Family+Music+Sparkly Jumpsuits=Animated show somewhere down the line. Just like the Jacksons before them, the Osmonds transitioned from live-action to cartoon characters in 1972.

The large Osmond clan had been popular ever since the early 60s but it wasn't until the early 70s that they achieved superstardom in music and on TV. At that time, young Donny joined his older brothers on stage and the clean-cut, winsome teen rapidly became a heartthrob for girls around the world.

The cartoon featured the voices of Jay, Merrill, Wayne, Jimmy and Alan as well Donny's voice and had the brothers travel the world as goodwill ambassadors. Nothing could be more agreeable to the planet's teenage girls, who swooned and screamed at the site of Donny and his pearly whites. Donny's biggest fan was Hortence Bird and she stalked the young singer hoping to trap him in her clutches. Fuji, a talking dog, was an addition to the animated cast.

The Osmonds aired original episodes for one season and reruns for a second season. Popular Donny teamed up with sister Marie (who had not appeared in the cartoon) for the prime-time hit show Donny and Marie in 1976.