A beloved cartoon from the 1980s returns to TV three decades after its last broadcast
A beloved 1980s cartoon returns to TV screens after it last aired three decades ago.
The Raccoons originally aired from 1985 to 1992 and followed Bert Raccoon and married couple Ralph and Melissa Raccoon and their adventures in The Evergreen Forest.
Together, the trio battled greedy aardvark millionaire Cyril Sneer, who attempted to destroy their home in an attempt to make money.
However, the raccoons always triumphed against Cyril’s schemes when teamed up with friends including Schaeffer, a gentle old English sheepdog, Cedric, Cyril’s college graduate son, and Sophia Tutu, Carlo’s girlfriend.
The Canadian animated series ran for five seasons on CBC and now fans can enjoy every episode as each episode has been “fully restored and remastered” according to The sun.
It’s back! A beloved ’80s cartoon has returned to our TV screens after it last aired three decades ago
Childhood Favorite: The Raccoons originally aired from 1985 to 1992 and followed Bert Raccoon and married couple Ralph and Melissa Raccoon and their adventures in The Evergreen Forest
The new look episodes will be available on BritBox.
The massive undertaking involved studios in four countries remastering The Raccoons’ 65 Hours from its original 35mm film elements.
Kevin Gillis, CEO of Creator and Run With Us Productions, shared his excitement about the UK relaunch due to the country’s long-standing love for the show.
He said: ‘The UK and Ireland were one of the first countries to team up with The Raccoons when we first started in the 1980s.
“We have incredible fans here and it’s an honor to be back for both our existing and new fans.”
The Raccoons originally started as a one-off special, The Christmas Raccoons in 1980.
After a few more specials, two years later, the series was born and explored themes such as the environment, pollution, the importance of family and friends, kindness and bullying.
The show’s protagonist Bert was voiced by voice actor Len Carlton, while the villain Cyril Sneer was played by Michael Magee.
Popular: “We have incredible fans here and it’s an honor to be back for both our existing and new fans,” said series creator Kevin Gillis
How it started: The Raccoons originally started as a one-off special, The Christmas Raccoons in 1980
Teamwork: The raccoons worked together to protect their home from the evil Cyril
A renewed interest: In 2022, the series creator told the Toronto Star that the show saw a new peak of interest
The Raccoons were well received by critics at the time, as The New York Times praised the series for saying “the Raccoons are a cute couple, nicely supported by an attractive production.”
Variety praised the third special, The Raccoons and the Lost Star, calling it “a daringly good adventure filled with space-age animation, high-tech gadgetry, lilting tunes, a lovable sheepdog, and the delightful Raccoons squad.”
In 2022, the series creator told the Toronto Star that the show was getting a new peak of interest, perhaps because its “original audiences now have young families of their own and want to[ing] to return to what shaped their early lives.’
The show was nominated for many awards, including a Gemini Award for Best Sound and Best Writing, and won the Gemini for Best Animated Series.