Top 10 Best TV Spin-Offs of Animated Movies

1989 ushered in a new era for Walt Disney Feature Animation, eventually dubbed the “Disney Renaissance.” After years of misfires, Disney had finally found success once more, and were dominating their field. Two of the era’s princess-focused films even found new life on the small screen - “The Little Mermaid,” with a prequel series focusing on Ariel as a young mermaid, and “Aladdin,” which served as a follow-up to the direct-to-video film “The Return of Jafar.” Although in the original film Aladdin tells Jasmine he’ll show her the world, “Aladdin” the series actually primarily takes place in Agrabah. Nonetheless, the Arabian kingdom serves as the perfect backdrop for three seasons worth of fun adventures and interesting new characters.

A.A. Milne’s stories about Christopher Robin and his living plush toys have been entertaining children for generations and, in 1988, those stories were given new life in “The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.” The TV adaptation was the first time Disney had based a series off of one of their own films - in this case, the 1977 film “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” and the animated featurettes from which it was drawn. The show was just as well received as its beloved predecessors, with many praising its compassionate characters and charming storylines. Pooh and his pals in the Hundred Acre Woods are time-honored classics for good reason - it’s hard not to love them! And this version of their story undeniably does them justice.

Kion may not be on his way to becoming king, but he’s certainly working on his roar. This series, which acts as a midquel to the direct-to-video movie “The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride,” follows Simba’s son, Kion, who has recently learned that he is to be the head of The Lion Guard and protect the Pride Lands alongside his friends. Although it was initially made for a preschool audience, it has some surprisingly dark episodes, which teach kids about the circle of life. The series also added onto established “Lion King” lore in new and interesting ways, finally showing fans how Scar got his scar and giving sequel characters like Kiara and Kovu more screen time.

Nowadays, people likely don’t think twice about “Talespin,” easily accepting the show as one of the many film-based series to be a part of the Disney Afternoon block. If you do stop to think about the show, however, you may come to realize it’s one of the strangest spin-offs Disney has ever made. In it, the characters of “The Jungle Book” are now anthropomorphic, wearing clothes and flying planes. Mowgli is nowhere to be seen, and characters make references to “The Great War” happening decades prior. Interestingly “Talespin”’s huge departure from its source material didn’t seem to hinder its popularity at all. The show easily held its own as a fun and exciting adventure series - it didn’t matter where the characters were from!

If you didn’t know that the “Jimmy Neutron” series was based on a film, or thought that the film came after the series - don’t worry, you’re not alone. “The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius” is one of the few TV spin-offs that was actually more well-known than its predecessor. The show, which followed the adventures of “boy genius” Jimmy and his two friends, Carl and Sheen, lasted three full seasons and earned two Kids Choice Awards nominations for Favorite Cartoon. Parents, kids, and critics all seemed to agree: the series was clever, funny, and unique. An instant Nickelodeon classic!

Did you know that Disney made a TV series based on a 1944 propaganda film? After the 2017 reboot of “Ducktales” proved to be a success, the company wanted to utilize Mickey’s feathered friend in a new series, and decided that “The Three Caballeros” could serve as a good jumping off point for an adventure series. And, boy, were they right! Regardless of whether or not viewers are familiar with Donald’s foreign friends, José and Panchito, they are sure to find entertainment in the trio’s daring adventures. The series’ villain-a-week structure helps keep things interesting, with the caballeros facing off against everything from minotaurs to the God of Death, while its film-quality animation is sure to please even the most discerning adult fans.

This title isn’t false advertising. “Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness” is, indeed, awesome! In the series, Dragon Warrior Po continues his kung fu training alongside the Furious Five, learning more about the martial art and meeting fellow masters of the craft. Although, like in the “Kung Fu Panda” films, Po doesn’t always understand his lessons immediately, he learns from his mistakes and, in doing so, teaches the series’ young audience thematic lessons about life. These lessons would become even more prominent in the less well received, but still pretty awesome, “Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny,” in which Po teaches four young pandas how to wield their own mystical powers.

Ohana means family, and family means nobody gets left behind. Including Stitch’s 625 “cousins!” In this spin-off of “Lilo & Stitch,” it’s established that pods containing the rest of Jumbaa’s experiments have been spread across Hawaii, and will activate in water. The titular pair decide to scour the island for these small but powerful monsters, teaching them about Earth and convincing them to use their abilities for good. What results is an incredibly fun monster of the week series that often ends in rehabilitation instead of violence, keeping in line with the film’s kindhearted tone. The characters even spread this love to other series, having iconic crossovers with “Kim Possible,” “The Proud Family,” “American Dragon: Jake Long,” and even the more grounded “Recess.”

Have you ever wondered what happened in between the first and second “How to Train Your Dragon” films? If so, don’t worry, “Dreamworks Dragons” has the answer. The first Dreamworks series to partner with Cartoon Network rather than Nickelodeon, “Dragons” remains tonally similar to its source. With many of the film’s stars reprising their roles, the first two seasons of “Dragons” follow their young protagonists as they try to keep the peace between humans and dragons, fighting those who stand in the way of progress. A move to Netflix in the show’s third season resulted in a name change to “Dragons: Race to the Edge,” but fortunately didn’t cause a dip in quality.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“Monsters at Work” (2021; 2024-)
Tylor Learns to Laugh in His Unconventional New Position at Monsters, Inc.

“The Croods: Family Tree” (2021-)
The Croods & Bettermans Come to Terms With Their New Living Situation

“The Penguins of Madagascar” (2008-15)
An Award-Winning Spin-off About Madagascar’s Cute & Cuddly Side Characters

“Big Hero 6: The Series” (2017-21)
The Majority of the 3D Film’s Cast Returns in This 2D Spin-off

“The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants” (2018-20)
Two Kids & Their Principal-Turned-Superhero Save Their School From Eccentric Evildoers

Rapunzel’s life has finally begun! Formerly known as “Tangled: the Series,” “Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure” continues the story of “Tangled” as a musical adventure series with breathtakingly fluid animation and Broadway-quality songs composed by Alan Menken. While many TV spin-offs of films opt for an exclusively episodic approach to avoid conflicts with their source material, “Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure” plays out like three new “Tangled” films, telling complex, overarching stories in Corona and beyond. It gives further depth to its protagonists, Rapunzel and Eugene, while also introducing a likable new cast of characters exclusive to the series. It’s hard to argue against such well made and charming children’s television - so we won’t even try!

Did we miss any of your favorite cartoon spin-offs of animated movies? Let us know in the comments!