While DreamWorks animation has made many original television shows, most of its output has been spin-offs of their popular movies. Most recently, Fast and Furious: Spy Racers has wrapped up a six-season run, but there have been many other spin-offs over the years, such as Spirit Riding Free and The Adventures of Puss in Boots. And many of these shows have been just as well regarded as the films that inspired them.
While some of these shows fly under the radar, these are the DreamWorks spinoff shows that viewers rate the highest, and are worthy of a watch, either alone or with children.
The Epic Tales Of Captain Underpants (2018 – 2020) – 6.7
Based on Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie and the Captain Underpants kids books, The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants was a 2D animated show that further followed the adventures of George Beard and Harold Hutchins. Nat Faxon, Jay Gragnani, and Ramone Hamilton replace the film’s voice cast.
To date, Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie still needs a sequel, but fans feel that it’s a perfectly good kid show that captures the heart of the books it’s based on. Some even suggest that it is better than the movie that proceeded it, while others feel that the show features mostly low-brow comedy, such as fart jokes, and that it’s a bit cringeworthy.
The Croods: Family Tree (2021 – ) – 6.9
The second series based on The Croods picks up after the events of the second film, The Croods: A New Age. The Croods and the Betterman’s are trying to live together in harmony in The Croods: Family Tree. The series features an almost entirely new voice cast from the films it’s based on and the series that proceeded it, with Kelly Marie Tran the only high-profile actor returning.
While not as beloved as the films that came before it, most fans feel that the series is a marked improvement over the 2D Dawn of the Croods. Since the budget on the TV shows is noticeably lower than on the films, the animation does take a hit, with some calling it “choppy.” For the most part, users felt the spirit of The Croods was intact, which made it a worthy follow-up to the films.
All Hail King Julien (2014 – 2017) – 7.1
The Madagascar franchise proved to be very popular for DreamWorks, so it makes sense that they would try to create an animated spin-off based on one of their fan-favorite lemurs. All Hail King Julien follows the titular character and his subjects/friends on his misadventures. For this series, Danny Jacobs reprises the role of King Julien from The Penguins of Madagascar.
Some fans feel that the series is better than the movies that inspired it and found it to be quite funny. While King Julien was a fan favorite for kids, adults tend to find him more annoying than anything else, so a series based on him was a tough sell. Luckily, his supporting cast was there to pick up the slack for any adults watching with their kids.
Kung Fu Panda: Legends Of Awesomeness (2011 – 2016) – 7.1
Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness was the first Kung Fu Panda spin-off series and served to bridge the first and Kung Fu Panda 2, an animated movie that turned 10 years old in 2021. The series recast most of the principal characters, including Jack Black as Po, now voiced by Mick Wingert. Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness follows Po and the Dragon Warriors as they continue their training and defend the Valley of Peace, their home.
While many point to the series being a step down in writing quality from the film it’s based on, the world-building kept many parents and kids engaged. A noticeable problem with the show arose in its first two seasons, however, as some feel that Po is more unlikable than his cinematic counterpart.
TrollsTopia (2020 – ) – 7.3
After Trolls World Tour, DreamWorks animation got to work on the 2D animated spin-off series TrollTopia. Like the movies and the previous Trolls series, Trolls: The Beat Goes On!, the series follows Poppy, this time voiced by Amanda Leighton as she becomes Queen and works to unite the various Troll groups that were introduced in Trolls World Tour.
Even though the series is about to air its sixth season, it only has about 100 ratings on IMDb, and so it’s difficult to get a general consensus for what audiences enjoy about it. But it’s safe to assume that for kids that are fans of the Trolls film franchise and the series before it, TrollsTopia is a solid spin-off.
The Penguins Of Madagascar (2008 – 2015) – 7.5
The first television spin-off in this franchise was The Penguins of Madagascar. The series follows the further adventures of the fan-favorite penguins from Madagascar. Most of the cast from the movies returns, including Tom McGrath, John DiMaggio, Conrad Vernon, and Andy Richter, while a few others were recast. In it, the penguins have to face off against King Julien, who has somehow found himself in the zoo.
The series was such a success that it proved there was a market for animated shows to further the film’s stories. Most fans praise the series as a faithful continuation of what made the Madagascar films work.
Kung Fu Panda: The Paws Of Destiny (2018 – 2019) – 7.5
Kung Fu Panda is one of the best franchises in DreamWorks filmography. Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny sees Po working to reconnect with the other panda’s and, most importantly, his dad, played by Chris Swindle this time around rather than Brian Cranston. Po now has to teach the young panda’s how to channel the power of the four Kung Fu masters they absorbed in a cave.
The series only lasted one season on Amazon Prime, but fans who watched it found it to be an enjoyable continuation that they could enjoy with their kids. While there are some detractors in the user reviews, generally, the series was seen as a fun time that expanded on the world in a unique way.
Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous (2020 – ) – 7.6
In a rare turn of events, DreamWorks animation made an animated spin-off to one of Universal’s live-action franchises with Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous. This series follows the events during and directly after Jurassic World, as a few campers get stranded on the island. They have to try to survive all the horrors the island has to offer while trying to escape.
The series has run for four seasons, so far, with a fifth expected. Fans talk about how it’s a far more faithful follow-up to the Jurassic Park franchise than the sequel movies it’s based on. It’s also considered a perfect gateway for kids to get into dinosaurs and the world of Jurassic Park, in general.
DreamWorks Dragons (2012 – 2014) – 8.0
Also known as Dragons: Riders of Berk and then Dragons: Defenders of Berk, Dragons follows the events of the first film and looked to bridge the gap between the first and How to Train Your Dragon 2, one of the best DreamWorks animated movies. It’s notable for being one of the few shows where most of the principal cast returned to provide their voices.
While the Dreamworks spin-offs had achieved success in the ratings, Dragons was the most successful for many years and is currently seen as a fan favorite. Its returning voice cast allowed the show to feel more in line with the films and while the show did introduce new villains, characters, and dragons, it felt like it would all pay off by the time the sequel rolled around.
Dragons: Race To The Edge (2015 – 2018) – 8.2
Dragons received a major direction shift when it moved from Cartoon Network to Netflix and was renamed Dragons: Race to the Edge. Once again, the cast returned, but the series saw the characters grow more from where they were in the second film. This time the Dragon Riders have found an artifact that leads them to new worlds and new dragons.
The shift the Dragons show took when it was revamped as Dragons: Race to the Edge is considered a good move since now the show felt it had a direction to move towards. The show also took a more adult tone to further bring it in line with How to Train Your Dragon 2, which showed that it was willing to grow with its audience.
