The Repeated Failures of Silverhawks: Thundercats But Birds & In Space

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In the mid-1980s, Silverhawks burst onto the animation scene as the latest offering from the same team behind the wildly successful Thundercats. With a similar premise of heroic humanoid animals fighting evil, this time in outer space, Silverhawks seemed poised for greatness. But despite its high-flying action, flashy visuals, and star-studded voice cast, the show never quite took off in the way its creators had hoped.
In this video, we'll look into the reasons why Silverhawks failed to capture the same cultural zeitgeist as Thundercats and the other attempts to reboot the franchise and bring it back to life with varying levels of success.
Silverhawks retains a devoted fanbase to this day, with many fans nostalgic for its unique blend of sci-fi and animal heroes. So join us as we take a closer look at the fascinating history of Silverhawks, and try to uncover the secrets behind its enduring legacy.
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[@rjramrod]

A lot of people talk about Silverhawks as a colossal failure, but I personally liked it as a dumb child, and here on the internet that means it was a spectacular & unprecedented success by any objective measure

[@singaporesammy]

I was an even dumber child. I liked Tigersharks.

[@pmgerard]

Tigersharks, now THERE was a colossal failure. 😉

[@Solidus78]

@@pmgerard oh COMICS STRIP, now those cartoons were still entertaining.

[@brianjl7477]

@@singaporesammy I enjoyed Tigersharks. It was definitely the stand-out on Comic Strip. It's too bad it wasn't a standalone product like Thundercats & Silverhawks. Maybe one day we'll get the three-way team-up that we all NEED to see!

[@CarlosLopez-oc9nh]

LOL so did I @@singaporesammy you're not alone

[@johnwyatt429]

Silverhawks represented some of the most beautiful toy designs of the era. No one ever made vac metal pop like Kenner.

[@Stygian360]

So true

[@Lazrael32]

And now with budget cuts most people won't even consider it

[@achtungbabyblog]

I adored this show and the theme 👏🙌

[@jakofallandthatisall5506]

Best theme song ever

[@EarJuice]

Yeah I know what's going on ere. I guess I would adore a deer person show as well so......

[@ridamark]

i still go back and watch the upscaled versions on YT all the time. love it

[@owie4070]

So did I. Unforgettable.

[@saiberunato]

Me too. Will always be a deeply cherished part of this middle aged man's youth. Never cared for Thundercats. But will always love Silverhawks!

[@unum1979]

I cannot say how much I loved this show as a kid. That theme alone made every episode epic.

[@shel0016]

Yep I rem silver hawks a hit in both england and jamaica and usa. Cant believe it didnt run for years

[@grapeshot]

I always liked the intro to this cartoon.

[@HaohmaruHL]

Of course. Both this and Thundercats intros were animated in Japan, hence the quality.

[@mrfld]

I loved the intro. I never actually watched the show.

[@mksolid82]

The intro is an 80s dream but the show is so dull and boring.

[@McHaro0079]

🎶 SIL--- VER--- 🎵 HAWKS!!

[@ruthun]

The adverts in the breaks, the retro ones for the shows, take me back to such a happy place in my life. No internet. Friends coming over. Getting excited for dad to bring home Pizza Hut and maybe a tape from the video store.

[@wstine79]

I loved Silverhawks even more than ThunderCats. The space setting, villains, and designs were cooler. I'm sure many boys were fascinated by Steelheart's.... wings.

[@DragoonMS]

Steelheart was an even sexier badass than Cheetara, and that's on Mary had a bicycle, it was painted red as fire...and whenever Mary wanted a ride, it always had a flat tire!!

[@jeremysmith4620]

Man, Steelheart has some full, voluptuous wings. Who said these weren't educational toys.

[@brianjl7477]

I agree, I loved the sort of hard-boiled 1930's schtick they would use with the mobsters and Stargazer. Like whenever it would show the casino it would hit that one tune, you know? It was all very slick and well-done.

[@DragoonMS]

@@brianjl7477 I always had the headcanon that Melodia was old man Stargazer's bitter, crazy ex. And it suprises me that at least Stargazer, Quicksilver, and the twins didn't play some poker on their downtime.

[@handznet]

I disagree. It was way less exciting visually. Thundercats had more variety in character design and the setting was more pleasant to watch

[@HangGrenade01]

Silverhawks absolutely had the superior theme song and the giant Tally Hawk toy was awesome.

[@JoybuzzerX]

Not sure I'd say it was superior to Thundercats, but I'd consider it equally awesome

[@vinh777]

The silverhawk theme song is awesome

[@wstine79]

🎵 "Wings of silver, nerves of steel Silverhawks! Partly metal, partly real Silverhawks!"

[@Solidus78]

😎

[@DragoonMS]

"Soaring through the highways, of the heavens in the night... SilverHawks!! A rainbow in the skyyyyyy!!"

[@ramonantoniodejuanbennett6239]

I'm 45 and i remember waking up early Saturday mornings to watch these cartoons. I loved Transformers, G.I. Joe, Jem & the Holograms, Thundercats, He-Man , She-Ra and Silverhawks. Man the 80s were awesome!

[@consensus949]

What's up with those cartoons having to be so early goddayum

[@Solidus78]

I had fond memories of this show, this was my childhood. 😎

[@FoxeyeValkyrie]

When I was a kid I absolutely LOVED this show. My family was poor and couldn't really afford much so my mother made some figures out of cardboard for me to play with! Loved running around with them haha.

[@Pewpewpew182]

I always thought the toys were so cool when kids brought them to school. I never had one, but loved the idea for the show.

[@jeremysmith4620]

I always brought mine to school. They were so rad. I'm glad there were other Silverhawks kids dragging them to school to try and get other kids to appreciate their metallic awesomeness and letting them play with them.

[@patrickaker4380]

I brought mine to preschool too. An amazing toy line.

[@travis4700]

me too until the super 7 versions wave 1 and 2 are now fully out and I have them. The ones I ordered. Monstar in his armor is huge.

[@crapstirrer]

Yeah. We were kids. Chrome finish easily impressed us.

[@SeroCloud]

Thundercats, Silverhawks, and Bionic-6 had the most memorable cartoon intros in the 80s.

[@SteeringWheelOperator]

Galaxy Rangers: "Am I a joke to you?"

[@CptJistuce]

MASK has entered the chat.

[@wwetnabamafan194]

What, Mighty Orbots didn't want any of that?

[@TheMsLourdes]

@@SteeringWheelOperator Just a quick note, the artist who did the Galaxy Rnagers theme just posted it like two months ago in its original form on youtube :)

[@tmrevenge]

Tmnt wins

[@j.rileyindependentproductions]

I know it wasn't as successful as Thundercats, but I loved it. As did my kids when I purchased the DVDs and we watched them together.

[@MaximumWarp2099]

Always saddened me that the show never lasted very long. It was fun and cool in a lot of ways.

[@QuestionMan]

Oh Steelheart, I'll never let you go.

[@johncliffalvarez6513]

There was something incredibly amazing from the chrome and just the overall cyborg/bird aesthetics that really pulled me to this series. Silver hawks definitely holds a special place in my childhood and soul.

[@RockNerdRadio]

Man, I loved the Silverhawks. That theme song is such an 80's sound piece. Every time I hear it, I can picture watching this show on my parents old tube TV

[@sawtooth808]

One of the characteristics was a green haired lady with a keytar…A Keytar, you cannot get more 80’s than that.

[@christopherrichardson8972]

I love the random comedy riffs that are getting spliced in more frequently, like the jumpsuit guy cutting to boba fett crashing ... classic

[@seancallaway5204]

Silverhawks were so rock & roll! Mon*Star was a kick-ass villain.

[@patriciaturnham453]

My son and I watched this together. Even today, in his 40s, it's one if his fondest childhood memories.

[@TwilightRonin]

Highkey, its intro is in top 3 best cartoon intro theme. Such an underrated gem

[@ameliadiaz8040]

​@@astormofwrenches5555 Jayce

[@andrejg4136]

having a woman with a lower register sing the theme was an inspired choice and more cartoon themes should have then, and still should, take advantage of that

[@NiblingoBazinga1975]

As a child I had the entire Thundecats action figure series and a few Silverhawks AND Tigersharks. When I played, all the characters interacted with each other, thus placing them in the same universe. I was delighted to briefly spot Mon-Star and Mako in the Thundercats reboot, but I’m going to credit my 8 y/o self with coming up with the notion of a shared universe, lol.

[@glenjennett]

They were all created by the same company, so of course they were part of the same Universe. You didn't create that concept.

[@NiblingoBazinga1975]

@@glenjennett Thanks, genius! I guess you set me straight on that one 🙄

[@brendanfeeney7568]

Thanks for this episode guys ! I have very fond memories of this cartoon. It's fascinating learning about the history and background -This really is a quality channel 👍

[@MCastleberry1980]

I had a Silverhawks lunch box and thermos when I started Kindergarten. Its funny how that was such a very specific window for me to get into that show and get that.

[@taurincochran3398]

When I was a kid,I loved the reruns of this cartoon. However, at the time, I had 3 friends with Silverhawk action figures, and between them they had all of the figures,many of them with a fair amount of chrome chipped off,sadly.

[@nobodyimportant2470]

Sadly that was the big problem with the toys. The chrome plating just didn't hold up if you played with them. If they had just gone with colored plastic it would have held up better but you can't deny that they looked cool as hell new.

[@nerdfatha]

Thoa! this brings back some core memories from childhood! I had Quicksilver with Tally Hawk and Mon-Starrr with his flippy head action. I even had the boxed Silverhawk costume and loved wearing the Madalorian-esque mask. Before I moved out of my parents house in my 20's I found the very battered, but much loved little Tally in the back of a dresser drawer. Thank you, Galaxy, for this video.

[@Summertimeblues28]

Loved Silverhawks slightly more than Thundercats even. The Kenner Toys were great & the cartoon is a classic. Great video guys.

[@anthonycerulli1423]

Yeah I had the toys too. I loved them!

[@semicharmedlife311]

I would say the love shown for Silverhawks by its fans defies the label "failure".

[@jonus04]

8:45 another great Boba Fett edit. I always adore these and they always catch me off guard. 9:05 and this on-going joke also.

[@ikazuchioni]

Childhood memory unlocked! When I was in elementary, stores near my school sold some snacks but had bootlegged free toys. One one of them was a bird that "flapped" it's wings. It's only today that I discovered they were meant to be Tally-Hawk's imitation toys. they were dirt cheap too, they were equivalent to 6 cents converted from Philippine pesos, plus you have a snack!

[@bigdude1982]

I just love my childhood. All the series, shows and toys

[@a27dub]

I was only 5 years old and i still remember these toys and that BK commercial is classic.....

[@gridman887]

the "those are two different shows, can you imagine??" bit is such a dad joke i freakin love it

[@Liberty-or-Death-1776]

I really liked the show as a kid. So it didn't fail to entertain me. Had all the action figures too. Centurions is another one few people talk about, yet I had all the figures for that too.

[@jacobfoster9185]

Are silverhawks, Thundercats, and bravestar all in a shared universe ? He man?

[@BulletsAA]

silverhawks, thundercats and tigersharks are all in a shared universe.

[@thehussar5604]

I have very fond memories of watching this back to back with Thunder Cats before bed with my mom. My very first exposure to the NES was when the commercials would come on. I miss those days.

[@Roadpigjohn]

Silverhawks was one of favorites of the 80s cartoons, even more than Thundercats 😀💡✌️

[@powerbadpowerbad]

Both shows had stellar intros also.

[@UnReQuited93]

As a child, I owned a SilverHawks cassette tape called The Origin, which featured the first two episodes of the show in audio format. Along with it, I had a makeshift picture book that complemented the story. I still remember the pilot episode by heart to this day. I also collected ColorForms, which were thin rubbery stickers that could be placed and removed from different glossy backgrounds printed on cardboard. I had a nearly complete sticker book of them, and a complete sticker book of ThunderCats that took multiple trips to the grocery store and a considerable amount of money to acquire. Looking back, it was a great time to be a kid.

[@Larry]

I did used to get Silverhawks mixed up with Eagle Riders as a kid. Especially as I owned this Silverhawks rollercoaster hotwheels type track set.

[@wwetnabamafan194]

Then check out the history of Saban's Eagle Riders here, which is their own version of Japan's Gatchaman II (what would have been season 2 of Battle Of The Planets.)

[@beck620]

When I was bored at my 1st job (in 1998) I came up with a whole live action Silverhawks cast... Joseph Gordon Levitt as Copper Kid, Pierce Brosnan as Quicksilver, Natasha Henstridge as Steelheart, Howie Long as Steelwill, Dwight Yoakam as Bluegrass, Bruce Willis as Stargazer, Jeremy Irons as Mon-Star

[@JohnH20111]

that’s a badass lineup for the cast

[@JazGalaxy]

The creativity and design of these shows is amazing.

[@NewYork975]

Enjoyed watching Silver Hawks as a kid had several of the toys too. The show and the product was good.

[@ZeroKhaoTiKz]

I have fond memories of Thundercats, but Silverhawks felt like a better show.

[@JazGalaxy]

I was just about to say that. I don’t know why but it felt more solid.

[@estebanavelar4118]

I liked it more. Guess its because Im more into cyberpunk.

[@wesleystreet]

No Snarf = Better show.

[@Therianthrope76]

@@wesleystreet A non-verbal chrome-plated cyborg hawk is objectively cooler than a tubby cat-lizard-nanny any day of the week. At least the bird didn't CONSTANTLY repeat it's own name while bitching about everything single thing it experienced.

[@dennisgraham9444]

Yes

[@Morgil27]

I never saw a single episode of the show, but when I was in kindergarten, I had a pair of Silverhawks pajamas with cloth wingflaps under the arms.

[@ffreed]

I liked both Thundercats and Silverhawks, but I was seldom in a position to watch the shows when they were on. Ironically, the Rankin-Bass Thundercats-esque show I was able to watch the most consistently was TigerSharks. Sure, it was the least well-remembered of the three, but it came on when I was getting ready for school. And like Thundercats and SilverHawks, I was at the right age to enjoy it.

[@angelmetatron00]

9:20 TIL that Thundercats and Silver Hawks had a live stage production. Thank you editor

[@justinberlak6879]

I’m shocked that you hadn’t covered SH’s already. This one is right in your wheelhouse! I was a total mark for this as a kid, and would’ve sworn that it ran for years. I appreciate the deep dive into it; great job Dan, and crew!!

[@ajatathemu]

I really have a Mandela effect with them already doing this. 😂

[@jasonhubbard6775]

That musical footage is the most 80s thing I have ever seen.

[@brainchild8626]

My older cousin was 4 years older than me(When I was born, these cartoons were in their twilight years)... So he introduced me to Thundercats and Silverhawks... I fell in love with both immediately... I low key hoped they would've gave Silverhawks a reboot with the 2011 Thundercats reboot... 😂😂😂

[@cybermawon7637]

That episode where they & the Tigersharks cameoed was pretty much setting that up. Probably would've needed to be wildly popular for a Tigersharks reboot, but Silverhawks could've easily happened if Thundercats didn't get the axe.

[@brainchild8626]

@@cybermawon7637 I completely agree.. In my opinion they canceled The Thundercats reboot because they aimed for the wrong demographic.. They wanted to sell toys, but the main viewers were adults.. Lol

[@jonasbrothersrockist]

Nice.

[@FooMasterNarr]

Still have my SilverHawks lunch box with Thermos. Love this show.

[@kevindavis4456]

Loved Silverhawks as a kid. Had some episodes copied onto VHS, and a couple of the figures, Quicksilver and Copper Kid. I really miss the Rankin/Bass art style.

[@rhuttrho88]

I know I had Quik Silver. I can't remember if I had others.🤔🫡

[@sphoogaming1131]

This is easily the greatest you tube channel ever.

[@luciousthomas6141]

Silverhawks and Thundercats are both masterpieces!

[@brookswilliams5239]

💯💯💯

[@willwidrick8039]

I love 80’s & 90’s super hero cartoons, I’m ashamed to say I’ve never watched an episode of Silver Hawks, that’s going to change

[@6sKi6z6]

I remember watching this as a real little kid. I had the MonStarr action figure with the flip up head and I thought it was the coolest toy…until Ninja Turtles introduced me to the Shredder.

[@Kooster69]

For the Silverhawks cartoon, I tuned out when the animation quality dropped from the shiny metallic to dull, flat greys.

[@pmgerard]

Super7's designers have given several interviews over the last month. I believe they said their plan at the time was to solicit wave 4 in May and wave 5 in September. Brian Flynn has also teased the Miraj ship as a vehicle for the figures in development. Their designer said that everyone in wave 4 had a vintage toy, I believe? But that they're aware of demand for Yes-Man and Melodia. I believe their designer said they simply sometimes remove licensees from the website when there are no products for a long time because they have so many licenses. We will see over the next week! I now have waves 1 and 2 in hand and I'm fairly happy with them, even though I think Quicksilver is the weakest figure in the line.

[@jameswelch7403]

I'm 44 all these cartoons bring back so many memories I used to have all the MOTU FIGURES THUNDERCATS GI JOE AND A FEW SILVERHAWKS AND JACE AND THE WHEEL WARRIORS TMNT BRAVESTARR. WHAT AWESOME MEMORIES THANK YOU😊

[@i.am.not.herbert]

The only Silver Hawk toy I had with the great big bird that the main guy could fly with it clipped to his back or whatever. The missile launching claw snapping Wing slicing hawk thing. Had it for so many years. I might still have it in the garage I'm not sure

[@JohnH20111]

Quicksilver and Tallyhawk

[@i.am.not.herbert]

@@JohnH20111 yeah I never had the action figure that was the main guy that went with it though. I just had that giant bird vehicle version toy. That thing was cool.

[@mrZavior]

of all the media I wish got a nice fresh PG-13 live-action remake, SilverHawks is by far on the top of my list...

[@HeadCannonPrime]

Can you imagine getting 65 episodes of ANYTHING in 1 year these days! PS. Solar opposites is probably dead in the water too being that Justin Roiland is persona non grata these days.

[@obsidian00]

SILVERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR HAWKS!!! 🙌🏾 My childhood did NOT suck!!!

[@loutube3374]

I loved the Silverhawks. Thanks for reshooting this series. You guys are great.

[@asilver50]

Saturday morning cartoons were the best reason to get up early on the weekend as a kid. You had to catch that block of cartoons in the morning before all the boring shows came on. I hope kids nowadays are able to look back at their childhoods and have good memories like i do being a kid. Also, that kids meal burger in the commercial was huge!

[@irkalla100]

I loved this show so much as a kid!

[@JonasPolsky]

Man, this ad sent me down a freaking rabbithole of looking at every shirt they have on their site. I've made a note of your promo code and I'll be sure to use it when I make a purchase

[@darktetsuya]

Definitely one of my favorite cartoons from the 80s! Loved the toys too that shiny metallic plastic was so cool! (BUT I heard it flaked off somewhat easily, guessing that's why super 7 went with regular plastic) Shame thundercats 2011 didn't fare so well I DID see the brief cameo of the Silverhawks universe now that would've been an amazing show if they'd gotten to do it, I'm sure.

[@thunderflight6266]

Super 7's Silverhawks Ultimates are an absolute win. Never would I have thought someone would give us these characters all these years later.

[@Dash277]

Another great 80's theme song and show. As for Thundercats, it really comes down to Mum-Ra being much better at transforming than Mon-Star.

[@Pegwarmers]

Great update! It sucks if we won't get anymore Super7 Silverhawks.

[@LynnHermione]

i loved silverhawks as a kid, the animation was so pretty and the music amazing

[@fade2black1982]

Those suits were awesome. The donning of the mask with the swipe of the hand, in the intro, was so cool.

[@Maverick626]

as a kid i loved the show , managed to rewatch it as an adult , gotta admit i used to think this was better , however the premise was decent enough that maybe a remake for adult audiences could work...please?

[@zachbundy7026]

This is crazy timing. I recently bought the DVD collection of Silverhawks and binged the whole thing over the course of... well, April.

[@74Grimlin]

Best theme song of all time. I loved this show and I don't understand why it didn't become a hit.

[@SkunkLifeMedia]

Facts. and people have done some good covers of the song but none of them, good as they are, unfortunately, have the bird call in them.

[@CantankerousDave]

That title still belongs to Galaxy Rangers.

[@graefx]

I didnt realize there was a rights dispute. I just remember Super7 announcing they had full rights. After Thundercats 2011, Revelation, Netflix She-ra, I'd love to see what a modern production of Silverhawks would be like. Its really weird, i cant see Super7 jumping the gun that hard, but probably more emblematic of how chaotic productions and ownership of those shows were back then. Rights chopped up all over the place, a dozen buyouts and hand changes to the point no one knows where everything is until someone stumbles across the forgotten paperwork in the back of a dust file cabinet

[@BrimsHL]

Thundercats used so many still frames and repeat frames for their cartoon. It was difficult to watch because the characters wouldn't move around at all as much and there would be repeated frames from the characters that would do the same things as in previous shows. Versus silverhawks everything was fresh, everything was new and the characters were always moving around. Silverhawks was a much better show. Just based on that. Thundercats cut way to many corners with budget.

[@hardnine]

Technical ok silverhawks was better but aa far as story's and characters go silverhawks was just a thundercats remake

[@BrimsHL]

@@hardnine I was overseas at first. I saw Silverhawks before I saw ThunderCats. And, I continued to watch Silverhawks because I could not stand Thundercats. You might as well be reading a comic book where the characters aren't really moving around. The animation on that show was so cheap. Don't get me wrong, Thundercats was an ok show. But, I only watched it every now and then. I just couldn't stand how the characters would not move around with their facial expressions and a lot of how they talked was a repeat from previous episodes.

[@robd1329]

Nobody beats Snarf Snarf!

[@VengeDracul]

Loved Silverhawks as a child. Owned all the toys too. As a kid used to sing along with the intro too.

[@beardedbubba7628]

Man I loved Silverhawks.

[@Lane311]

I had a Silverhawks lunchbox. This show was great.

[@robertmasaya6869]

8 year old me knew it was Thundercats in space. I wasn’t fooled! Loved the show anyway. Love your channel too, keep up the good work

[@OmarBhoo]

Silver Hawks was my show. Had a bunch of figures too.

[@dargossss]

OMG! The nostalgia shock from the theme!!! Thanks for the video!

[@ChurchMouse12]

I haven't thought of Silverhawks in years, I remember having the toys and I thought they were just more interesting. Awesome video!

[@captnsquashypant82]

I would run home as fast as I could after school to watch thundercats and silverhawks back to back

[@theelderkine]

I used to draw the Silverhawks all the time. Loved this show!

[@bgpoppapump3313]

I love this new “can you imagine” bit

[@marcosnery9884]

As Thundercats this is one of many tv shows that if I was a bilionaire I would invest in a company to adquire the rights from this kinda of shows and give them the proper respect they deserve. Loved the show and the opening and I don't even remember the plot from one episode hahaha!

[@thomassalvador5906]

When I was five, my grandma purchased me a Flashback Silverhawks action figure. Thank you, grandma!

[@seankuhn6633]

Monstarrs nautilus space ship still inspires my designs to this day.

[@FearlessSon]

I'd never actually seen Thundercats as a kid but I *did* watch Silverhawks. I remember having at least one of the toys with the fabric wings on their plastic frames.

[@RudieObias]

I loved Silverhawks back in the day! I was even Stargazer for Halloween when I was six years old! 😂

[@zachburke1]

That intro and song were over the top including the guitar solo!! Loved every minute of it (rose colored glasses)!! Talllllyyyyyyy Hoooooooo!!!

[@JeremeyPerkins]

I loved Silverhawks as a kid from the show to the toys. Man this was a great episode.

[@furrybogard9724]

I don't know what gave me more chills in the theme song.. The screeching hawk or Bluegrass' guitar solo

[@MrHarris73]

4:54 - Good Lord. As an 80s kid from Philly, I spent WAAYYY too much time wasting away in front of the TV tuned into Channel 29 (which later became FOX 29) watching cartoons. What a time to be alive.

[@rouenrobinson]

I liked the show and the fact that it would come on after The Galaxy Rangers in my area made for a fun space adventure power hour.

[@seamusinboston]

I loved this show. I remember it was an event for me and my brothers when it premiered.