Last Updated on 5 February 2024

I searched the Internet for lists of the best cartoon shows of all time. Criteria included the shows being ranked, not just listed; covering all time, not just a decade; and generally created by groups, whether teams or committees or based on general public voting (like Ranker.com).

I was able to find 14 lists. I took the 14 lists and added all their content into a spreadsheet, noting the rank of every cartoon. I ended up averaging the rankings each one got (there were 88 that were on at least 2 lists) and dividing that average by a factor of the number of lists that cartoon was on. The lowest score meant a high ranking average on many lists. The complete spreadsheet is attached at the bottom.

The cartoons that were on the most lists (out of 14) were:

  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987-1996) - 12 lists
  • Scooby Doo, Where Are You! (1969–1978) - 10 lists
  • Animaniacs (1993-1999) - 10 lists
  • ThunderCats (1985-1989) - 10 lists
  • The Smurfs (1981-1989) - 10 lists
  • X-Men: The Animated Series (1992-1997) - 9 lists
  • Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995) - 9 lists
  • Garfield and Friends (1988-1994) - 9 lists
  • DuckTales (1987-1990) - 9 lists
  • The Real Ghostbusters (1986-1991) - 9 lists
  • Muppet Babies (1984-1991) - 8 lists

Here are links to the lists I used along with dates the lists were created:

Best-Saturday-Morning-Cartoons-of-All-TimeDownload

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