Television series

Dinosaucers

Name: Dinosaucers
Genre: Comedy, Action, Children
Released: 1987
Cast: Chris Wiggins, John Stocker

Alien contact
Action
Light-hearted

A 1987 syndicated cartoon about alien dinosaurs crash-landing on Earth, split into warring herbivore and carnivore factions. Kids team up with the good guys to stop intergalactic conquest. It's pure Saturday-morning action-comedy with that specific 80s aesthetic—earnest, colorful, gloriously weird, and utterly unconcerned with logic. For anyone who loves that era's anything-goes toy-commercial energy.

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you grew up on 1980s cartoon toy tie-ins and still get a lift from a cheerful, sincere space-battle serial where good and evil are sorted out in the first five minutes.

Skip it if you want a show that asks much of you, since every episode is a short, bright, repetitive adventure with broad jokes and a simple moral line that rarely shifts.

What it asks of you: Half an hour at a time, with quick scenes, loud action and little patience for slow build-up, so it moves briskly and stays in one light, playful register throughout.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

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Alien robots, Earth kids as sidekicks, faction warfare between good and evil, toy tie-ins galore. Same formula, same era, same spirit—just with metal instead of dinosaurs. Equally committed to action and absurdity.

But The animation is inconsistent and sometimes barely moves. Stories can feel interchangeable after a few episodes.

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He-Man and the Masters of the Universe1983

Colorful heroes fighting cosmic evil with a ragtag band of allies. It has that same breathless Saturday-morning sincerity, the same willingness to throw everything at the screen, the same campy earnestness that makes it endearing.

But Heavy-handed morality lessons at the end of every episode. The animation is stiff and the plots are genuinely thin.

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe poster

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles1990

Wisecracking heroes, alien threats, kids helping the good guys, pizza jokes, and action that doesn't take itself seriously. It's the same toy-driven cartoon DNA, just slightly more refined and with better writing.

But Later seasons get repetitive and the humor can feel forced. Quality varies wildly episode to episode.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Dinosaucers

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Young Samson1967

Both hinge on ordinary kids gaining extraordinary power through alien/cosmic means and using it to protect Earth. Samson is what happens when that premise was done earnestly in the 60s; Dinosaucers is what happens when it became a cartoon commodity.

A kid with secret alien superpowers fights crime with his dog. Same core engine as Dinosaucers—a child with extraordinary allies against threats—but from a decade earlier and in live-action, which gives it an almost eerie uncanniness that's weirdly compelling.

But Production values are rock-bottom, it's kitsch without irony, and the social attitudes are aggressively dated. Can feel more cringe than fun.

Mighty Max1993

A kid teams up with comic relief allies to fight interdimensional evil. Fast-paced, self-aware about its own absurdity, and packed with the same 90s action-cartoon energy that Dinosaucers pioneered.

But The premise is thin and stories blur together. It leans harder on jokes than plot.

Exosquad1993

Kids and aliens fighting together against an invading force. More sophisticated animation and storytelling than Dinosaucers, but same core appeal: action, camaraderie, and colorful designs fighting impossible odds.

But Tonally inconsistent—tries to be darker than the formula allows. Later seasons dip in quality.

Galaxy High School1986

Aliens and humans coexisting at a space academy. Lighter than Dinosaucers but same era, same sense of anything-goes silliness, same willingness to let the designs be as weird as they want to be.

But Episodic and forgettable. Humor hasn't aged well and the characters are thin.

Biker Mice from Mars1993

Aliens (motorcycle-riding mice) partnering with humans against evil invaders. Gloriously stupid premise executed with complete sincerity. Same cartoon logic, same color palette, same earnest silliness.

But Can feel repetitive very quickly. Animation is cheap even by 90s standards.

Defenders of the Earth1986

Kids, aliens, and classic pulp characters fighting cosmic evil. That same cross-generational team-up appeal, that same chaotic energy where plot matters less than colorful action sequences.

But Pacing is uneven. Too many characters means most get short shrift. Stories feel stitched together.

Thundarr the Barbarian1980

Colorful post-apocalyptic adventure with a ragtag team fighting impossible odds. More serious tone but same visual sensibility, same commitment to weird designs and action, same Saturday-morning DNA.

But Animation is stiff even for its era. Only lasted two seasons so it feels incomplete. Darker tone might feel jarring if you want Dinosaucers' lightness.

The Real Ghostbusters1986

Both are toy-driven cartoons with a team-based structure, but Ghostbusters proved that Saturday-morning could have genuine wit and charm. It's the template Dinosaucers reaches for but can't quite grasp.

A comedy-adventure cartoon where a team of specialists fights monsters with gadgets and quips. Smarter writing and better animation than Dinosaucers, but same spirit: action, humor, colorful designs, monsters-of-the-week with a larger mythology underneath.

But Later seasons lose the edge. Some episodes feel like they're treading water. Not as weird or dangerous-feeling as the live films.

Ultraman1966

Both deal with alien factions threatening Earth and humans as the frontline defense. Ultraman is where the DNA comes from; Dinosaucers is what that idea looks like when filtered through 80s American toy marketing and Saturday-morning sensibilities.

A human team battles giant alien monsters using technology and wits. Japanese tokusatsu (special effects) series with a completely different production sensibility—cheap, earnest, visually striking despite the limits. Dinosaucers' spiritual ancestor from two decades back.

But Subtitled, pacing is glacial by modern standards, effects are very crude. Requires patience and a tolerance for 1960s Japanese TV rhythms. Tone is more somber than fun.