclops: Team leader. Stores solar energy for discharge as powerful force beams fire from his eyes.

Professor X: Founder of the X-Men. Telepathic abilities. Can read minds and project thoughts.

Jean Grey: Able to move objects with telekinetic energy. Limited telepathic abilities.

Gambit: Can charge objects with explosive charges of kinetic energy. Costume is body armor.

Storm: Ability to control and manipulate the forces of nature.

Beast: Extraordinary agility and superhuman strength.

Rogue: Has ability to absorb energy from other living beings, also has power of flight and is indestructible.

Wolverine: Heightened senses and accelerated healing ability. Implanted indestructible adamantium skeleton and claws.

Jubilee: Pyrotechnics akin to fireworks.

X-Men no longer airs on either Toon Disney nor ABC Family. A dispute between Marvel Enterprises and Buena Vista distribution over ownership of the series since Saban Entertainment sold its library to them has become more entangled.

Goof Troop

Goof Troop - September 1992 to December 1993

Disney's lovable superstar Goofy is now staring in his own show with his son Maximillian "Max" Goof and his pet cat, Waffles. As a single father living in Spoonerville, USA he will make you laugh with madness. But next door neighbor Pete will do anything to get Goofy out of his neighborhood. But with little help from Pete's wife Peg, Goofy won't have any problem at all. Max on the other hand tries to be much cooler than his dad and with his new pals PJ and Pistol they get themselves into wacky adventures. Of course the show won't be complete without the " How to Do" narrator. The show also has a movie which takes place a few years after the series when Max is a teenager along with new chracters like his sweetheart Roxanne, Stacey and Bobby. Also there is a direct-to-video sequel where Goofy has to go back to school and meeting the lovely librarian Sylvia.

Batman : The Animated Series

Batman : The Animated Series - September 1992 to September 1995

Batman: the Animated Series was an animated series that premiered on September 5, 1992. The series was based on the popular Batman comics created by Bob Kane. The series focused on the adventures of Batman a dark vigilante hero who defends Gotham City from a variety of costumed villains that include The Joker, The Penguin, Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, The Riddler, The Mad Hatter, Ra's Al Ghul, Bane, Killer Croc, Clayface, and The Clock King. Batman is the secret identity of millionaire playboy Bruce Wayne.

The highly successful series merged revolutionary animation and great storytelling. The series was so successful that a feature film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm was released during the run of the series and a direct to video feature Batman & Mr. Freeze: Subzero was also created.

The first seasons of the series focused mainly on the adventures of Batman. In the last season the series was retitled The Adventures of Batman and Robin and focused on the adventures of both Batman and his younger crime fighting associate Robin. The last new episode of the series was broadcast on September 15, 1995. The series was followed by a spinoff utilizing different animation entitled Batman Gotham Knights. Episodes of Batman Gotham Knights, episodes of Superman, and reruns of Batman: the Animated Series were broadcast in 1997 under the title The New Batman/Superman Adventures.

The Girl from Tomorrow

The Girl from Tomorrow - January 1992 to March 1992

The Girl from Tomorrow is an Australian children's television series created by Film Australia. The series is based around Alana (Katharine Cullen), a girl from the year 3000. At the start of the series, she is kidnapped by Silverthorn, a criminal from the year 2500, and brought back in time to the year 1990.

While in the year 1990, she befriends Jenny (Melissa Marshall), who helps Alana adapt to life in a time unfamiliar to her, and later helps her to return to her own time.

A sequel series, The Girl from Tomorrow Part II: Tomorrow's End aired in 1993.

Darkwing Duck

Darkwing Duck - September 1991 to September 1993

Darkwing Duck was an Emmy-nominated American animated television series produced by The Walt Disney Company that ran from 1991-1995 on both the syndicated programming block The Disney Afternoon and Saturday mornings on ABC. It featured an eponymous superhero anthropomorphic duck with the alter ego of Drake Mallard (voiced by Jim Cummings).

The success of DuckTales led to a spin-off series, Darkwing Duck, one year after the show had ended. Darkwing Duck was inspired by two episodes of DuckTales, entitled Double-O-Duck and The Masked Mallard. The original concept had Launchpad McQuack as the star.

While the show establishes its own conventions, it is largely regarded as an affectionate satire on superhero mythos and lore, some obvious, some subtle, and others quite witty. Darkwing's costume, gas gun, and flashy introductions are all direct references to pulp heroes such as the Crimson Avenger, The Shadow, and The Green Hornet. The fictional city of St. Canard, Darkwing's rogues gallery, and the relative darkness of Darkwing as compared to other Disney heroes reflect Batman (or perhaps Zorro or The Shadow) influences. As well, the episode Tiff of the Titans, with the mysterious Darkwing and the straight-arrow Gizmoduck, played on the famous relationship between Batman and Superman. At one point in the episode, Darkwing asks, "Who needs super powers when you have a super mind?" while Gizmoduck remarks that he thinks Darkwing's crime-fighting style is "disreputable, disturbed, and possibly devious." In addition, there are Marvel Universe references such as the secret intelligence organization, S.H.U.S.H., a parody of Marvel's S.H.I.E.L.D., and the episode Aduckyphobia shows Darkwing being bitten by a mutated spider and growing six arms. A few James Bond parodies exist as well, such as the villain Steelbeak, whose beak makes him similar to the Bond villain Jaws, and his personality and trappings are similar to Bond villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld.

Pirates of Dark Water

Pirates of Dark Water - February 1991 to May 1993

When Ren, a young lighthouse keeper, rescues a stranger foundering in the rocks near his home, he learns the man was his father, the former king of Octopon. Ren is given a magic crystal Compass that guides him to the Thirteen Treasures of Rule. Unfortunately, the evil pirate captain Bloth is also aware of the Treasures and is relentless in pursuing Ren to get them. On his side, Ren soon acquires companions like Ioz the pirate, Tula the Ecomancer, and Niddler the fussy monkey-bird. His quest becomes all the more urgent when Ren learns that the Dark Water, a carnivorous black liquid that consumes anything it snares, threatens to envelop and destroy his world, and only the Treasures he seeks can stop it.