Television series
Blackstar
Blackstar is a 1981 Saturday-morning cartoon about an astronaut stranded on a fantasy planet, wielding a cosmic sword against an evil overlord. It's colourful, quick-moving action-adventure with a rotating cast of allies and shapeshifters. Pure genre fun for kids who loved He-Man but wanted more science fiction mixed in.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you grew up on Saturday-morning cartoons of the early eighties and want a space-fantasy adventure with swords, a dragon and a sidekick cast, played with earnest kid-show sincerity.
Skip it if you need tight plotting or a story that rewards patience, since its thirteen half-hour episodes lean on a plain good-versus-evil formula and broad, simple characterisation.
What it asks of you: Thirteen short episodes, each about half an hour, so it needs a few easy evenings rather than sustained attention; the mood stays bright and earnest throughout.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe1983
If you loved Blackstar's pulp fantasy action and colourful heroes-versus-evil-empire setup, He-Man is the logical next step: bigger budget, more iconic characters, and that same Saturday-morning commitment to pure spectacle and charm.
But The plot-of-the-week formula can feel repetitive fast, and the voice acting—while earnest—occasionally veers into unintentional comedy that might annoy rather than delight.
Thundarr the Barbarian1980
Post-apocalyptic barbarian action with the same kinetic energy and fast-paced adventure. Thundarr has the same DNA: a fish-out-of-water hero, devoted sidekicks, a rotating gallery of threats, and genuine imagination in world-building.
But The episodes are even shorter and choppier than Blackstar, and some of the 1980s animation shortcuts become glaringly obvious if you're watching back-to-back.
Dungeons & Dragons1983
Six teens sucked into a magical realm with a mysterious guide, each given a magical weapon or power. It shares Blackstar's sense of a ragtag team against impossible odds, but adds genuine mystery and character arcs that deepen over two seasons.
But It's notably darker in tone than other Saturday-morning fare—there's real peril and moral weight—which makes some episodes emotionally heavy rather than fun.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Blackstar
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Conan the Adventurer1992
Both use the hero-with-a-legendary-weapon template, but Conan weaponizes it into actual tragedy and consequence rather than weekly adventure reset.
A surprisingly sophisticated animated series that takes Conan seriously—real stakes, genuine darkness, and complex storytelling. It has Blackstar's fantasy-adventure DNA but treats the material with respect and ambition that makes it sing.
But It's genuinely violent and deals with adult themes: death, betrayal, loss. If you're expecting 1980s Saturday-morning lightness, this will feel jarring and heavy.
More like this (5)
Defenders of the Earth1986
Classic comic characters (Flash Gordon, the Phantom, Mandrake) team up against sci-fi threats with their kids. It captures that same blend of space opera and fantasy adventure that makes Blackstar so oddly appealing.
But The premise is crammed and overstuffed; too many characters mean no one gets proper development or screen time.
Young Samson1967
A boy and his dog transform into super-powered heroes to fight crime and monsters. The episodic structure and pulpy adventure tone mirror Blackstar's approach, and it has genuine charm and wit beneath the simple premise.
But It's even more dated than Space Ghost, and the religious undertones may feel preachy depending on your tolerance for 1960s moral messaging.
The Herculoids1967
A family on an alien planet defended by bizarre alien creatures they've befriended. It has Blackstar's same sense of wonder about alien worlds and that mix of sci-fi and fantasy that shouldn't work but does.
But The episodes feel slow and contemplative compared to Blackstar, and the animation is primitive even by 1960s standards; patience required.
Birdman1967
Space-action cartoons from the Hanna-Barbera stable, offering that same era's approach to adventure: heroes, threats, quick resolutions, and a total disregard for physics or logic. Comfort food for fans of Blackstar's shamelessness.
But These shows are essentially watching 1960s animation shortcuts in real time; the cost-cutting is visible in every frame, and it can feel less like entertainment than like watching the sausage being made.
Ulysses 311981
Both strand a hero on an alien world with a ragtag crew, but Ulysses 31 is interested in existential loneliness and Greek tragedy where Blackstar just wants to have fun.
A wildly ambitious Japanese-French co-production: Odysseus in a space opera setting with surreal animation, cosmic horror, and a genuine sense of being lost across the universe. Every episode looks and feels different, and the ambition is staggering.
But The pacing is glacial compared to American cartoons, the dubbing is wonky, and the serialized narrative means watching episodes out of order will confuse you; it requires patience and commitment.
People
Cast
Recommended by
SilverHawks, Centurions, Spiral Zone, Felix the Cat: The Movie