The 25 Most Underrated Animated TV Shows Of All Time

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In recent decades, some of the best television programs on the air have been cartoons. The Simpsons, Family Guy, and South Park have all proven to television networks that animated shows can be more than just Saturday morning fare designed to sell toys (clearly some Saturday morning cartoons were amazing); in fact, these shows bring in consistent ratings, critical acclaim, and multiple awards on a regular basis.



Unfortunately, the genre still suffers from a lack of respect at times, and a lot of great animated shows have been long forgotten despite being brilliant. A recent example of this is HBO's The Life & Times Of Tim. During its first two seasons, the show, about an awkward 20-something dude in NYC, was critically acclaimed and achieved a cult following. However, due to low ratings, HBO axed the show afterwards. Thankfully, in an act of good faith by the network, HBO “uncanceled” the show before another channel could capitalize on its underground popularity.



HBO might have realized what a great show they were about to get rid of, but that’s not always the case. So to celebrate the debut of the miracle third season of The Life & Times Of Tim, which premieres Friday at 9 p.m., we’re taking a look at The 25 Most Underrated Animated TV Shows Of All Time.

Written by Jason Serafino (@Serafino1)

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The Oblongs

25. The Oblongs (2001, The WB; 2002, Adult Swim)

Not exactly helping the state of New Jersey's reputation, the Oblongs were a poor family that lived under a cloud of pollution and radiation that physically deformed them forever, but at least they had a sense of humor about it. Touting a voice cast that featured Will Ferrell, Jean Smart, and Billy West, The Oblongs was a tragic piece of comic humor that often ventured into the land of the absurd.

Despite the hideous appearance of its main characters, the show was a spoof of ‘50s TV sitcom families with their positive personalities and perky demeanors. It was a completely unique blend of madness that was unfortunately cut down in its prime.

Mission Hill

24. Mission Hill (1999-2000, The WB; 2002, Adult Swim)

From two of the best writers to ever work on The Simpsons, Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein, Mission Hill was an animated look at the life of aspiring cartoonist, and professional slacker, Andy French. During its brief time on the air, the series never provided audiences with the laugh-out-loud humor that perhaps some were expecting, yet it was incredibly sharp and witty without having to stoop to typical cartoon shenanigans.

Unfortunately, the WB Network had little faith in the show, so there was very little marketing behind it and episodes aired sporadically. In the end, Mission Hill never quite gained a large enough audience to warrant a second season, but for a brief time it was actually a welcome addition to the animated sitcom genre.

Sealab 2021

23. Sealab 2021 (2000-2005, Adult Swim)

Sealab 2021 debuted along with a whole host of other animated comedies on Cartoon Network back in 2000, but it easily stood out as one of the best. Featuring recycled animation from the mostly forgotten Hanna-Barbera cartoon Sealab 2020, the show re-dubbed that one's voices and turned it into one of the network's most offbeat cartoons.

Set a year after Sealab 2020, 2021 portrayed the Sealab's crew as sexually charged slackers with little ambition or intelligence. Its brand of surreal humor went on to set the tone for the rest of the shows on Adult Swim, but it never reached the heights of tits peers during the same time block.

The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show

22. The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show (1979-1981, ABC)

Never before have B-list superheroes been so much fun. Based on the DC Comics character of the same name, The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show starred the company’s most stretchable hero in a show that can only be described as nonsensical. But that doesn’t mean it was bad; in fact, it was criminally underrated.

Not only did the show do a great job of uniquely portraying Plastic Man’s stretching powers in every episode, but his Polynesian sidekick, Hula-Hula, was just racist enough to be funny. Plus, who doesn’t love a hero that can morph his body into the shape of a plunger?

God, The Devil, And Bob

21. God, The Devil, And Bob (2000, NBC; 2011, Adult Swim)

It was utterly ridiculous and completely sacrilegious, but during that ever so brief period of time when God, The Devil, And Bob was actually on the air, we couldn’t have been happier. The show was about God contemplating killing off humanity in order to start over, but before he does that he bets the Devil that he can’t find one person who can convince him not to wipe everyone off the planet. The Devil winds up choosing Bob Alman, an underachieving auto-plant worker from Detroit.

Apparently the show was just offensive enough to draw the ire of numerous religious groups around the country, and the low ratings didn’t help its case. After only four episodes, God, The Devil, And Bob was canceled in the states, but the show continued to air overseas where people aren’t as Bible-thumping. However, Adult Swim not only re-aired the original series earlier this year, but they also showed the episodes that the States never got to see. Double win.

Earthworm Jim

20. Earthworm Jim (1995-1996, Kids' WB!)

Not many TV shows star a talking earthworm wearing a powersuit and brandishing a high-powered firearm, but then again there were a lot of things Earthworm Jim did that many other shows didn’t. First, it was one of the only successful adaptations of a video game into any other medium, and, secondly, it was incredibly funny for its short amount of air-time.

While the original Earthworm Jim game was great, the show was leaps and bounds better. The humor was sick and twisted with a layer of crudeness that permeated every frame. If any video game property is due for a revival, it's this one.

Fantastic Four

19. Fantastic Four (1967-1968, Fox)

It might not have had the best animation, or even logical plots, but Hanna-Barbera’s interpretation of the Fantastic Four was one of the best superhero cartoons of its time. Complete with classic villains and storylines borrowed from the actual comic books, the Four’s small screen debut still stands as the best versions of the team outside of the comic world. Fox spent $200 million on two blockbuster movies based on Marvel’s First Family and they couldn’t come close to achieving what this show did on a shoestring budget.

It might not look so great by today's standards, but this is the show that introduced countless kids around the world to an upstart company called Marvel. Without a proper DVD release or consistent reruns, though, Fantastic Four has unfortunately been lost to a younger generation.

ReBoot

18. ReBoot (1994-1996, ABC; 1996-1997, syndicated; 1999-2001, Cartoon Network)

Even though it looks like a cave painting compared to what Pixar is putting out at the moment, ReBoot had some of the most cutting-edge CGI when it debuted in the mid-‘90s. The Canadian series appealed to the computer geek in all of us and no doubt inspired a generation of CGI artists, and, to a lesser extent, IT workers everywhere.

So what if any tech-savvy high school kid could probably create these graphics on their MacBook nowadays? When ReBoot first debuted, the kinetic action scenes and 3D world were some of the more marvelous sights a kid could behold. But due to the time and money it took to animate each episode, the show’s producers had a hard time putting out episodes without running into major problems. Unfortunately, that put a nail in ReBoot's coffin.

Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist

17. Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist (1995-1999, Comedy Central)

Most remembered for its use of “squiggly” animation, Dr. Katz was a deep look into the lives of a therapist's extremely neurotic list of famous patients and family members, most of which were comedians and actors. With its more cerebral subject matter and niche humor, Dr. Katz wasn’t a typical animated sitcom, but it was definitely one of the most refreshing.

With a stout list of guest-stars (including Ray Romano, Dave Attell, Louis C.K., and Jon Stewart) and offbeat humor that pokes fun at the monotony of life, Dr. Katz was a dream for fans of comedians like Woody Allen or Jonathan Katz himself. Clocking in at over 80 episodes, this show was critically acclaimed at the time of its original run, but it's almost impossible to find reruns of it now.

Duckman

16. Duckman (1994-1997, USA Network)

Duckman was different from other animated sitcoms on the air at the time because, unlike The Simpsons or Futurama, it offered very little to younger viewers. It was a nasty, sleazy show filled with morally bankrupt characters. Starring Seinfeld's Jason Alexander as a nude duck who happened to be a private detective, Duckman was crude, anthropomorphized bliss that appealed to the curmudgeon in all of us.

Honestly, this show was never going to last long due to its questionable content and truly reprehensible cast of characters, but it did well for itself thanks to a small, yet loyal, legion of fans. It can also be argued that Duckman is the most successful show to feature a cast-member of Seinfeld, unless you, unlike us, loved Julia Louis-Dreyfus' The New Adventures Of Old Christine.

Archer

15. Archer (2009-Present, FX)

It may be one of the funniest cartoons currently on TV, but it seems like Archer always gets the shaft from FX. There's never a lot of publicity or advertising for the show, and often times it won’t even air until after midnight. Despite all of that, this satire on the spy genre is one of the freshest cartoons to hit the air in years. Featuring flawless voice-talent, relentless laughs, and a main character (voiced by H. Jon Benjamin) that makes The Situation look like Nikola Tesla, Archer offers the type of off-color humor and parody that should make even jaded comedy fans chuckle a bit.

Space Ghost Coast to Coast

14. Space Ghost Coast To Coast (1994-2001, Cartoon Network; 2001-2004, Adult Swim)

Space Ghost basically gave birth to the Adult Swim style of animated humor; sadly, though, it never quite garnered the respect that inferior Aqua Teen Hunger Force and The Venture Brothers have enjoyed. And aside from the copious amount of laughs that each episode provided, what's most memorable about the show was its completely original concept. Coast To Coast was, essentially, a talk-show starring the classic ‘toon character Space Ghost as the host.

The humor was very dry, and often mundane, but it was also extremely well done, and the celebrity interviews were almost always classic. For years, it was the glue that held Adult Swim together, even as other shows went on to gain more popularity in the realm of video games and movies.

Star Trek: The Animated Series

13. Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973-1974, NBC)

What's unique about Star Trek: The Animated Series is that it basically acts as the fourth season of the live-action series after the latter went off the air prematurely. Not only did it follow the same characters and storylines of the original show, but it also starred the same actors, as well.

Debuting between the Original Series and the first Star Trek movie, The Animated Series was the last salvation for Trekkies during a time when the franchise's future was unsure. Even though the show has none of the ultra-cool sex appeal of the recent film revival, or the intelligent plots of the live-action shows, Star Trek: The Animated Series is a must-see for longtime Trekkies, or for people that simply love hearing William Shatner's voice.

Spider-Man: The New Animated Series

12. Spider-Man: The New Animated Series (2003, NBC)

Spider-Man has been the focus of more disgraceful animated shows then we'd like to remember, but in 2003, MTV decided to capitalize on the success of the Wall Crawler’s big screen debut by creating Spider-Man: The New Animated Series. Taking place in the same universe as director Sam Raimi's movies (with Tobey Maguire), the series picked up plot points from the first Spider-Man film and actually expanded on storylines that would come to fruition in 2004's excellent Spider-Man 2.

Featuring the voice of Neil Patrick Harris as Spidey, Spider-Man: The Animated Series perfectly captured the comics' humor and featured CGI animation that was completely stunning at the time. Classic Spidey villains such as the Kingpin, Kraven the Hunter, and the Lizard all made appearances, as well as some foes created just for the show. Unfortunately, MTV wasn’t the best channel to air a superhero show, and the ratings soon declined. This led to premature cancellation, ending the show with an unresolved cliffhanger.

Histeria!

11. Histeria! (1998-2000, Kids' WB!)

Who said learning history has to be boring? Histeria! proved that a little slapstick humor and catchy songs could go a long way towards teaching kids about historical figures and events. Similar in tone to Animaniacs, the Kids' WB! series featured a cast of historical characters in every episode, ranging from Abraham Lincoln to Plato.

Mixed in with all of the surprisingly educational gags was an endless supply of crass humor aimed at the juvenile sect. Fortunately, immature humor never gets old, so Histeria! manages to be funny for any age group. Despite the show's brilliance, there's never been a DVD release, and reruns aren’t easy to find.

Freakazoid!

10. Freakazoid! (1995-1997, Kids' WB!)

In 1995, Bruce Timm and Paul Dini, two of the men responsible for Batman: The Animated Series, capitalized on the success of their superhero shows, along with the off-the-wall humor of Animaniacs, to bring Freakazoid to life. The show was about Dexter Douglas, a high school student who became infected with a computer bug that turned him into a blue-skinned being of pure insanity with super strength and speed. Along the way, Freakazoid put a beating on various supervillains and criminals with all of the subtlety of an anvil to the head.

Freakazoid was a fourth-wall breaking and surreal satire with an eye for mayhem and the bizarre. But despite the novel concept and memorable characters, the show only lasted a couple dozen episodes before being shown the door.

Clerks: The Animated Series

9. Clerks: The Animated Series (2000, ABC; 2002, Comedy Central)

Kevin Smith’s live-action movies have been hit or miss since Clerks premiered in 1994; for a brief tim, though, the raunchy filmmaker showed the world that he could still make something worthwhile in the animated realm. With a voice cast made up of actors from the original movie, plus a truly inspired Alec Baldwin as the nefarious Leonardo Leonardo, Clerks picks up where the original movie left off, but with some extra cartoony plots and characters.

Resembling the early days of Family Guy more than Clerks the movie, Smith's toon delivered the funny unlike anything else on the air at the time. It completely savaged pop culture disasters like the Star Wars prequels and Batman & Robin, while also featuring plenty of typical Smithian humor and a guest spot from Charles Barkley.

Todd McFarlane's Spawn

8. Todd McFarlane's Spawn (1997-1999, HBO)

We’re just going to come right out and say it: HBO’s Todd McFarlane's Spawn animated series was miles better than the comic series ever was. It was dark, atmospheric, and incredibly twisted, with some of the most fluid animation ever seen in a superhero show. Todd McFarlane's Spawn set the benchmark for mature comic storytelling in another medium, and, most importantly, managed to make sense out of Todd McFarlane’s thin plots.

It’s a shame that the show didn’t spawn (bad pun fully intended) more mature, comic-related animated shows. If only HBO and either Marvel or DC could come to its senses and throw together a Daredevil or Gotham Central animated show, then we'd all be smiling.

American Dad

7. American Dad (2005-Present, Fox)

Despite still being on the air, American Dad always has to take a back seat to Seth McFarlane's other, higher rated shows, Family Guy and, inexplicably, The Cleveland Show. New American Dad episodes air erratically, and it’s always a painful wait to see whether or not the show will even be picked up for a new season. Still, it's Fox's most genuinely funny animated show at the moment. That’s right, American Dad even edges out the recent episodes of The Simpsons.

Focusing more on telling actual stories, rather than random cutaways like most animated shows (see: Family Guy), American Dad is home to a great cast of characters and biting satire. And while a lot of times it gets ignored or disrespected, any show that features an androgynous, cross-dressing alien that sounds like Paul Lynde is a clear winner in our eyes.

The Critic

6. The Critic (1994, ABC; 1995, Fox)

Always living in the shadow of The Simpsons, but often times outshining America’s favorite yellow family, The Critic was pure nirvana for fans of cartoons and film. Sharing more in common with the tone of Woody Allen’s Manhattan than the colorful denizens of Springfield, this show featured the perfect blend of voice acting and animation in its main character, Jay Sherman, played by Saturday Night Live alum John Lovitz.

The brainchild of Simpsons producers Al Jean and Mike Reiss, The Critic was most famous for its parodies of classic films (Howard's End became Howard Stern's End, for example) and its constant jabs at the Hollywood system; unfortunately, the show soon became a victim of that very system after an inconsistent time-slot, and even a change of networks, got The Critic cancelled way before its time.

But before it was given the ol’ heave-ho, The Critic’s self-deprecating humor and neurotic characters gained a cult following that's still alive and healthy to this day.

Superman: The Animated Series

5. Superman: The Animated Series (1996-2000, The WB)

Having premiered only four years after the legendary Batman: The Animated Series and four years before the equally brilliant Justice League cartoon, Superman: The Animated Series definitely flies under-the-radar compared to its contemporaries. Featuring fantastic voice-acting (Tim Daly, Clancy Brown, Dana Delany, Michael Ironside) and large-scale action scenes, this show is the best representation of the comic version of the Man of Steel in any medium outside of the books.

Pitting Superman against villains like Lobo, Titano, and the Parasite, producer Bruce Timm went far back into the character’s history in a way that the movies and recent comics haven’t. It’s a shame that over the years this show has been the red-headed stepchild of DC animation because it’s just as good as anything else the company has ever put out.

The Tick

4. The Tick (1994-1996, Fox)

Arriving on the Fox network in 1994, The Tick debuted as an animated satire of the superhero genre during a time when seemingly every comic book property was getting its own cartoon adaptation. Playing up the more bizarre aspects of a superhero’s life, like fighting off a cold, while injecting some truly bizarre humor into the plots, The Tick was one of the most creative and intelligent cartoons on at the time, even though it wasn’t truly appreciated during its initial run.

Airing during a time when kids watched TV, but featuring subject matter more appealing to an older audience, The Tick had an uphill battle to fight right from its inception. The great characters and sublime voice-acting from Townsend Coleman, Cam Clarke, and others couldn’t help this show from being ignored by almost everybody except a small, yet hardcore, group of fans.

Harvey Birdman

3. Harvey Birdman, Attorney At Law (2000-2007, Adult Swim)

Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law was one of the original Adult-Swim shows on Cartoon Network, and it was easily the best. It centered on the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon character, Birdman, as he begins his second career as a high-powered lawyer for other classic toon characters. From drug charges against Scooby-Doo and Shaggy, to a crackdown on organized crime featuring Fred Flintstone as a mafia don, every episode of Birdman was a cameo-fest fill with our favorite characters.

This is a show that could have used a lot more love from Cartoon Network because, unfortunately, there was always an agonizing wait in between new episodes, and new seasons were brief at best. Still, with hilarious scripts and voice-acting by Gary Cole and Stephen Colbert, Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law survived for a while despite being overshadowed by other Adult Swim programs.

Gargoyles

2. Gargoyles (1994-1996, Syndicated; 1996-1997, ABC)

One of the most well-written action cartoons to ever air on Saturday mornings, Gargoyles managed to take an original property and make it rival the brilliance of the established veteran of animation, Batman: The Animated Series. Touting dark storylines and more drama than a Greek Mythology class, Gargoyles was a great example of simple storytelling done to perfection.

Based on horrific creatures that turn into stone Gargoyles during the day, the show employed long-running story arcs and tons of action in each season. There was a level of sophistication here that is usually absent in most cartoons. And this hit the air during a time when comic book companies were struggling to introduce new properties to the masses, but Gargoyles did it seamlessly in a way that would make Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and other creators proud.

Rocko's Modern Life

1. Rocko’s Modern Life (1993-1996, Nickelodeon)

There is little doubt that some of the best American cartoons of all time came from Nickelodeon during the '90s. Both kids and adults could enjoy the teenage neuroticism of Doug, or the completely sleazy and spellbinding crassness of Ren And Stimpy. However, Rocko’s Modern Life was head-and-shoulders above the rest of them.

Starring a good-natured wallaby named Rocko and his rotund friend Heffer, the show featured some of the most vulgar and satirical humor to ever grace a children’s cartoon, but it did so in a way that the younger audience was completely unaware of. The thinly-veiled crudeness was just part of the brilliance of the show, though. It was also unbelievably creative and charming, with a roster of memorable characters and storylines.

Sadly, whenever Nicktoons got the movie treatment or a small-screen revival, Rocko was always left-out in the cold. There is a small, rabid audience that still remembers this show fondly, yet somehow it is only just now being released on DVD for the first time.