Way Back Weds! The Amusing Adventures of 80s Animated Show “The Raccoons”
An obscure Canadian television series that ran on CBC from 1985 to 1991, and on Disney Channel until 1992 in the U.S., The Raccoons was a hidden gem of animated storytelling.
Originally launched as a series of specials in the early 1980s, the show eventually manifested into a weekly series that captured the hearts of kids and cult cartoon fans alike.
The story centers on Bert Raccoon and his friends Ralph and Melissa, who routinely face off against the greedy, scheming aardvark businessman Cyril Sneer—a pink villain with a penchant for industrializing the forest. Each episode pits imagination and friendship against profit and destruction, with Bert and crew always finding clever ways to protect their woodland home.
Created by Kevin Gillis, the show blended environmental themes with humor, action, and a surprisingly sophisticated emotional tone. It also featured a memorable soundtrack, including the iconic closing theme “Run With Us,” which became a cult favorite in its own right.
So let’s transport back to those good ol’ fashioned 1900s cartoon shows—the kind made with pure imagination, hand-drawn charm, and a whole lot of heart.
