History WesternAnimation / TheLittleMermaid1992

!!List of tropes relating to ''The Little Mermaid: The Animated Series'':

A SaturdayMorningCartoon by Creator/{{Disney}}, based on their 1989 [[WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1 film of the same name]], which ran on Creator/{{CBS}} from 1992-1994. It was the second (after ''WesternAnimation/TaleSpin'') in Disney's [[TheNineties 90's-era]] series of TV {{spinoff}}s of their more popular movies.[[note]] Later entries include TV spinoffs of ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'', ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Hercules}}'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Tarzan}}'', and ''[[WesternAnimation/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians 101 Dalmatians]]''.[[/note]] Unlike ''Tale Spin'' (but like later entries), however, this cartoon typically keeps continuity with its theatrical source, and acts as something of an ExpandedUniverse, giving backstories to many characters, fleshing out relationships, and allowing them to go on new adventures. It is a direct {{prequel}} to the movie, being set before Ariel met Prince Eric (but after the subsequent DirectToVideo movie ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaidIIIArielsBeginning'', which {{retcon}}s some elements introduced in this cartoon, notably how Ariel met Flounder).

A SaturdayMorningCartoon by Creator/{{Disney}}, based on their 1989 [[Disney/TheLittleMermaid film of the same name]], which ran on Creator/{{CBS}} from 1992-1994. It was the second (after ''WesternAnimation/TaleSpin'') in Disney's [[TheNineties 90's-era]] series of TV {{spinoff}}s of their more popular movies.[[note]] Later entries include TV spinoffs of ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'', ''Disney/TheLionKing'', ''Disney/{{Hercules}}'', ''Disney/{{Tarzan}}'', and ''[[Disney/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians 101 Dalmatians]]''.[[/note]] Unlike ''Tale Spin'' (but like later entries), however, this cartoon typically keeps continuity with its theatrical source, and acts as something of an ExpandedUniverse, giving backstories to many characters, fleshing out relationships, and allowing them to go on new adventures. It is a direct {{prequel}} to the movie, being set before Ariel met Prince Eric (but after the subsequent DirectToVideo movie ''[[Disney/TheLittleMermaidIII Ariel's Beginning]]'', which {{retcon}}s some elements introduced in this cartoon, notably how Ariel met Flounder).

* {{Foreshadowing}}: At the end of "Double Bubble," Ariel successfully covers up that the mertwins she babysat were in serious danger several times, and quips that she hopes they won't remember enough to resent her for it when they get older. In "Red," she has to play the mother to King Triton when he's youthened into a child, and notes that she's acting as overprotective as he normally does. Years later, being overprotective and lying to cover up a danger to a child gets her [[Disney/TheLittleMermaidIIReturnToTheSea a lot more resentment than she'd worried about]].

** The king of a kingdom neighboring Atlantica is obviously based on [[Disney/{{Fantasia}} Yen Sid]].

** The sea serpent in the episode "Heroes" bears some resemblance to [[OneWingedAngel Dragon]] [[ScaledUp Maleficent]] at the end of ''Disney/SleepingBeauty''.

As is typical of Disney's TV spinoffs, the tone of this cartoon is considerably lighter and more comedic than the movie on which it's based, but unlike many Disney TV series spin-offs, it kept one element of the first movie: the musical format, as the series was gifted with a new musical number OnceAnEpisode. It also contained more obvious (and bizarre) {{shout out}}s – a recurring comic villain was called Lobster Mobster, complete with an Edward G. Robinson imitation voice.

After three seasons totalling 31 episodes, it went into reruns on the Creator/DisneyChannel. It later ran on Creator/ToonDisney and Disney Junior.

* EarWorm: "In Harmony"

%%* RecycledTheSeries

* MythologyGag: In the Episode, the Metal Fish, after Ariel rescues Hans Christian Andersen, inspiring to write his version of the Little Mermaid Story, Ariel can be seen sitting on a rock, in a very similar manner to the Little Mermaid Statue, in Copenhagen, Denmark?

* {{Foreshadowing}}: At the end of "Double Bubble," Ariel successfully covers up that the mertwins she babysat were in serious danger several times, and quips that she hopes they won't remember enough to resent her for it when they get older. In "Red," she has to play the mother to King Triton when he's youthened into a child, and notes that she's acting as overprotective as he normally does. Years later, being overprotective and lying to cover up a danger to a child gets her [[TheLittleMermaidIIReturnToTheSea a lot more resentment than she'd worried about]].

* HarsherInHindsight: At the end of "Double Bubble," Ariel successfully covers up that the mertwins she babysat were in serious danger several times, and quips that she hopes they won't remember enough to resent her for it when they get older. In "Red," she has to play the mother to King Triton when he's youthened into a child, and notes that [[{{Foreshadowing}} she's acting as overprotective as he normally does]]. Years later, being overprotective and lying to cover up a danger to a child gets her [[TheLittleMermaidIIReturnToTheSea a lot more resentment than she'd worried about]].

* BiographyAClef: ''Metal Fish'' provides an OriginsEpisode for Creator/HansChristianAndersen where Ariel the Little Mermaid saves him and in response inspires her author to write her story.

As is typical of Disney's TV spinoffs, the tone of this cartoon is considerably lighter and more comedic than the movie on which it's based, with a new musical number OnceAnEpisode. It also contained more obvious (and bizarre) {{shout out}}s – a recurring comic villain was called Lobster Mobster, complete with an Edward G. Robinson imitation voice.

A SaturdayMorningCartoon by Creator/{{Disney}}, based on their 1989 [[Disney/TheLittleMermaid film of the same name]], which ran on Creator/{{CBS}} from 1992-1994. It was the second (after ''WesternAnimation/TaleSpin'') in Disney's [[TheNineties 90's-era]] series of TV {{spinoff}}s of their more popular movies.[[note]] Later entries include TV spinoffs of ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'', ''Disney/TheLionKing'', ''Disney/{{Hercules}}'', ''Disney/{{Tarzan}}'', and ''[[Disney/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians 101 Dalmatians]]''.[[/note]] Unlike ''Tale Spin'' (but like later entries), however, this cartoon typically keeps continuity with its theatrical source, and acts as something of an ExpandedUniverse, giving backstories to many characters, fleshing out relationships, and allowing them to go on new adventures. It is a direct prequel to the movie, being set before Ariel met Prince Eric (but after the subsequent DirectToVideo movie ''Ariel's Beginning'', which {{retcon}}s some elements introduced in this cartoon, notably how Ariel met Flounder).

A series by {{Disney}} based on the 1989 ''Disney/TheLittleMermaid'' that aired from 1992-1994. Set during the period right before Ariel met Prince Eric, but after ''The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning''. (Note that this came before that movie, so there ''Ariel's Beginning'' brings in some retcons, such as the music ban and how Ariel met Flounder). This show was part of the set of spin-off cartoons based on successful movies that Disney produced during the decade, others including shows based on ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'', ''Disney/TheLionKing'', ''Disney/{{Hercules}}'', ''Disney/{{Tarzan}}'', ''Disney/TheJungleBook'' (though not complient to ''WesternAnimation/TaleSpin''), and ''[[Disney/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians 101 Dalmatians]]'' that set up a backstory for the characters or a continuation of the adventures.

The series debuted as a SaturdayMorningCartoon on Creator/{{CBS}}, then was rerun on the Creator/DisneyChannel, ToonDisney, and (as of April 2013) Disney Junior. It had three seasons and 31 episodes.

In this series, there was a musical number in every episode, and the tone was usually light and comedic, sometimes going onto the bizarre (a recurring comic villain was called Lobster Mobster, complete with an Edward G. Robinson imitation voice).

* AdultFear: One example in "Charmed." A monster sucks Ariel into the deepest part of the ocean, which resembles a bad neighborhood. The worst part is for Triton, who had argued with Ariel earlier and Ariel hadn't returned from another of her adventures.