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.
Title | Genre | Seasons/episodes | Show creator(s) | Original release | Network | Studio | Age rating | Technique | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Æon Flux | Avant-garde | 3 seasons, 16 episodes | Peter Chung | November 30, 1991 – October 10, 1995 | MTV | MTV Animation | TV-MA | Traditional | [16] |
Science fiction | |||||||||
Liquid Television | Animation showcase | 3 seasons, 27 episodes | Japhet Asher | November 30, 1991 – January 1, 1995 | MTV | MTV Animation | TV-14 | Traditional | [17] |
BBC Enterprises | |||||||||
Colossal Pictures | |||||||||
BIG Pictures | |||||||||
Noyes & Laybourne Enterprises | |||||||||
Capitol Critters | Comedy | 1 season, 13 episodes | Nat Mauldin | January 28, 1992 – March 14, 1992 [a] | ABC | Hanna-Barbera | TV-PG | Traditional | [18] |
Steven Bochco | September 15, 1995-September 17, 1996 [b] | Cartoon Network | Steven Bochco Productions | ||||||
Michael Wagner | 20th Television | ||||||||
Fish Police | Crime | 1 season, 6 episodes | based on the comic created by Steve Moncuse | February 28, 1992 – March 13, 1992 | CBS | Hanna-Barbera | TV-PG | Traditional | [18] |
Comedy | |||||||||
The Specialists | 1 season, 10 episodes | 1992 | MTV | Traditional | |||||
Beavis and Butt-Head | Sitcom | 11 seasons, 274 episodes | Mike Judge | Original series: March 8, 1993 – November 28, 1997 | MTV | J.J. Sedelmaier Productions [c] | TV-14 | Traditional | [19] |
MTV Animation | TV-PG [d] | ||||||||
Revival series: October 27 – December 29, 2011 | Comedy Central | Film Roman [e] | |||||||
2nd Revival series [f] | Paramount+ | Judgemental Films [18] | |||||||
MTV Entertainment Studios | |||||||||
Family Dog | Comedy | 1 season, 10 episodes | Brad Bird | June 23, 1993 – July 28, 1993 | CBS | • Nelvana • Amblin Television • Universal Television • Warner Bros. Television | TV-PG | Traditional | |
The Critic | Sitcom | 2 seasons, 23 episodes | Al Jean | January 26, 1994 – May 21, 1995 | ABC [g] | Gracie Films | TV-PG/TV-14 | Traditional | [20] |
Mike Reiss | Fox [h] | Film Roman | |||||||
Columbia Pictures Television | |||||||||
Rough Draft Studios | |||||||||
Duckman | Sitcom | 4 seasons, 70 episodes | Everett Peck | March 5, 1994 – September 6, 1997 | USA Network | Klasky Csupo | TV-14 | Traditional | [21] |
Reno & Osburn Productions | TV-PG [i] | ||||||||
Paramount Television | |||||||||
Space Ghost Coast to Coast | Comedy | 11 seasons, 110 episodes | Mike Lazzo | April 15, 1994 – May 31, 2008 | Cartoon Network [j] | Ghost Planet Industries [k] | TV-PG | Traditional [l] | [22] |
Talk show | Adult Swim [m] | Williams Street [n] | TV-Y7 [o] | Flash [p] | |||||
GameTap [q] | Cartoon Network Studios [r] | TV-14 [s] | |||||||
The Brothers Grunt | Comedy | 1 season, 12 episodes | Danny Antonucci | August 15, 1994 – April 9, 1995 | MTV | a.k.a. Cartoon | TV-14 | Traditional | [23] |
MTV Animation | |||||||||
The Head | Action | 2 seasons, 14 episodes | Eric Fogel | September 1, 1994 – March 1, 1996 | MTV | MTV Animation | TV-14 | Traditional | [24] |
Adventure | |||||||||
The Maxx | Action | 1 season, 13 episodes | Sam Kieth | April 8, 1995 – June 19, 1995 | MTV | MTV Animation | TV-14 | Traditional | [24] |
Adventure | Bill Messner-Loebs | Rough Draft Studios | |||||||
Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist | Sitcom | 6 seasons, 81 episodes | Jonathan Katz | May 28, 1995 – February 13, 2002 | Comedy Central | HBO Downtown Productions | TV-PG | Traditional | [25] |
Tom Snyder | Popular Arts Entertainment | ||||||||
Tom Snyder Productions | |||||||||
The Ambiguously Gay Duo | Animation | 1 season, 12 episodes | Robert Smigel J. J. Sedelmaier | March 19, 1996 - May 15, 2011 | ABC NBC | J.J. Sedelmaier Productions, Inc. | Traditional | ||
Cartoon Sushi | Animation showcase | 1 season, 15 episodes | Danny Antonucci | 1997 – 1998 | MTV | a.k.a. Cartoon | TV-MA | Traditional | [26] |
Keith Alcorn | DNA Productions | ||||||||
MTV Animation | |||||||||
King of the Hill | Sitcom | 14 seasons, 269 episodes | Mike Judge | January 12, 1997 – present | Fox | Film Roman | TV-PG | Traditional | [27] |
Greg Daniels | 3 Arts Entertainment | TV-14 [t] | |||||||
Deedle-Dee Productions | |||||||||
Judgemental Films | |||||||||
20th Television | |||||||||
Daria | Sitcom | 5 seasons, 65 episodes | Glenn Eichler | March 3, 1997 – January 21, 2002 | MTV | Tenth Annual Industries | TV-PG [u] | Traditional | [28] |
Susie Lewis | MTV Animation | TV-14 [v] | |||||||
Todd McFarlane's Spawn | Superhero | 3 seasons, 18 episodes | Todd McFarlane | May 16, 1997 – May 28, 1999 | HBO | HBO Animation | TV-MA | Traditional | [29] |
Drama | |||||||||
Spicy City | Science fiction | 1 season, 6 episodes | Ralph Bakshi | July 11, 1997 – August 22, 1997 | HBO | HBO Animation | TV-MA | Traditional | [30] |
South Park | Sitcom | 25 seasons, 316 episodes | Trey Parker | August 13, 1997 – present | Comedy Central | Celluoid Studios [w] | TV-MA | Stop-motion [x] | [31] |
Matt Stone | Braniff Productions [y] | Digital Animation | |||||||
South Park Digital Studios, LLC. [z] | |||||||||
The Goddamn George Liquor Program | Drama | 1 season, 8 episodes | John Kricfalusi | October 15, 1997 – 1998 | Spümcø | Flash/Traditional | [32] | ||
Celebrity Deathmatch | Sports entertainment | 6 seasons, 93 episodes | Eric Fogel | Original series: May 14, 1998 –June 6, 2002 | MTV [aa] | MTV Animation | TV-14 | Stop-Motion | [33] |
Parody | Revival series: June 10, 2006 – March 30, 2007 | MTV2 [ab] | The Comedy Network [ac] | ||||||
Cuppa Coffee Studio [ad] | |||||||||
Invasion America | Science fiction | 1 season, 13 episodes | • Steven Spielberg • Harve Bennet | June 8, 1998 – July 7, 1998 | The WB | DreamWorks Animation | TV-PG | Traditional | |
The PJs | Sitcom | 3 seasons, 44 episodes | Eddie Murphy | January 10, 1999 – May 20, 2001 | Fox [ae] | Imagine Television | TV-14 | Stop-Motion | [34] |
Larry Wilmore | The WB [af] | Eddie Murphy Productions | |||||||
Steve Tompkins | Will Vinton Studios | ||||||||
Charged Productions [ag] | |||||||||
Touchstone Television [ah] | |||||||||
Warner Bros. Television [ai] | |||||||||
Dilbert | Sitcom | 2 seasons, 30 episodes | based on the comic strip created by Scott Adams | January 25, 1999 – July 25, 2000 | UPN | Idbox | TV-PG | Traditional | [35] |
United Media Productions | |||||||||
Columbia TriStar Television | |||||||||
Family Guy | Sitcom | 24 seasons, 445 episodes | Seth MacFarlane | January 31, 1999 – present | Fox | Fuzzy Door Productions | TV-14 | Traditional [aj] | [31] |
20th Television Animation | TV-PG (a few episodes) | Toon Boom [ak] | |||||||
20th Television | TV-MA (some episodes) | ||||||||
Station Zero | Comedy | 1 season, 20 episodes | Tramp Daly | March 8, 1999 – April 6, 1999 | MTV | Possible Worlds | TV-14 | Traditional | [36] |
Musical | C-Traze Studios | ||||||||
Upfront Entertainment | |||||||||
MTV Animation | |||||||||
Futurama | Science fiction | 9 seasons, 160 episodes | Matt Groening | March 28, 1999 – present | Fox [al] | The Curiosity Company | TV-14 [am] | Traditional | [37] |
Sitcom | Comedy Central [an] | 20th Television [ao] | TV-PG [ap] | ||||||
Hulu [aq] | 20th Television Animation [ar] | TV-14 [as] | |||||||
Home Movies | Sitcom | 4 seasons, 52 episodes | Brendon Small | April 26, 1999 – April 4, 2004 | UPN | Burns & Burns Productions | TV-PG | Traditional | |
The Dick & Paula Celebrity Special | Comedy | 1 season, 7 episodes | Tom Snyder | July 20, 1999 – August 1999 | FX | Soup2Nuts | TV-PG TV-14 (two episodes) | Traditional | |
Downtown | Comedy | 1 season, 13 episodes | Chris Prynoski | August 3 – November 8, 1999 | MTV | MTV Animation | TV-14 | Traditional | [38] |
Cita's World | Music | Trayce Z. Zinzer | September 20, 1999 – January 3, 2003 | BET | TV-PG | CGI | |||
Mission Hill | Sitcom | 1 season, 13 episodes | Bill Oakley | September 24, 1999 – August 11, 2002 | The WB | Bill Oakley | TV-14 | Traditional | [39] |
Josh Weinstein | Adult Swim | Josh Weinstein Productions | |||||||
Castle Rock Entertainment |
Title | Genre | Series/episodes | Show creator(s) | Original release | Network | Studio | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wicked Willie | Comedy | 1 season, 11 episodes | 1990 - 1991 | Channel 5 | |||
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 [at] | |||||||
BBC Three [au] |
Title | Genre | Seasons/episodes | Show creator(s) | Original release | Network | Studio | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kevin Spencer | Black comedy | 8 seasons, 113 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 [av] | Gaira | [46] |
Satire | Martín de Francisco | November 14, 2019 | Conexión Creativa | |||||
Canal 1 [aw] | 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 | ||||||||
Robin | Canada Germany Sweden | Slapstick comedy | 1 season, 30 episodes | Magnus Carlsson | 1996 | SVT1 | TMO Film GmbH Nelvana | |
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