PTE63: Animation Nation

[Neon Ignition]

Simple poll this time for a rare break out of the Gaming sub-forum, which is the best animated television show that exists?

Now, some framework for this poll:

-The focus here is more on family/adult shows which means kids animated shows are out the running
-There are one or two exceptions on the list however these are ones that received much acclaim and their fanbase moved out of the kids only area. It had to be of a particular high regard rather than more of a guilty pleasure so things like Spongebob that gained a wider fanbase for a while don't count
-Anime is also out as we'd never be done, that's a poll for another day

If you really loved one that's missing give it a shout out and feel free to share favourite moments from your pick

[Dogg Thang]

With your criteria, you lost me at Reboot. Not convinced it moved outside its age group in the same way Spongebob (which you have already ruled out and yet has survived as a popular show for far longer than Reboot among many age groups) or the likes of Adventure Time have. It's just we were kids when it was on.

Ruling out the kids' cartoons completely though, I think I'd go for Futurama. Although the list brings home to me how few really great animated family/adult shows we've had.

[kryss]

Lacking:

Animanics - pure fun, and spawned:
Pinky and the Brain - two lab mice planning to take over the world!
Freakazoid - the avent of the internet brought about the first and possibly only internet mutated superhero

Animanics is my favourite, due to the variety of the sections of the show and the pink glasses I'm using to look back at it...

[Guts]

Where's Looney Tunes!?

Animaniacs was indeed great, although I watched it as a kid and it was dubbed in Finnish so a lot of the adult jokes flew over my head.

Gotta be easily the grand ol' daddy for me, The Simpsons. It was the first "adult" animation I watched as a kid and grew up with it. There are just so, so many great episodes, jokes and moments that I couldn't even begin to count them. The series has since lost it's sharpest edge and heart for me (no wonder with the billion episodes made) and I don't follow it anymore, but I can still watch those classic episodes over and over again.

Runner ups would be South Park, Futurama and Beavis and Butt-Head all which are great.

[wakka]

The Simpsons in its heyday for me. Cynical, cutting, but full of heart with brilliant characters and great writing. Sadly at least 50% of its run is total rot, but when it was good, it was really good. Family Guy and American Dad I enjoyed when I was younger and they were fresher, but I can hardly stand to watch them now. Far too repetitive.

[QualityChimp]

That's a great list! I love some of the insane stuff like Ren & Stimpy. They were crazy at the time. Does anybody else remember MTV's Liquid Television?

I've probably laughed the most at The Simpsons and Family Guy. The Simpsons has had hundreds of laugh out loud moments over the years and even the inconsistent modern output can't devalue the comedy gold from years gone by. Family Guy has had me in tears of laughter at times and I'm so glad it came back, but has seriously outstayed its welcome. South Park nailed it in the episode "Cartoon Wars" when they suggested that manatees select random topics and that's how they make the joke asides:
For example, "Laundry" + "Date" + "Winning" + "Mexico" + "Gary Coleman" becomes a clip of Lois asking Peter to do the laundry, after which Peter recalls winning a date in Mexico with Gary Coleman.

So I've voted for South Park, which has the amazing ability to use its crudely-animated fa?ade to discuss issues that no other show, let alone cartoon, has dared to discuss.

Over the years they've covered topics such as celebrity, drugs, abortion, illegal immigrants, global warming, sexuality, online peer pressure, Japanese whaling, class systems, prostitution, politics, religion, homelessness, capitalism, cosmetic surgery, racism, sex education and disabilities.

Most interesting for me is their tackling of censorship. In their 200th and 201st episodes, real life mirrored the contents of the episode. As Cartman tries his best to stop Family Guy from being aired just because he doesn't like it, South Park was threatening to depict the prophet Mohammed and the makers were receiving death threats. Tom Cruise wants to kidnap Mohammed because he wants to extract the "goo" that stops him being ridiculed, but after a short spell of invulnerability, Cruise ends up being mocked again and questions why he didn't stay a taboo subject for jokes.

The boys reply in a speech from the 201st episode which was bleeped out, and the episodes haven't been aired again. Indicating that freedom of speech will never win when violence is threatened.
Kyle: That's because there is no goo, Mr. Cruise. You see, I learned something today. Throughout this whole ordeal, we've all wanted to show things that we weren't allowed to show, but it wasn't because of some magic goo. It was because of the magical power of threatening people with violence. That's obviously the only true power. If there's anything we've all learned, it's that terrorizing people works.
Jesus: That's right. Don't you see, gingers, if you don't want to be made fun of anymore, all you need are guns and bombs to get people to stop.
Santa: That's right, friends. All you need to do is instill fear and be willing to hurt people and you can get whatever you want. The only true power is violence.

[Neon Ignition]

Reboot was a very borderline inclusion, the first two series in particular stuck closely to the kids market, it was more the later stages and revival that tipped it as older fans pushed hard to see an ending... which the makers fluffed by ending on another cliffhanger

I mulled the Tiny Toons, Animaniacs etc also but whilst brilliant they don't quite fit the mould. I'm not sure about Avatar either but it's rated much higher in some circles than many on the list and I never bothered with it.

For me, Family Guy and Simpsons have had times of greatness but it's just segments. Futurama for me truly broke from it's bigger brothers shadow and outclassed it in many ways, i'd have picked it if it wasn't for South Park. Sometimes it misses the mark but it's the closest show to run so long and stay relevant whilst not betraying its own little universe either. Plus it gave us the film... the awesome, awesome film

[Dogg Thang]

I know a lot of adults who watch Avatar. Never seen it myself, although many people have told me I'd like it... as long as I never, ever watch the movie.

[wakka]

Daria should be on the list too IMO.

[Tobal]

Your missing early MTV shows like the MAXX, Aeon Flux, liquid TV moving to late 90's like daira and others like Space Ghost(total classic)Dilbert(not mtv) and I can't believe venture bros doesn't make it either. And on the Reboot rule the likes of Battletech, Samurai Pizza Cats dub, Adventure time, Dex Lab, and powerpuff girls should make the list.

South Parks become to much of a product of that years(even months) world news events and politics which makes watching old episodes abit of miss, but does a better job of it that the total crap that is Family Guy, I vote to have it removed.

[Dogg Thang]

Watch how they get in free!

[PaTaito]

South Park for me.

I dont even feel like it needs justifying either...just brilliant, and rather consistent.