Television series

The Herculoids

Name: The Herculoids
Genre: Action, Adventure, Science Fiction
Released: 1967
Cast: Virginia Gregg, Ted Eccles, Don Messick, Mike Road, Don Messick

Superhero
Science fiction
Dip in and out

A 1967 Hanna-Barbera space-opera about a human family and their band of alien creatures defending their peaceful planet from recurring invasions. Ten-minute episodes, bright and breezily paced, with that particular Saturday-morning joy—genuine wonder wrapped in budget constraints that somehow enhance the strangeness. For anyone who loves pulp sci-fi adventure with a found-family warmth.

TVMaze rating

2.7

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you grew up on bright, bombastic Saturday-morning cartoons and enjoy a steady run of invaders met by a colourful menagerie doing the heavy lifting.

Skip it if you need modern storytelling with serialised arcs, character depth or fluid animation; the limited animation and repetitive threats may feel thin.

What it asks of you: Ten-minute episodes, so it comes in quick bites; the pace is brisk and the tone earnest and bright, asking little sustained attention.

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

If you liked this

Jonny Quest1964

Action-adventure with a similar family unit (boy, scientist father, bodyguard, dog) roaming dangerous landscapes. More serialized, higher ambition, and the soundtrack is genuinely excellent. A clear creative ancestor.

But Feels even more dated than *The Herculoids*—the pacing is slower and the dialogue occasionally cringe. The colour palette is murkier too.

The Outer Limits1963

Serious, moody science fiction that understands genuine dread. If you're drawn to *The Herculoids* for the aliens and weird worlds, this goes much darker and delivers real stakes.

But Slow burn. Some episodes are brilliant; others drag. The practical effects, while impressive, occasionally look worse than animation would have.

Fireball XL51962

British puppet sci-fi with the same optimistic-adventure spirit: a space family (in this case, astronauts) exploring strange worlds weekly. Lush, weird design, oddly hypnotic.

But It's puppets, not animation—and the uncanny valley effect will bother some viewers. Very slow by modern standards.

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

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Fantastic Voyage1966

Both are fundamentally about a specialized team with unique abilities defending against threats in an unknown landscape—one animated and optimistic, one live-action and tense, but the DNA is identical.

Same year, same optimistic sci-fi impulse, but live-action: a team with diverse skills navigates a hostile alien environment (the human body) using specialized equipment. The colour, the design, the sense of wonder—it's the live-action version of exactly what *The Herculoids* is doing.

But It's slow by modern standards and the science is nonsense. Once you see how the effects are done, some of the magic evaporates.

The Twilight Zone1959

If you want the strange-worlds promise of *The Herculoids* but with actual intellectual weight and genuine surprise. Opening dozens of doors, never the same story twice.

But Black and white, 1950s pacing, no ongoing characters to root for. It's a completely different experience from what you're looking for.

Battle of the Planets1978

Hanna-Barbera's spiritual successor: a team of specialized fighters in space suits defending Earth from alien threats. More dramatic, more serialized, better animation budget than the 60s shows.

But It's Americanized *Gatchaman*, so the dubbing is rough and the editing is choppy. And it's notably safer, cleaner, less weird.

Young Samson1967

Same year, same studio, same Saturday-morning magic. A boy and his giant dog defend Earth from supernatural threats. Lighter in tone but built on the same foundation of found-family action.

But Relies heavily on comedy relief that doesn't land. The animation is noticeably cheaper. Feels more like filler than *The Herculoids* does.

Ultraman1966

Both use weekly alien threats as the skeleton for exploring what it means to defend your home and your family—but *Ultraman* is serious and melancholic where *The Herculoids* is bright.

Japanese live-action tokusatsu where a human hero transforms into a giant alien defender to fight monsters threatening Earth. Wildly inventive creature design, genuine emotional stakes, and a totally different visual language from American TV.

But Subtitles required. The pace is glacial by modern standards and the acting is deliberately theatrical. The rubber suits are visible, which bothers some viewers.