He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983)

Original Air Date: 1983-1985

Network: Syndicated

"By the power of Greyskull, I have the power!" This redundantly ridiculous catch phrase was repeated by every kid who grew up in the '80s watching this animated series, which was a mix between a commercial for the action figures and a show that would shove a preachy lesson in at the end (a la G.I. Joe). The animation in He-Man and the Masters of the Universe was limited at best, but the show lives on in our childhood memories as something we had to watch every day. Just two seasons were produced, during 1983 to 1985, but consisted of a whopping 130 episodes (suggesting the production's emphasis was on quantity, not quality).

Perhaps the most notable aspect of the show was that it became the launching point for several budding TV screenwriters, including J. Michael Straczynski (Babylon 5), Paul Dini (Batman: The Animated Series), and David Wise (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles).