This is a list of adult animated television series of the 1990s (including streaming television series); that is, animated programs targeted towards audiences aged 18 and over in mind. Works in this medium could be considered adult for any number of reasons, which include the incorporation of 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]
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.
Title | Genre | Series/episodes | Show creator(s) | Original release | Network | Studio | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Animals of Farthing Wood | Adventure, Drama | 3 seasons, 39 episodes | based on the book created by Colin Dann | January 6, 1993 - 21 December 1995 | CBBC | Telemagination La Fabrique | |
Crapston Villas | Satire | 2 series, 20 episodes | Sarah Ann Kennedy | October 27, 1995 – January 19, 1998 | Channel 4 | Spitting Image | [40] |
Pond Life | Comedy | 2 series, 21 episodes | Candy Guard | December 2, 1996 – October 10, 2000 | Channel 4 | Collingwood & Co. | [41] |
Stressed Eric | Black comedy | 2 series, 13 episodes | Carl Gorham | April 20, 1998 – October 11, 2000 | BBC Two | Klasky Csupo | [42] |
Absolutely Productions | |||||||
Rex the Runt | Comedy | 2 series, 26 episodes | Richard Goleszowski | December 21, 1998 – December 16, 2001 | BBC Two | Aardman Animations | [43] |
BBC Bristol | |||||||
Egmont Imagination | |||||||
EVA Entertainment | |||||||
Angry Kid | Comedy | 4 series, 66 episodes | Darren Walsh | January 1, 1999 – Nov 8, 2019 | Atom.com | Aardman Animations | [44] |
YouTube | Mr. Morris Productions | ||||||
Channel 4 [lower-alpha 47] | |||||||
BBC Three [lower-alpha 48] |
Title | Genre | Seasons/episodes | Show creator(s) | Original release | Network | Studio | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kevin Spencer | Black comedy | 8 seasons, 112 episodes | Rick Kaulbars | 31 October 1998 – 6 November 2005 | CTV Comedy Channel | Atomic Productions | [45] |
Greg Lawrence |
Title | Country | Genre | Seasons/episodes | Show creator(s) | Original release | Network | Studio | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
El Siguiente Programa | Colombia | Comedy | 5 seasons, 93 episodes | Santiago Moure | October 29, 1997 – September 1, 2000 | Canal A [lower-alpha 49] | Gaira | [46] |
Satire | Martín de Francisco | November 14, 2019 | Conexión Creativa | |||||
Canal 1 [lower-alpha 50] | Cenpro Televisión | |||||||
Title | Country | Genre | Seasons/episodes | Show creator(s) | Original release | Network | Studio | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bob and Margaret | Canada | Comedy | 4 seasons, 52 episodes | David Fine | June 22, 1998 – December 25, 2001 | CTV Comedy Channel | Global | [47] |
United Kingdom | Alison Snowden | |||||||
Channel 4 | Channel 4 | |||||||
Philippines Animation Studios | ||||||||
National Film Board of Canada | ||||||||
Nelvana | ||||||||
Dexter's Laboratory is an American animated television series created by Genndy Tartakovsky for Cartoon Network as the first Cartoon Cartoon. The series follows Dexter, an enthusiastic boy-genius with a hidden science laboratory in his room full of inventions, which he keeps secret from his clueless parents, who are only referred to as "Mom" and "Dad". Dexter is at constant odds with his older and more extroverted sister Dee Dee, who always gains access to the lab and inadvertently foils his experiments. Dexter has a bitter rivalry with his neighbor and classmate Mandark, a nefarious boy-genius who attempts to undermine Dexter at every opportunity. Prominently featured in the first and second seasons are other segments focusing on superhero-based characters Monkey, Dexter's pet lab-monkey/superhero, and the Justice Friends, a trio of superheroes who share an apartment.
Adam Maxwell Burton, known professionally as Maxwell Atoms, is an American animator, screenwriter, storyboard artist, and voice actor. He is the creator of the Cartoon Network series Grim & Evil and its subsequent spin-offs, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy and Evil Con Carne.
Star Wars: Droids: The Adventures of R2-D2 and C-3PO is a 1985 animated television series spin off from the original Star Wars trilogy. It focuses on the exploits of droids R2-D2 and C-3PO between the events of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. The series was produced by Nelvana on behalf of Lucasfilm and broadcast on ABC with its sister series Ewoks.
Elmer Earl "Butch" Hartman IV is an American animator, writer, YouTuber, and voice actor. He is best known for creating the animated television series The Fairly OddParents, Danny Phantom, Platypus Kid, T.U.F.F. Puppy, and Bunsen Is a Beast for Nickelodeon. He founded the company, Billionfold Inc. in 2003, to produce the shows. Hartman was an executive producer on The Fairly OddParents for the entirety of its 16-year run.
Ren & Stimpy "Adult Party Cartoon" is an animated television series created by Canadian animator John Kricfalusi for the cable network TNN / Spike TV. The series was developed as a more "extreme" revamp and spin-off of The Ren & Stimpy Show, which previously aired on the American cable network Nickelodeon. The series premiered on June 26, 2003, and was removed from the network on July 24, after airing only three episodes; the remaining episodes were released on DVD. During its run, Adult Party Cartoon was heavily panned by critics, audiences and fans of the original series. It has been referred to as one of the worst animated series of all time.
Adult animation, also known as mature animation, and infrequently as adult-oriented animation, is any type of animated motion work 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 the sitcom that is animated instead of 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.
Anime-influenced animation or Animesque is a type of non-Japanese works of animation that are similar to or inspired by anime. Generally, the term anime refers to a style of animation originating from Japan. As Japanese anime became increasingly popular, Western animation studios began implementing some visual stylizations typical in anime—such as exaggerated facial expressions and "super deformed" versions of characters.
The Amazing World of Gumball is an animated sitcom created by Ben Bocquelet for Cartoon Network. The series concerns the lives of 12-year-old Gumball Watterson, an anthropomorphic blue cat, and adoptive goldfish brother Darwin, who attend middle school in the fictional city of Elmore, California. They often find themselves in various shenanigans around the city, during which they interact with fellow family members—younger sister Anais, mother Nicole, and father Richard—along with an extended supporting cast of characters.
For many years, LGBT representation increased on animated series and animated films. In the 1990s, LGBT characters were depicted in animated series like South Park, The Ambiguously Gay Duo, and The Simpsons. In the early 2000s, LGBT representation increased in Western animation, culminating in GLAAD's "Where We Are in TV" report in 2005, even as representation in such animation was scattered and disparate. In the 2000s, series like Queer Duck, The Oblongs, The Venture Bros., Drawn Together, and Archer would air. It would not be until the advent of shows like Steven Universe, The Legend of Korra, and Adventure Time in the 2010s, that LGBT characters in animation would gain more of a prominent role, leading to shows such as She-Ra and the Princesses of Power in 2018 and Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts in 2020, along with other series in the 2020s. This page will show this progress by building off the lists of animated series which contain these characters and explain the History of LGBT characters in animation. It does not focus on LGBT characters in anime series or films, which is examined on the LGBT themes in anime and manga page.
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. Adult animation in the United States includes shows with superhero, sci-fi, and fantasy elements. 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.
Cartoon Network, an American TV channel which launched in 1992, and Adult Swim, its adult-oriented nighttime programming block which launched in 2001, has regularly featured lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) characters in its programming.
Zach Hadel, known by his pseudonym psychicpebbles, is an American YouTuber, animator, writer, director, and voice actor. He and Michael Cusack are co-creators and co-stars of the Adult Swim animated series Smiling Friends. He is also known for his Internet animations and for being a co-host of the Let's Play web series OneyPlays.
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