Cartoon Series Worth Checking Out · 5:11pm Sep 30th, 2015
Cartoon Series Worth Checking Out:
In this blog post I will list all of the cartoon series that I have watched over the years and highlight the series that are worth checking out. You don't have to watch them all, of course. But this is just a handy list for anyone who is looking for a great cartoon series to get into.
Please keep in mind that this list excludes the action or superhero cartoons. I am saving those for a different list. So if you are wondering where The Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or Street Sharks are (to name a few) they will be on that list.
I will divide the cartoons into two lists: a list for the best cartoon series and a list for cartoons that are good and still worth checking out, but you could probably skip if you wanted to.
As you read through the cartoons, you might notice that I have listed classics like The Pink Panther on the good cartoons list instead of the best cartoons list. You might think to yourself, "How could she dare to list classic cartoons on the good list instead of the great list!" Here's the thing; either I think a cartoon stands out or I don't. I don't care how many comic strips it has had. I don't care about its position as an american cartoon icon. At the end of the day, I care about how good of a story is being told. And let's face it; some of the classics had rather weak stories and characters that wren't as vibrant as in other cartoons.
On the other hand, there are classic cartoons such as The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show that deserve their place on the on the best cartoon list. You will find a pretty equal representation of things all around. And you might even discover some great cartoons to watch in the process.
I will also list the cartoon series you should avoid at the very end.
You will notice that there are some anime series listed in some categories. This is because they have been aired on American television for long and integrated into American culture to such a degree, that some people consider them to be American cartoon series. Although this is incorrect, I decided to list them in case I would get the inevitable questions of where Zatch Bell! or Code Lyoko were on the lists.
If there are any cartoons that I happens to miss, feel free to list them in the comment section below. I always love learning about new series.
The Best Cartoon Series:
LoliRock
RWBY
Time Squad
Robot Chicken
Infinity Train
The Dragon Prince
Trollhunters (2016 TV Series)
Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders
She-Ra: Princess of Power (1985 TV Series)
DreamWorks Dragons
American Dragon: Jake Long
Xiaolin Showdown
W.I.T.C.H. (2004 TV series)
Mummies Alive!
Gargoyles (1994 TV series)
Wakfu (TV series)
Inspector Gadget
Jackie Chan Adventures
Samurai Jack
Freakazoid!
Swat Kats: The Radical Squadron (1993 TV Series)
Biker Mice from Mars (1993 TV Series)
The Tick (2001 TV series)
Avatar: The Last Airbender
The Legend of Korra
Kim Possible
Totally Spies
The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show
The Littles (TV series)
Rocko's Modern Life
Dungeons & Dragons (TV series)
Hey Arnold!
Aaahh!!! Real Monsters
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego? (TV series)
Schoolhouse Rock!
Alvin & the Chipmunks (TV Series 1983–1990)
The Bugs Bunny Show
The World of David the Gnome
Wisdom of the Gnomes (1987)
The Gnomes' Great Adventure (1987)
The Great Adventure of the Gnomes (1995)
The Gnomes in the Snow (1999)
The Fantastic Adventures of the Gnomes (2000).
Gnomes (1980)
The New World of the Gnomes (1997)
The Mysterious Cities of Gold
Ulysses 31
Tiny Toon Adventures
Animaniacs
Pinky and the Brain
Beetlejuice (TV series)
Dexter's Laboratory
Galaxy High School
The Fairly OddParents
Teen Wolf (1986 TV series)
DuckTales
Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers
TaleSpin
The Little Mermaid (TV series)
Aladdin (TV series)
Timon & Pumbaa (TV series)
The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar
Sing Me a Story with Belle (TV series)
Lilo & Stitch: The Series
Star Wars: Droids (TV series)
The Ren & Stimpy Show
Courage the Cowardly Dog
The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy
Codename: Kids Next Door
KaBlam! (1996–2000 TV Series)
Sonic the Hedgehog (TV series) AKA Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog/ Sonic SatAM
Invader Zim
Futurama
The Wild Thornberrys
Star Wars: Ewoks (TV series)
Recess (TV series)
ReBoot
Goof Troop
The Daffy Duck Show (1978 TV Series)
Belle and Sebastian (Japanese TV series)
Men in Black: The Series
Ozzy & Drix
Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics
Kimba the White Lion
Leo the Lion
The New Adventures of Kimba The White Lion
The Adventures of the Little Prince (1978 - 1979 TV series)
Saban's Adventures of the Little Mermaid (1991 TV Series)
Spartakus and the Sun Beneath the Sea
Dan Vs.
Over The Garden Wall
The Tick (2001 TV series)
Generator Rex
Star Wars Rebels
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
The Life and Times of Juniper Lee
The Amazing World of Gumball
Cadillacs and Dinosaurs
Rick and Morty
Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld
Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century
Dave the Barbarian
Code Lyoko
The Pirates of Dark Water
King Arthur and the Knights of Justice
Star vs. the Forces of Evil
Gravity Falls
My Little Pony 'n Friends (1986 TV Series)
My Little Pony Tales (1992 TV Series)
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
Digimon: Digital Monsters (TV Series)
Pokemon (TV Series)
Yu-Gi-Oh! (TV Series)
Monster Rancher (TV Series)
The Boondocks
Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends
Adventure Time
Steven Universe
Oh Yeah! Cartoons
What a Cartoon!
Random! Cartoons
The Modifyers (TV Series Pilot)
Regular Show
Kirby: Right Back at Ya!
My Life as a Teenage Robot
Gregory Horror Show (TV Series)
Deadtime Stories (TV Series Pilot)
Danny Phantom
Darkwing Duck
Ben 10 (2005 TV series)
Ben 10: Alien Force
Ben 10: Ultimate Alien
Ben 10: Omniverse
Ben 10 Reboot (2017 TV Series)
Miraculous Ladybug
We Bare Bears
Archer (2009 TV series)
Fun Cartoon Series Still Worth Watching:
Mia and Me
Filly Funtasia
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command
Ever After High
Monster High
A Kind of Magic (TV series)
Tara Duncan (TV series)
Widget, the World Watcher
Zatch Bell!
Doug
Rugrats
The Pink Panther Show
The Legend of Zelda (1989 TV series)
The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (TV series)
Danger Mouse (TV series)
Heathcliff and The Catillac Cats
The Addams Family (1992 animated series)
Garfield and Friends
Tom and Jerry
Looney Tunes
Camp Candy
Dennis the Menace (1986 TV series)
The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat
Denver, the Last Dinosaur
Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling (1985–87 TV Series)
The Simpsons
The Raccoons
Beverly Hills Teens
Rude Dog and the Dweebs
Dink, the Little Dinosaur (1989–1991 TV Series)
Rubik, the Amazing Cube
Popeye and Son
Foofur
The Powerpuff Girls
Hong Kong Phooey
Daria
King of the Hill
South Park
Bananaman (1983–1986 TV Series)
Saturday Morning Preview Specials
Count Duckula
The Adventures of Raggedy Ann and Andy
Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man
Archie's Weird Mysteries
CBS Storybreak
SpongeBob SquarePants
Richie Rich (1980 TV series)
Donald Duck Presents
Pac-Man (TV series)
Bobby's World
CatDog
The Angry Beavers
ALF: The Animated Series
Ed, Edd n Eddy
Mr. Bogus
Bonkers (TV series)
Eek! The Cat
Johnny Bravo
The Woody Woodpecker Show
It's Punky Brewster
Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour
Barbie and the Rockers: Out of this World
Barbie and The Sensations: Rockin' Back to Earth
Maxie's World
Beany and Cecil
The California Raisin Show
The Comic Strip (TV series)
The Completely Mental Misadventures of Ed Grimley
Donkey Kong Country (TV Series)
Drak Pack
Speed Buggy
Fantastic Max
The Flintstone Kids
The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang
The Gary Coleman Show
Gilligan's Planet
Saturday Supercade
The Little Wizards (TV Series)
Maya the Honey Bee
Meatballs & Spaghetti (TV Series)
Monchhichis (TV series)
Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids/ The New Fat Albert Show
The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries
Pandamonium (TV series)
Photon (TV series)
The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show
Poochie (1984 TV Movie)
The Puppy's Further Adventures
Spectreman
Sport Billy
USA Cartoon Express
Wolf Rock TV
Mission Hill
The Oblongs
Total Drama Island
Total Drama Action
Total Drama World Tour
Total Drama: Revenge of the Island
Total Drama All-Stars / Pahkitew Island
Total Drama Presents: The Ridonculous Race
Dudley Do-Right Show
Popeye the Sailor (1960s TV Series)
The Popeye Show (2001 - 2003 TV Series)
The Smurfs (TV series)
Ugly Americans (TV series)
Drawn Together
The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack
Wacky Races
Pepper Ann
Wander Over Yonder
ChalkZone
My Dad the Rock Star
Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi
Camp Lazlo
Phineas and Ferb
Quack Pack
The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries
Chowder (TV series)
God, the Devil and Bob
Fillmore! (TV Series)
Whatever Happened to... Robot Jones?
Bob's Burgers
Loonatics Unleashed
Rocket Power
Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures
Cartoons To Avoid:
Xiaolin Chronicles
Bubsy (TV Series Pilot)
The Groovenians (TV Short 2002)
Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain
Horseland (TV series)
The Cleveland Show
Allen Gregory
Madballs: The Animated Series
Pickle & Peanut (TV Series)
12 Oz. Mouse
Stressed Eric (TV Series)
Rocket Monkeys
Teen Titans Go!
My Life Me
Family Guy
Casper and the Angels
The Tom and Jerry Show
Fraidy Cat
Coconut Fred's Fruit Salad Island
Ren & Stimpy 'Adult Party Cartoon'
The Ripping Friends
Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue!
The Cramp Twins
Pixel Pinkie
Da Boom Crew
The Nutshack
Wild Grinders
Glenn Martin DDS (TV Series)
The Problem Solverz
Angela Anaconda
Mr. Pickles
Brickleberry
Planet Sheen
Puppy in My Pocket: Adventures in Pocketville
Mega Babies
Shorty McShorts' Shorts
Fanboy & Chum Chum
Breadwinners (TV series)
Johnny Test
Sanjay and Craig
Wayside (TV series)
Battletoads (TV Series Pilot)
The Brothers Grunt
Little Shop (1991 TV Series)
TBH, I kinda liked Loonatics Unleashed. But my surprise is Tom and Jerry. How did that end up as a show to avoid?
I dunno, I think it would've been for the best if you kept super hero shows to this list. Some of the best animated shows ever are about super heroes.
3432128 Not Tom and Jerry, the original, the Tom and Jerry SHOW which is a fairly substandard reboot to the original.
3432131 Oh. Thought she meant generally. Now I understand. I was a bit disappointed when I first started it. It's as if they recycled some of the old antics and just redid a few details.
3432128 If you notice, Tom and Jerry is on the good shows list. The Tom and Jerry Show is a really bad remake of the original. It's so bad that it actually got pulled off the network before its full run.
Loonatics Unleashed has a good concept, but other shows like Darkwing Duck have done better with the idea.
3432130 There are so many superhero and action shows that I kind of needed to make a separate list for them.
3432131 Yep, that is what I was talking about.
However I agree with a few of these but I'd say that shows like Lunatics Unleashed, Wayside, and Family Guy should be left to speculation. They aren't bad shows per say, they are just divisive in who likes them. Personally, I love those three shows. But I know there are people who hate Family Guy but really enjoy Wayside and such other combinations.
On a similar note. Johnny Test was a really good show in its early days. You know, before the sudden animation and voice changes and the... ugh... constant whipping noise. I suggest at least a side note or another category of good turned bad shows.
Weeaboo mode activated: Zatch Bell is not a cartoon, shame on you.
3432140 Funny thing about LU, it was the opposite of Johnny Test in that it got better in its later seasons. But by that point the damage had been done.
3432140 Ah. Just noticed. And yes, the reboot was kind of a disappointment of recycled old episodes.
As for Loonatics, there were better shows like that, but I liked the originality and the universe it built. Come to think of it, I never sat down to watch Darkwing Duck. I should so that... eventually... Mostly, I like how Danger Duck actually got good powers (teleportation and power eggs) instead of some ridiculous other power. It gave him a eile bigger than just being a comic relief. And Lexi actually made a really cool heroine and her playing a large role aside from the crazed lover (*cough* Lola *cough*) made her very enjoyable.
3432145 I listed a few anime on the cartoon list because they have become so Americanized that people think they are American cartoons (like Yu-Gi-Oh and Pokemon for example).
Wayside gets a low rating because it is nothing like the books. And they made all of the wrong changes to the show. And I also didn't care for the animation.
I might move Lunatics Unleashed to the good cartoons list because I agree that it did get better in later seasons.
But in my opinion, Family guy has always been bad so it will stay on the bad list. :P
3432154 I agree that it got better as time moved on, so I added it to the good list.
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Well, I guess Family Guy is left to opinions. Some people like it, some don't. I'm just indifferent. Wayside... I'm not even gonna try to argue for it.
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3432170 I like the earlier seasons of Family Guy. But now it has derailed into a really offensive show. And they don't even do it tactfully like South Park. South Park makes fun of things for a purpose; to show the hypocrisy of certain aspects of society. Family Guy makes fun of things and people just because it can.
I just don't find offensive humor funny unless it has a purpose in the grand scheme of things. I kind of feel that way about stand-up comedians too. If all a comedian does is go up on stage and cuss, and be offensive, and make fun of people, they lose my attention really quick. I respect comedians who can make you laugh with daily observation, or physical gags, or things that actually take some effort.
Why is Teen Titans Go! on the avoid list, yet Teen Titans isn't on any list here?
Here's a couple of shows I've enjoyed that I don't see mentioned here (at least what I can remember):
Kim Possible
Totally Spies!
Transformers Prime
Avatar: The Last Airbender
The Legend of Korra
Those are all the ones I can think of off the top of my head right now...
3432227 As I mentioned at the top of the post, the superhero and action cartoons are going to be on a separate list. All of the shows you listed and more will be on the next list.
Oh, also: WHAT?! Why is Rocket Power on the avoid list?! I loved that show!
3432243 I was on the fence about that one. It is relatively harmless but it is also kind of dated and the animation isn't the best. But I might move it to the good list.
Totally just speaking my mind here, but I'm quite insulted that "Courage the Cowardly Dog" is in the same group as "The Super Mario Bros Super Show" among others. But I suffer from severe prejudice when it comes to cartoons I grew up with.
3432261 I love Courage The Cowardly Dog. I think it is one of the best cartoons ever made. It has great animation, great characters, great stores...just about everything you are looking for in a great cartoon. But to each their own I suppose.
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On second thought, I decided to add these cartoons to the Best Cartoons list because they fit in better here than with the superhero/ action cartoons:
Mummies Alive!
Gargoyles (TV series)
Wakfu (TV series)
Inspector Gadget
Jackie Chan Adventures
Samurai Jack
Freakazoid!
The Tick (2001 TV series)
Avatar: The Last Airbender
The Legend of Korra
Kim Possible
Totally Spies
If anyone has any cartoons I should add to this list or others, let me know. I also posted a best animated films list and best cartoons aimed at a younger audience list.
3432637 Seen Wakfu yet?
3432640 Yeah, but i'm not sure if it would be classified as an anime or more like an American cartoon. I could add it to the list though.
3432653 Well, it's Flash animation, same thing used to make MLP:FiM. And it's French. But it does have some characteristics of both traditional animation and anime. But I guess put it under cartoon as it's called a French "animated TV series".
3432660 I put it under the best cartoons list. :)
3432653 Speaking of French, another great cartoon to me was A Kind of Magic. My classmates and I were hooked on that song!
Also, Tara Duncan. The French have made some pretty decent shows, haven't they?
3432664 Oh yeah, I remember those. I added them to the good list. :)
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I also added these series because they fit in better here:
American Dragon: Jake Long
Xiaolin Showdown
W.I.T.C.H. (2004 TV series)
Mummies Alive!
Gargoyles (TV series)
If anyone has any cartoons I should add to this list or others, let me know.
3433018 Xiaolin Chronicles?
3433022 I heard that one wasn't very good though. It tried to re-boot the original series, but didn't do it very well. I only saw a few episodes but they felt kind of off.
3433038 The thing I didn't like was how the showdowns were now in CGI. The animation was okay, but I prefer how it was before. I also think the problem was their choice for the 5th element.
3433063 Yeah, overall I prefer the original series. I think it got everything right. It would be nice to have a real continuation rather than a reboot.
3433065 Agreed.
3433065 My reasons for it not being on the good list.
Chronicles ignored the final season of the original and tried to be a pseudo sequel. Since Disney couldn't get all of the rights they changed a lot of things. Anyone who's never seen the original wouldn't notice but for fans it was really annoying and hard to get used to. They created lackluster shen gong wu that were basically reskins or redone versions of earlier wu.
However, from a professional standpoint the show was good on its own terms. I just fail it for not being very creative and having lackluster voice acting. The cgi scenes were apparently reminiscent of Code Lyoko but it was overdone and jarring when it transitioned from 2d to 3d.
3433172 Yeah, I stuck it on the 'series to avoid' list because from what I saw of it, it didn't appeal to me in the least.
If you ever do a "Video Games worth checking out" list, Chrono Trigger NEEDS to be at the top.
3442516 Oh yes, I intend on doing one of those as well. I want to list a lot of games that don't get a lot of coverage like the Parasite Eve games and the Fable series.
Your lack of Batman: The Animated Series is....... Disturbing.......
3498445 That is going to be in my best superhero shows list. :) There are way too many of them, so I had to branch out and make it a separate list than this one. I should have it up soon.
3498458 Alright good, thought I was going to have to burn someone's house down.
3498472 You can leave that to the pyros. :S Don't worry; there will be so many superhero shows on the next list, you will see why I made a separate one. :P
3498495 But..... What if..... I AM a pyro? *BWOOOOOMMMMMMM* *BWOOOMMMMMMMMMWMMM* *HORRRRRRRRNNNNNNNSSSSSSSS*
3498501 Well I'm kind of a pyro too so I get what you mean. :P
3498574 Yeah! Let's burn everything!
vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/arkhamcity/images/b/b6/Batman-Arkham-Origins-21Ago2013-05.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130821183816
If you can guess who this is you'll instantly become my favorite person in the world and you'll get a cookie.
3498588 Bwahahaha! We shall take over the world together with the power of our flames. More evil laughter as I eat the cookies.
3498726 But you didn't guess who it is...
3498741 He's from Arkham City if I am not mistaken. :0
3498763 Arkham Origins.
3498780 Yeh, I knew it was from one of the Arkham games.
3498799 And it's Firefly...