Bob’s Burgers
Cartoons are typically associated with children, but I can proudly say they’ve been a consistent staple in my life as I’ve grown older and my tastes have developed. It started with kiddie stuff on Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon, but I soon became hooked on adult animated shows like The Simpsons and Family Guy.
Those shows are in the rearview mirror for me now, although FXX’s “Every Simpsons Ever” marathon helped to remind everyone of the early brilliance of The Simpsons and how that series’s legacy has manifested in fantastic ways.
As a college student, animated shows still play a major role in my television cache, and that’s in large part due to the quality animated programming aimed at college-aged audiences. Here are the top five cartoons for people our age:
1. Rick and Morty
Does a show get more twisted than Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty? Given that it comes from the mind of co-creator Dan Harmon (Community), probably not. The animated series centers on an alcoholic mad scientist Rick and his flaky grandson Morty, who go on ridiculous science fiction-inspired adventures together.
Rick and Morty is zany, vulgar and, most importantly, hilariously written. Like its animation, contemporary Futurama, Rick and Morty exploits its science fiction elements, creating some of the most original plots you’ll find on television. The show is truly a perfect fit for Adult Swim with its random and offbeat nature and easily digestible but comedy-packed episodes. Only 11 episodes of Rick and Morty have aired, but the series was picked up for a second season to premiere in 2015.
2. Bob’s Burgers
Bob’s Burgers is more than meets the eye. The Fox series isn’t immediately appealing with its funky animation, but giving Bob’s Burgers a chance will definitely pay off. The show itself is pretty simple — Bob Belcher, voiced by voice actor veteran H. Jon Benjamin (Jon Benjamin Has a Van) owns a burger joint and deals with the weekly hijinks of his madcap family.
And that’s when the show really hits its stride. Starting with the extroverted family matriarch Linda, the unique personalities of the Belcher family are the show’s greatest attraction. There’s the eldest daughter Tina, whose awkward honesty makes for an original and popular cartoon character, and Gene, the goofy and dimwitted brother. And of course, Louise, with her signature bunny-ear hat, deserves mention for her audaciousness and excellent voice acting from the lively Kristen Schaal (Flight of the Conchords). Bob’s Burgers has become a critical hit as well, earning Emmy nominations for Outstanding Animated Program in 2012 and 2013 and taking it home at the most recent Emmy awards.
3. South Park
When South Park premiered in 1997, I was 4 years old. That’s crazy to think about, but South Park was also a different show back then. What began as a cheap-looking experiment with cutout animation and foulmouthed children has evolved into an American institution. With their infamous six-day turnaround, Matt Stone and Trey Parker (literally an Oscar away from achieving the Emmy-Grammy-Oscar-Tony quadruple award win) have created a weekly satire on current events using their beloved perpetual fourth-graders.
The current season alone has provided commentaries on everything from drones to the Washington Redskins name controversy to the topic of the most recent episode — Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar. The South Park formula isn’t perfect, but it’s ambitious and Stone and Parker’s seasonal three-parters have become a television event. After 17 years, South Park has earned the freedom Stone and Parker exercise on a weekly basis, six days at a time.
4. BoJack Horseman
Netflix has gotten in on the cartoon action with BoJack Horseman, the first original animated series for the streaming platform. The series focuses on the eponymous BoJack, a washed-up equine sitcom actor from the ’90s getting his second chance at relevance. The world of BoJack Horseman combines humans and talking animals, which was mined for numerous comedic moments, like crickets in the audience during a standup set or raccoons digging through trash. The series also features a stellar voice cast, with Will Arnett (Arrested Development) as BoJack, Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) as his slacker roommate Todd and Alison Brie (Community) voicing BoJack’s ghostwriter and love interest Diane.
The first season deeply explored the psyche of BoJack as he worked with Diane to write a tell-all biography, turn around his failed career and change his fruitless lifestyle. BoJack Horseman didn’t exactly win over the critics, but the anthropomorphic world it creates is nonetheless impressive, and the series showed a surprising amount of heart. Netflix granted the series a second season, slated to start production next year.
5. Archer
Entering its sixth season, the FX series remains one of the most sharply written shows on television, animated or not. Archer, which follows the misdeeds of egotistical spy Sterling Archer, another character voiced by Benjamin, has transformed into one of the most intelligent comedies on television, full of intricate wordplay and endless running jokes.Archer also has a colorful cast of characters, including the confident and hammy Pam Poovey and the sharp-tongued, alcoholic matriarch Malory Archer, voiced by the talented Jessica Walter (Arrested Development).
Last season, Archer creator Adam Reed took a gamble by disbanding the spy agency (the now-unfortunately named ISIS), the show’s premise for the first four seasons, and instead opted for “Archer Vice,” which profiled the gang’s sudden shift into a drug cartel. It began major changes in the trajectories of the characters, and the season even came with a country album featuring Kenny Loggins. FX announced Archer would be renewed for two seasons back in March, meaning many more episodes of one of the most creative shows on television.
