Series based on real people, who were still living when the series aired

[rnigma1]

"I Led Three Lives" was a syndicated series that starred Richard Carlson as Herb Philbrick a real-life person who infiltrated the U. S. Communist party. The series ran from 1953-1956. The real Herb Philbrick lived until 1993.

Its producer, Fred Ziv, also produced the similar radio series "I Was a Communist for the FBI," in which Dana Andrews portrayed real-life FBI agent Matt Cvetic, who also went undercover among the Commies.

 

[Ultimajock]

There was an animated cartoon series (1965-68) based on the Beatles.

The producers of that series (who a few years earlier had done a number of made-for-TV "Popeye" cartoons) would go on to make the feature-length animated Beatles' movie "Yellow Submarine".

In the series, the Beatles' speaking voices were done by Paul Frees and Lance Percival.

And let's not forget the "New Kids on the Block" cartoon.

OTOH, ........

cd

...and ABC's The Osmonds and The Jackson 5ive...

 

[cd637299]

^ There were a couple of others.....

Kid 'n' Play - cartoon forms of the rap duo (who never had a big hit)

Hammerman - cartoon form of M.C. "You Can't Touch This" Hammer; I read that this was one of the worst ideas ever to come out in a cartoon. The character Stanley Burrell (actually Hammer's real name) dons a pair of dancing shoes and (I guess) tranforms himself into superhero Hammerman.

Any other animated ones based on real musical performers?

BTW like the Beatles, Kid & Play and New Kids on the Block had others do the voices. Cheep cheep!

cd

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

There was an animated cartoon series (1965-68) based on the Beatles.

The producers of that series (who a few years earlier had done a number of made-for-TV "Popeye" cartoons) would go on to make the feature-length animated Beatles' movie "Yellow Submarine".

In the series, the Beatles' speaking voices were done by Paul Frees and Lance Percival.

And let's not forget the "New Kids on the Block" cartoon.

OTOH, ........

cd

...and ABC's The Osmonds and The Jackson 5ive...

And ABC's "Little Rosey" (1990-91) loosely based on Roseanne's childhood.

And don't forget the Three Stooges!

 

[anotherguyTN]

There was also The Gary Coleman Show where he played an angel, and Life with Louie, which was about Louie Anderson's childhood.

There was also The New Scooby Doo Movies, which had "guest stars" who were real people. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_Scooby-Doo_Movies

 

[firepoint525]

There was an animated cartoon series (1965-68) based on the Beatles.
The producers of that series (who a few years earlier had done a number of made-for-TV "Popeye" cartoons) would go on to make the feature-length animated Beatles' movie "Yellow Submarine".
In the series, the Beatles' speaking voices were done by Paul Frees and Lance Percival.

You mentioned Yellow Submarine. The Beatles also did not voice their own characters in Yellow Submarine.

 

[mysticnitekatt]

More Recently. CBS's VEGAS features a highly fictionalized version of Vegas Sherrif Ralph Lamb,who served from 1960 to 1978.

Lamb is still alive at age 86.

 

[Bob1370]

Howie Mandel did a show for kids called "Bobby's World" which aired through most of the 90s and was based largely on memories of his own childhood. It was a mix of animation and live action.