The Pink Panther Show

Original Air Date: 1969-1976

Network: NBC

After a few Pink Panther films had hit the big screen in the '60s, America was treated to a cartoon showcase based on some of the themes and characters from the Blake Edwards/Peter Sellers franchise. The Pink Panther Show featured the bumbling adventures of a cartoon Inspector Clouseau and his "peanut butter and garlic sandwich"-loving Spanish sidekick Deux Deux; a Jackie Mason inspired aardvark trying to catch a sly red ant; an actual Pink Panther who lives only to infuriate his mustachioed next door neighbor; and a slew of other stories. All of the little cartoon-ettes were accompanied by the sizzling Henri Mancini jazz score from the famed movies. It was a cool collection of animation that ranged from slapstick to surreal, and gave us some wonderful characters to cherish. And let's not forget the most important part: Even though all of these animated nuggets were only loosely tied to the films, they were still exponentially better than the Steve Martin remake.