3000 Leagues in Search of Mother

In Portugal, Marco came right after Heidi's huge success. But while the characters looked a bit like they could be brother and sister, and their stories bore some similarities, the series as a whole couldn't have been more different. Heidi was unbridled optimism, while Marco was dourly resigned to stoic perseverance far beyond his age.

Even with its dose of realism probably better suited to a more adult audience, I'd much rather show this to a child than most contemporary cartoons.