Classic animated series like Tom and Jerry, The Coyote and the Roadrunner or Silvestre and Tweety were key to the childhood of a generation. But in the nineties, animation took a turn to make way for more adult themes, more complex characters and riskier situations. The Simpsons were one of the first to set the tone and demonstrated with its strong criticism of American society that animation was not something to be underestimated.

There are those who say that the best time to enjoy a good cartoon series is as an adult. Animation series has changed a lot in recent years, thanks to the new production companies, which are betting on series and concepts that are far from conventional. The new animated series focused on offering us hours and hours of comedy; ‘The Simpsons’, ‘Family Guy’ or ‘South Park’ are some of the examples that have won over the audience.

‘BoJack Horseman’

Today, the long-awaited fourth season of ‘BoJack Horseman’ returns to Netflix, an animated series created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg and set in an alternative world where humans and anthropomorphic animals live together. ‘BoJack Horseman’ follows in the footsteps of BoJack, a horse who triumphed in the 1990s with a family sitcom (a nod to ‘The Bill Cosby Show’) and who lives anchored in the past. In a fight to get back into the ring, the protagonist will be willing to do whatever it takes while struggling with severe depression, his alcohol problems and social difficulties.

‘BoJack Horseman’ portrays with humor but also a sad rawness the emptiness of fame, advancing from a foreseeable beginning to an ensemble that, at the height of the third season, moves between dark satire and a depressing but hilarious comedy. All you need is a smart TV and you can start enjoying this TV show. If you have trouble configuring your smart TV, tvaerialinstaller.co.uk offers free advice on how to get the most out of it.

‘Rick and Morty’

Adult animation and science fiction in the geekiest spirit possible find their perfect blend with ‘Rick and Morty‘, a series created by Justin Rooland and Dan Harmon for Adult Swim. This fantastic madness, whose fourth season begins in early May in the United States, follows in the footsteps of the mad scientist Rick Sanchez and the bastard of his grandson Morty, in a clear parody of “Back to the Future” that is refreshing, hilarious and opens a world full of possibilities, each one more surprising.

‘The Simpson’

The great classic of our selection was sold and understood as a family animated series when it really never was, hence the majority of the national public has grown up wathing their reruns on Antena 3 without understanding, until adulthood, most of his humor. It is also the longest-running: With 28 seasons under its belt, ‘The Simpsons’ can pride itself on being the greatest leader in adult animation, even if it has been in the doldrums for several years.

‘Family Guy’

This twisted, but hilarious comedy features the Griffin family: Peter, Lois, Chris, Meg, Stewie, and Brian. The Griffin is able to urinate in front of or on the president in office, smoke marijuana in front of the White House and generate chaos and confusion in Canada, the most “friendly” country in the world. Together they make up a group as detestable as it is endearing, which also defines our relationship with what we hate most in our society. We are and we hate the Griffin. We are a double moral standard.

Although it is recognized for its black humor (watch the first three seasons), it has also managed to transcend humor into constructive criticism through animated comedy, which is why it has managed to sustain  for over 15 years. Politics, the environment, gastronomy, conspiracies, the entertainment industry, and the taboo are a constant part of its chapters. Scripts that mix main plots with absurd fantasies where surrealism and pop culture are mixed are globally popular.

‘F is for Family’

Netflix sneaks back into our list with this animated sitcom of a family-style set in the 70s that portrays the life of a generation very different from ours but at the same time offers us news in each of its frames through its themes and of humor that, although vulgar and sometimes sullen, is supported by an interesting selection of characters and a certain characteristic spirit.

‘Bob’s Burgers’

Although he initially failed to find his own tone, Bob’s Burgers established itself as one of the best series of the last decade and won 2 Emmy Awards for Best Animated Series. The series stars Bob Belcher, owner of a hamburger restaurant, his wife Linda and their 3 children: Tina, Gene and Louis. Some strange characters who frequently visit his business also stand out.

Bob’s Burger has a humor that could be considered strange, but that always succeeds in making us smile. Far from other family series in which the father does not stop getting into unpredictable situations, here we see an ordinary guy determined to save his business. Her children are very quirky (maybe too much), especially Tina, who has become a fan favorite. Without being cloying or cheesy, it achieves endearing and very emotional moments.

‘South Park’

In 1999, this series came to mock 14 religions, 32 disabilities, 2 sects, 256 celebrities, 83 presidents, 194 nationalities and a pony, and thus satirize the hypocrisy of American society. Its protagonists are Eric Cartman, the antagonist of the patch, fat, racist, anti-Semitic and xenophobic; Stan Marsh, the most mature of the team; Kyle Broflovski, a pretty smart Jew and Kenny McCormick, the boy from a poor family.

The aim of their vulgar language, according to its creators, was to show the world how children speak when they are away from an authoritarian father figure. South Park broke with television censorship by opening the space to new forms of entertainment. An unreal and rude show that everyone should see.

‘Archer’

What would 007 be like with licenses for absolutely everything? That approach can be found in ‘Archer’, a parody of spy cinema in television animation format, created by Adam Reed and which has broadcast eight seasons (of the ten planned) on the FX channel. Although it is true that from the fourth season the story gets a little out of hand, ‘Archer’ stands out for its sharpness, for the grotesque world it has built during this time and for a brilliant production work as well as dubbing.

Conclusion:

These are must-watch animated tv shows. There are also many more that deserve your attention. And we have no doubt that the biggest production companies in the future will make some more great series from this genre.