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Thunderbirds
32 episodes (1965-1966) 60m
Thunderbirds is Gerry and Sylivia Anderson's ultimate SuperMarionation achievement and a genuine cult classic. The Tracy brothers philanthropically run around in high-tech craft, rescuing people and preventing disasters. Meanwhile their agent in London, Lady Penelope, provides sub-plots galore. Proof positive that puppets can be delightfully entertaining in a television context.
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Star Trek [Animated Series]
21 episodes (1973-74) 30m
Underrated animated Trek featuring the voices of most of the original series cast reading some fine scripts. Trek creator Gene Roddenberry was granted creative control and the highly capable Dorothy Fontana took the helm as producer. Despite poor animation, the show was hailed as intelligent adult fare by a host of critics. Certainly worth a look for fans of this fabulous franchise.
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Space Battleship Yamato (aka Star Blazers)
26 episodes (1974-1975) 30m
Space operatic fare has the wreck of the World War II Japanese battleship Yamato brought back to life as a spaceship to fend off an invading alien race trying to irradiate the planet. The war themes and violence were dumbed-down a bit for Western audiences, with the series best known as Star Blazers in the United States. A major step in the historical development of anime.
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Æon Flux
16 episodes (1991-95) 30m/shorts
Sexy animated assassin uses acrobatics to get around in a future full of mutants, clones and robots - all in the name of defending anarchy against scientific order. Started life as a series of shorts on MTV's experimental Liquid Television, culminating in a ten-episode season in 1995. A live-action feature film was released in 2005, but things weren't quite the same.
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Neon Genesis Evangelion
26 episodes (1995-1996) 30m
By the mid-90s computer age, anime had become decidedly more cutting edge. Suffering the effects of depression, Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno used the show's characters to express what he had learned in psycho-therapy. Biomechanical Evas are piloted by 14-year-olds to thwart the invading 'Angels'. Somewhat intense and a genuine classic for the modern age.
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Cowboy Bebop
26 episodes (1998) 30m
A team of bounty hunters crewing an old fishing spaceship try and track down jobs that pay using the hyperspace gateways that connect the solar system. Best known for its adult themes, the dramatic tension mainly revolves around the blood feud between the main character and his ex-partner nemesis from his dark past. Ultra-cool cutting-edge series with a hard bopping soundtrack.
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Star Wars Rebels
77 episodes (2014-2018) 30m
Imperial forces have occupied a remote planet and are ruining the lives of its people. The motley but clever crew of the starship Ghost is among a select few who are brave enough to stand against the Empire. Together, they will face threatening new villains, encounter colorful adversaries, embark on thrilling adventures, and become heroes with the power to ignite a rebellion.
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Star Wars: Visions
9 episodes (2021) 14-23m
An anthology series of nine short films created by seven leading Japanese animation studios. The studios were given plenty of creative freedom, with only limited input from Lucasfilm. The Rotten Tomatoes critical consensus reads: "Gorgeously animated and wildly creative, Visions is an eclectic, but wholly enjoyable collection of Star Wars stories that breathe new life into the galaxy."
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The Bad Batch
32+ episodes (2021-present) 30m
Animated series that follows the adventures of a group of genetically-enhanced clones that remained loyal to the Jedi during the Clone Wars. The Rotten Tomatoes critics consensus reads, "The Bad Batch's beautifully animated adventure may be too lore heavy for casual viewers, but fans will enjoy diving deeper into this dastardly cast of characters." A sequel to 'The Clone Wars'.