A beloved 80s cartoon is returning to TV screens three decades after it last aired
A beloved 80s cartoon is returning to TV screens after it last aired three decades ago.
The Raccoons originally aired from 1985 until 1992 and followed Bert Raccoon and married couple Ralph and Melissa Raccoon and their adventures in The Evergreen Forest.
Together the threesome battled against greedy aardvark millionaire Cyril Sneer, who tried to destroy their home in a bid to make money.
However the Racoons always triumphed against Cyril’s schemes as they banded together with friends including Schaeffer, a gentle old English sheepdog, Cedric, Cyril’s college graduate son, and Sophia Tutu, Cedric’s girlfriend.
The Canadian animated series ran on CBC for five seasons and now fans can enjoy every single episode as each has been ‘completely restored and remastered’ according to The Sun.
It’s back! A beloved 80s cartoon has returned to our TV screens after it was last aired three decades ago
Childhood favourite: The Raccoons originally aired from 1985 until 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 across four countries as they remastered the 65 hours of The Raccoons from its original 35mm film elements.
Creator and Run With Us Productions chief executive Kevin Gillis shared his excitement at the UK relaunch due to the nations long-standing love for the show.
He said: ‘The UK and Ireland were one of the first countries to partner with The Raccoons back when we first launched in the 1980s.
‘We have incredible fans here and it is an honour to be back again for our existing fans and new ones alike.’
The Raccoons originally began 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 including the environment, pollution, the importance of family and friends, kindness, and bullying.
Bert, the show’s main protagonist, 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 is an honour to be back again for our existing fans and new ones alike,’ said the series creator Kevin Gillis
How it began: The Raccoons originally began as a one-off special, The Christmas Raccoons in 1980
Teamwork: The racoons worked together to protect their home from the evil Cyril
A resurgence of interest: In 2022, the series creator told the Toronto Star said that the show was seeing a new spike of interest
The Raccoons was well received by critics at the time as The New York Times praised the series as they said ‘the Raccoons are an adorable lot, supported nicely by an attractive production.’
Variety praised the third special, The Raccoons and the Lost Star, calling it ‘a rollicking good adventure filled with space-age animation, high-tech gadgetry, lilting tunes, a lovable sheepdog, and the delightful Raccoons team.’
In 2022, the series creator told the Toronto Star said that the show was seeing a new spike of interest, perhaps due to the ‘original audience now having young families of their own and want[ing] to reach back to what helped form 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.
