Though the spunky chipmunks Chip and Dale have graced Disney cartoons since the 1940s, the two were introduced for a new generation of fans with a wacky afternoon cartoon series that has solidified their legacy. First debuting 30 years ago, Chip’n’Dale: Rescue Rangers put these established characters into a fresh setting that is still beloved by fans today.

The premise of the show was that Chip and Dale, the Rescue Rangers, ran a detective agency alongside their pals Gadget, Zipper, and Monterey Jack. Due to their diminutive nature, they deal primarily with cases that are “too small” for the regular police to handle. Notably, Chip and Dale sported outfits inspired by other pop culture icons – Chip wore a fedora and bomber jacket, a look inspired by Indiana Jones, while Dale was clad in a Hawaiian shirt inspired by Magnum, P.I.

Rescue Rangers was created as one of three series to essentially be a companion to the already-popular DuckTales cartoon (the other two would be TaleSpin and Darkwing Duck). The show had actually initially been planned to feature the characters from The Rescuers, though Disney’s studio heads shot that down as a sequel to that film was already underway; the plan was then reworked to feature completely original characters, who would later be turned into Chip and Dale’s pals when the chipmunk duo was finally placed in the marquee role.

The show, like virtually everything else in the “Disney Afternoon” lineup of cartoons, proved to be hugely popular, and Rescue Rangers would run for three seasons. The series also saw a short-lived comic series from 1990 to 1991, and more recently saw an eight-issue revival from BOOM! Studios. Multiple video games were also made, with the more popular being the two NES titles developed by Capcom.

Thanks to a healthy mix of action, adventure, comedy, and plenty of pop culture references, Chip’n’Dale: Rescue Rangers has remained a favorite of Disney Afternoon fans for the last three decades. Though a revival of the series has been discussed since 2014, nothing has come to fruition – yet.