List of adult animated television series of the 1990s

For adult animated TV series before 1990, see List of adult animated television series before 1990. For adult animated TV series in the 2000s, see List of adult animated television series of the 2000s. For adult animated TV series in the 2010s, see List of adult animated television series of the 2010s. For adult animated TV series in the 2020s, see List of adult animated television series of the 2020s.

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.

List

[edit]

United States

[edit]
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 1995[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
Beavis and Butt-Head Sitcom 8 seasons, 222 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
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
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 13 seasons, 259 episodes Mike Judge January 12, 1997 – May 6, 2010 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 Traditional[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 Spumco 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]
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 22 seasons, 418 episodes Seth MacFarlane January 31, 1999 – present Fox Fuzzy Door Productions TV-14 Traditional[aj] [31]
20th Television Animation TV-PG[ak] Toon Boom[al]
20th Television TV-MA
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 8 seasons, 150 episodes Matt Groening March 28, 1999 – present Fox[am] The Curiosity Company TV-14[an] Traditional [37]
Sitcom Comedy Central[ao] 20th Television[ap] TV-PG[aq]
Hulu[ar] 20th Television Animation[as] TV-14[at]
Downtown Comedy 1 season, 13 episodes Chris Prynoski August 3, 1999 – November 8, 1999 MTV MTV Animation TV-14 Traditional [38]
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

United Kingdom

[edit]
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[au]
BBC Three[av]

Canada

[edit]
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

Latin America and Brazil

[edit]
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[aw] Gaira [46]
Satire Martín de Francisco November 14, 2019 Conexión Creativa
Canal 1[ax] Cenpro Televisión

Co-productions

[edit]
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

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Episodes 1-7)
  2. ^ Episodes 8-13
  3. ^ Season 1
  4. ^ some episodes
  5. ^ Season 8
  6. ^ Release Date TBA
  7. ^ Season 1
  8. ^ Season 2
  9. ^ some episodes
  10. ^ Seasons 1-6
  11. ^ 1994–98
  12. ^ 1994-1996
  13. ^ Seasons 7-9
  14. ^ 1999–2008
  15. ^ some episodes
  16. ^ 1997-2008
  17. ^ Seasons 10-11
  18. ^ 1994–2001
  19. ^ some episodes
  20. ^ one episode
  21. ^ season 1
  22. ^ seasons 2-5
  23. ^ 1997
  24. ^ Pilot only
  25. ^ 1997–2009
  26. ^ 2009–present
  27. ^ Original series
  28. ^ Revival series
  29. ^ 2006–07
  30. ^ 2006–07
  31. ^ Seasons 1-2
  32. ^ Season 3
  33. ^ 2000–01
  34. ^ Seasons 1-2
  35. ^ Season 3
  36. ^ seasons 1-7
  37. ^ (a few episodes
  38. ^ season 8-present
  39. ^ Seasons 1-4
  40. ^ all Comedy Central episodes, a few Fox episodes
  41. ^ Seasons 5-7
  42. ^ credited as 30th Century Fox Television
  43. ^ most Fox episodes
  44. ^ Season 8
  45. ^ credited as 30th Television Animation
  46. ^ two episodes
  47. ^ Series 1-2
  48. ^ Special
  49. ^ Season 1
  50. ^ Seasons 2-4

References

[edit]

Citations

[edit]
  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.
  16. ^ Satenstein, Liana (November 6, 2020). "Revisiting the Dystopian Beauty of the '90s Animated Show Aeon Flux". Vogue. Archived from the original on November 6, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  17. ^ Svetkey, Benjamin (June 14, 1991). "What is Liquid Television". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on July 7, 2018. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  18. ^ a b c Cerone, Daniel (February 28, 1992). "'Fish Police' on Endangered Species List : Animation: Prime-time cartoons are an expensive, time-consuming venture. Networks are wary after troubles encountered by post-'Simpsons' projects". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 7, 2019. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  19. ^ Cohen, Karl F (1997). "Beavis & Butt-head and the S&P Rules". Forbidden Animation: Censored Cartoons and Blacklisted Animators in America. North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc. pp. 146–148. ISBN 0-7864-0395-0.
  20. ^ Cudmore, Libby (January 22, 2019). "It Didn't Stink, So Why Did The Critic Fail to Become a Hit Show?". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on June 10, 2020. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  21. ^ Kendall, G. (December 15, 2020). "Duckman: How One of the '90s Edgiest Cartoons Was Forgotten". CBR. Archived from the original on December 15, 2020. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  22. ^ "'Space Ghost Coast to Coast' Is Still Influential and Funny, 25 Years Later". Geek.com. April 12, 2019. Archived from the original on April 16, 2019. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  23. ^ Mendoza, N.R. (October 30, 1994). "Nickelodeon offers monsters in training". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved August 24, 2011.
  24. ^ a b Erickson 2005, p. 568.
  25. ^ Perlmutter 2018, p. 167.
  26. ^ Perlmutter 2018, p. 114.
  27. ^ Cubillas, Sean (November 26, 2020). "King Of The Hill: 10 Ways The Series Changed Since Season One". CBR. Archived from the original on November 27, 2020. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  28. ^ Cabilas, Sean (February 11, 2020). "10 Best Romances In Adult Animation". CBR. Archived from the original on June 29, 2020. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  29. ^ Pursell, Chris (March 23, 1997). "Spicy toons spawn life on HBO". Variety. Archived from the original on February 18, 2018. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
  30. ^ Solomon, Charles (11 July 1997). "'Spicy City': Adolescent Humor for Adults". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  31. ^ a b Bruncati, Danielle (November 18, 2020). "10 Longest Running Animated TV Shows Of All Time, Ranked By Duration". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  32. ^ Pacheco, Dan (November 7, 1997). "Web-toons: Hot Flash?". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  33. ^ "Down for the Count: Who's Going to Take the Next Fall in MTV's 'Celebrity Deathmatch'?". Hartford Courant. April 25, 1999. Archived from the original on June 22, 2018. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  34. ^ AWN Staff Editors (January 13, 1999). "P.J.s arrive on Fox". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on October 27, 2019. Retrieved January 6, 2021. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  35. ^ Cubillas, Sean (November 12, 2019). "10 Adult Animated Series That Need a Revival". CBR. Archived from the original on November 13, 2019. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  36. ^ "We Watch Station Zero". Vibe. April 1999. p. 168. Retrieved January 6, 2021. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  37. ^ Cabilas, Sean (September 30, 2019). "Top 10 Adult Animated Series (According to IMDb)". CBR. Archived from the original on October 4, 2019. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  38. ^ Erickson 2005, p. 567-568.
  39. ^ Perlmutter 2018, p. 399-400.
  40. ^ Rees, Jasper (October 28, 1995). "TELEVISION Crapston Villas (Channel 4)". The Independent. Archived from the original on February 5, 2018. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  41. ^ Crump 2019, p. 244.
  42. ^ Perlmutter 2018, p. 602.
  43. ^ "Animation archive up in smoke". BBC News. October 10, 2005. Archived from the original on April 19, 2013. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  44. ^ "Angry Kid". Aardman. Archived from the original on September 16, 2014. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  45. ^ Canadian Broadcast Standards Council, Prairie Regional Council, CBSC Decision 98/99-1173, 1 (Canadian Broadcast Standards Council November 18, 1999) ("Kevin Spencer is an animated series about a young boy from a dysfunctional family, who, according to the title song, is a "chain-smoking, alcoholic sociopath." The program airs at midnight on CTV. It is rated "14+" and an on-screen icon appears to that effect at the beginning of the show.").
  46. ^ "Vuelve 'El siguiente programa'" ['The next program' is back]. Channel Thirteen (in Spanish). November 13, 2019. Archived from the original on October 22, 2020. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
  47. ^ Perlmutter 2018, p. 85-86.

Sources

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