The 90s were a weird decade where the majority of children's shows were made for one reason and one reason only: not to entertain but to sell action figures.
For some bizarre reason an abundance of anthropomorphised animals dominated the screens, here's just a few of the animal-themed avengers.
1. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The origin of the 'half-man half-animal with a strange occupation' craze, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have become so normalised that many of you probably don't realise how bizarre their name actually is.
The turtles need no introduction but an interesting fact is that their characters encompass the four classical personality types:
Michelangelo: Stoicism
Donatelo: Curiosity
Raphael: Assertiveness
Michelangelo: A Party Dude.
The turtles were a defining part of many an Irish child's, and their tiny swords lodged in many oesophagus.
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2. Biker Mice From Mars
The Biker Mice From Mars were a team of anthropomorphic Martian mice from a motorcycle centred civilisation who came to earth to escape an invading alien force. That's right, they were refugees so The Daily Mail, Kate Hopkins, and your Da would probably hate them.
The team consisted of:
Throttle: The serious one who no one actually likes.
Punished "Venom" Moto: The gentle giant with a bionic arm and eye patch. He reacted to 'Rat' like it was a racial slur
Vinnie: A Party Dude
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3. Extreme Dinosaurs
The Extreme Dinosaurs were a group of dinosaurs that were transformed into anthropomorphic super-soldiers by a plot device and also one of the most cynical attempts for 90s marketers to cash in on pre-teen boys fanatical enthusiasm for dinosaurs.
The extreme dinosaurs teamed up to fight evil raptors in formulaic weekly adventures. They were:
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T-bone: The serious leader who is saved from being the boring one by the grace of the fact that he's a fuckin' T-rex
Steggs: A stegosaur Donatello, that's his entire character
Spike: A kung-fu triceratops. The 90s were weird.
Bullseye: A Party Dude
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4. Street Sharks
The Street Sharks were a team of half-man/half-sharks created when their father's half-man/half-shark making machine malfunctioned. The plot centred around the Street Sharks's attempt to fight numerous marine-themed monsters and find a way to become human again.
They were:
Ripster: A great white shark who shoots pool, bites through steel, and leads the team.
Jab: A hammerhead shark who head butts more people than a drunk Glaswegian in a nightclub.
Big Slammu: A whale shark who can cause earthquakes with his massive strength and is a star football player (somehow).
Streex: A Party Dude.
