List of adult animated television series

Last updated

This is a list of adult animated television series (including streaming television series); that is, animated programs targeted towards audiences aged 18 to 34 and over in mind. Works in this medium could be considered adult for any number of reasons, which include the incorporation of nudity, explicit or suggestive sexual content, graphic violence, profane language, dark humour, or other thematic elements inappropriate for children. Works in this genre may explore philosophical, political, or social issues. Some productions are noted for their complex and/or experimental storytelling and animation techniques. Adult animation is typically defined as animation which skews toward adults. [1] [2] [3] [4] It is also described as something that "formative youths should stay far, far away from" [5] or has adult humor [6] [7] and comes in various styles, [8] [9] [10] [11] but especially sitcoms and comedies. [12] These animations can also "appeal to wide swaths of viewers," including those aged 18-34. [13] [14] AdWeek called adult animation "animated projects aimed at grown-ups, not kids." [15]

Contents

In North America, there is children's animation, adult animation, and young adult animation, with various mature animations in the United States, especially in television series. This page mainly includes series in North America and Europe, on programming blocks such as Adult Swim, Animation Domination, Adult Swim (in Canada), and others, with other mature animations, including web series and animated films covered on other pages. These series should not be confused with cartoon pornography or hentai. This page does not include adult-oriented animations from Japan, China, South Korea, and other Asian nations, as such animations are more common there.

Lists by decade

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Space Ghost Coast to Coast</i> American animated parody talk show

Space Ghost Coast to Coast is an American adult animated television series created by Mike Lazzo for Cartoon Network and first broadcast in 1994. It takes the form of a surreal parody of talk shows, hosted by a reimagined version of the Hanna-Barbera character Space Ghost. It incorporates surrealism and non-sequitur humor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Williams Street</span> Atlanta-based animation production studio

Williams Street Productions, LLC, formerly known as Ghost Planet Industries, is an American animation and live action television production studio owned by The Cartoon Network, Inc. division of Warner Bros. Discovery Networks, a unit of Warner Bros. Discovery. The studio is the in-house production arm of Adult Swim. Mike Lazzo and Keith Crofford oversaw operations for the building for most of its existence.

<i>Drawn Together</i> American adult animated sitcom (2004–2007)

Drawn Together is an American adult animated sitcom created by Dave Jeser and Matt Silverstein. It aired on Comedy Central from October 27, 2004, to November 14, 2007, for three seasons. The series is a parody of house-based reality shows, and follows the misadventures of the housemates in the fictional show of the same name and uses a sitcom format with a reality TV show setting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adult animation</span> Animation aimed at adults

Adult animation, also known as mature animation, and infrequently as adult-oriented animation, is any type of animated motion media that is catered specifically to adult interests and is mainly targeted and marketed towards adults and adolescents, as opposed to children or all-ages audiences.

An animated sitcom is a subgenre of a television sitcom that is animated instead of being filmed live-action, and is generally made or created for adult audiences in most cases. The Simpsons, SpongeBob SquarePants, South Park, and Family Guy are four of the longest-running animated sitcoms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cartoon Network</span> American cable television channel

Cartoon Network is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is the flagship property of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also oversees Boomerang, Cartoonito, Discovery Family, Adult Swim, and Toonami. The channel is headquartered at 1050 Techwood Drive NW in Atlanta, Georgia.

Adult Swim is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel owned by Showcase Television, Inc., a subsidiary of Corus Entertainment. The channel primarily airs animated and live-action comedies targeting a teenage and young adult audience. Its branding is licensed from the Adult Swim programming block broadcast by Warner Bros. Discovery's Cartoon Network; it is the first full-time television channel to use the "Adult Swim" brand.

Rick and Morty is an American adult animated science fiction sitcom created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon for Cartoon Network's nighttime programming block Adult Swim. The series follows the misadventures of Rick Sanchez, a cynical mad scientist, and his good-hearted but fretful grandson Morty Smith, who split their time between domestic life and interdimensional adventures that take place across an infinite number of realities, often traveling to other planets and dimensions through portals and on Rick's flying saucer. The general concept of Rick and Morty relies on two conflicting scenarios: domestic family drama and a misanthropic grandfather dragging his grandson into hijinks.

<i>Super Drags</i> Adult animated comedy web television series

Super Drags is a Brazilian adult animated comedy television series created by Anderson Mahanski, Fernando Mendonça and Paulo Lescaut for Netflix.

Cartoon Network is an American basic cable and satellite television channel that is part of The Cartoon Network, Inc. unit of the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery which primarily focuses on animated programs.

Cartuna is a Brooklyn-based animation production company that has made animated TV shows for Syfy, Comedy Central and Facebook Watch. The company has producers, all of which have their own unique style.

In the United States, before the enforcement of the Hays Code, some cartoon shorts contained humor that was aimed at adult audience members rather than children. Following the introduction of the Motion Picture Association of America film rating system, independent animation producers attempted to establish an alternative to mainstream animation. Initially, few animation studios in the United States attempted to produce animation for adult audiences, but later examples of animation produced for adults would gain mainstream attention and success. Some of the most prominent animations with these mature/adult themes include Aqua Teen Hunger Force, BoJack Horseman, South Park, Family Guy, Mission Hill, and Archer, along with other adult animated television series, feature films, and animation in other forms which helped the genre expand over the years, beyond animated sitcoms.

References

Citations

  1. Motamayor, Rafael (March 10, 2020). "11 Adult Animation Shows We Can't Wait to See in 2020". Rotten Tomatoes . Archived from the original on October 3, 2020. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  2. Vargas, Alani (October 1, 2018). "7 Animated TV Shows On Netflix That Adults Will Absolutely Love". Bustle . Archived from the original on November 10, 2020. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  3. Jaworski, Michelle; Riese, Monica; Weber, Sarah (January 10, 2019). "The 17 best cartoons for adults". The Daily Dot . Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  4. Collider Staff (April 21, 2020). "The 25 Best Cartoons for Adults Streaming Right Now". Collider . Archived from the original on October 4, 2020. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  5. Fowler, Matt (March 25, 2019). "The 25 Best Adult Cartoon TV Series". IGN . Archived from the original on November 13, 2020. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  6. Krell, Jason (April 8, 2014). "Why Saying Animation Is Only For Kids Is Bullshit". Gizmodo . Archived from the original on May 31, 2019. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  7. Laux, Cameron (November 27, 2019). "Is Japanese Anime Going Mainstream?". BBC . Archived from the original on May 20, 2020. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  8. Baron, Reuben (December 23, 2019). "Adult Animation Is Better Than Ever - So Why Does It Draw Ridicule?". CBR . Archived from the original on December 23, 2019. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  9. Barrett, Duncan (November 2, 2020). "Animation nation: how Covid fuelled the rise of adult cartoons". The Guardian . Archived from the original on November 20, 2020. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  10. Sarto, Dan (March 19, 2020). "What Future Lies in Store for Non-Comedy Adult Animation?". Animation World Network . Archived from the original on November 10, 2020. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  11. Silliman, Brian (November 2, 2019). "SYFY drawing in more animation with midnight-ish block of adult genre fun". SYFY . Archived from the original on October 26, 2020. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  12. Sanderson, Katherine (June 30, 2020). "The Future of Adult Animation (With and Without Comedy)". Animation Ave. Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  13. Kunkel III, Earl Monroe (2009). Why ARE people laughing at rape? American adult animation and Adult Swim: Aqua Teen Hunger Force as contemporary humor (Masters). Lehigh University. pp. 5–6, 9. ProQuest   304916287 . Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  14. Mak, Phillip (July 10, 2020). "Why is everybody talking about adult animation?". Toon Boom Animation . Archived from the original on August 30, 2020. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  15. Sutton, Kelsey (April 12, 2020). "How Adult Animation Became the Hottest Genre for Streaming Services". AdWeek . Archived from the original on April 26, 2020. Retrieved November 29, 2020.

Sources