Mister T

Well meaning but ultimately poor quality cartoon from the early 80s, typical of that time period. Corny with stilted voice performances and painfully trite dialogue, its value today is mainly kitsch, which explains its extremely late night/early morning showing now on Adult Swim.

Like GI Joe and other cartoons of the period, the cheap, unimaginative animation is accompanied by a morality lesson. Unlike those shows, however, the plots are generally oriented in some form around the central moral lesson rather than merely tacked-on as a didactic lecture by the cartoon lead at the end (though there is a non-animated "wrap up" of the lesson by Mr. T at the end).

I give it credit for trying hard to teach basic values, but I was 11 years old when this came out and I would have found it cheesy (had I seen it during its original airing - frankly, I don't remember it).

Personally I do not understand, beyond basic nostalgia for Saturday Mornings and so on, why so many people consider the 80s some kind of golden age for animation; it wasn't. Animation was cheap, much of it looked the same, and the artwork was poor, generic - workmanlike, even.

Nickelodeon in many ways set the standard for at very least making cartoons look distinctive. This cartoon, like most others of the period, pale in comparison with more recent offerings like Spongebob Squarepants, Dexter's Laboratory, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, and so on. These cartoons may not have the Reagan-era moralizing, but they do have style (and surrealism, and imagination) and considerably more talented voice actors and far, far less stilted dialogue. (Not that every modern cartoon has something unique to offer but there are far better choices now.) Speaking of voice actors, I notice that Phil LaMarr did some of his first voice work on this cartoon. He would become a considerable talent (voice-wise) in years to come.

In some sense Mr. T is a good example of a time when animation was not taken seriously as an art form; rather, it was sold as "product" to kids, and like many sugar cereals advertised during showings of these kinds of cartoons, there's not much substance here, artistically.

All the reviews are nice and above 7 except for one. This is an awesome cartoon with morals which no cartoons have anymore. We are losing our way. Such a cool story! The kids are allowed to fight though haha but who cares. Not me! This is a 9!!!!!!

Reviewing this, or at least summarizing this as an adult of today: Mr. T is a Jesse White sort of thug with gold chains that has a group of tumblers with him who are all minors and Mr. T routinely places them in harms way while teaching them that violence solves problems.

Reviewing this as a kid that grew up in the '80s: MR. T!!!!!!!!!!!! Wait, there are other characters in it? Who cares.

MR. T!!!!!!!!! It's a shame he's not really famous any more...kids like me, kids all over the world LOVED him and, unlike MOST child celebrities, Mr. T has no dark secrets that destroyed his career.

He was awesome and we want him back...

And you know, he's from Chicago too so hometown loyalty and all.

First of, this show is not really a spinoff, and no Mr. T was not a guest star!! He was actually in every episode (Duh the name of the cartoon is Mr. T).

This is one the great early cartoon which talked to morals to kids in every episode like He-Man and G.I Joe.

In fact, Mr. T, often gave out advice that is almost stupid and obvious today, but most parents did not tell their kids!!!

T often told his "kids" not to talk to strangers and develop a special code with their kids, in case a stranger was picking them up , impersonation a friend of the family!!!!

Geez imagine how many less missing and exploited childrenm there be if someone told them this? Many

Overall it's a great cartoon and like Mr. T. "I Pity the Fool", who says it isnt.

Give a 9 out of 10

One of the many milestone cartoons of the 1980's. Involved Mr T. touring around with a team of gymnasts, a kid (Mr T wannabe with the sleeveless denim shirt) and a dog with a mo-hawk. The gang would encounter crimes taking place along the tour...and make the badguys PAY!

Most episodes followed the pattern some crime occurring and the kid finding out about it and getting into trouble. Then Mr.T and the gang would catch up and take care of business. The dog was there for comic relief...

At the end we would always the real live Mr T. would appear and tell us the moral of the story, how the kid could have avoided trouble, and what you can do in your own neighborhood. At the end, T would punctuate his advice by pointing his finger to the camera (a subconscious threat to the bad guys),saying, "Take it from ME...MR T!"

Role model cartoons like this were the standard in 80's, with Mr T blazing the trail for Chuck Norris Karate Kommandos, and Rambo: The Force of Freedom. But none of those other guys ever grabbed a crocodile by its tail, swung it around, and threw it off the screen during the opening sequence.