Adult Swim is known for its surprisingly good shows that don’t always get the attention they deserve. It started in 2001 as a late-night programming block on Cartoon Network, offering animated series designed for adults. These cartoons were different from typical kids’ shows, often featuring violence, mature themes, and language that would go over the heads of younger viewers. Some of the network’s most successful shows include Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Seelab 2021, Robot Chicken, The Boondocks, and The Venture Bros.
Despite the popular shows, there are some fantastic, yet often overlooked, Adult Swim series that still deserve recognition for their high-quality animation.
5) Home Movies
Home Movies was among the first shows on Adult Swim, premiering on September 2, 2001, and running until April 4, 2004. The show centers around Brendon Small, an eight-year-old boy who loves making movies with his friends. Interestingly, the series was created by Brendon Small and Loren Bouchard, and developed by Tom Snyder, who also created Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist. It originally aired on UPN, but was canceled after just five episodes.
The show was picked up by Adult Swim and ran for four seasons, totaling 52 episodes. Though it’s not widely discussed today, it remains a beloved show for those who watched it originally. It’s also significant because it launched the careers of several creators: Loren Bouchard went on to create Bob’s Burgers, Brendon Small co-created the series Metalocalypse, and H. Jon Benjamin (known for Archer) provided the voice for Coach McGuirk.
4) The Brak Show
Most people probably know Space Ghost Coast to Coast, but The Brak Show is equally deserving of praise. It started as a spin-off of Space Ghost and premiered on Adult Swim alongside its parent show. Both programs originally aired on Comedy Central before moving to Adult Swim when the network created its late-night adult programming block.
The Brak Show tells the story of Brak, the villain from the original Space Ghost cartoon, but as a teenager. It’s a prequel to the classic series, showing Brak’s life with his unusual family: an alien mother and a very small Latino father. He’s joined by his sidekick, Zorak, a human-sized alien mantis. The show ran for three seasons with a total of 28 episodes, and it was known for being a humorous parody of typical sitcoms.
3) Tom Goes to the Mayor
Tom Goes to the Mayor was an Adult Swim show that wasn’t for everyone, but it offered sharp wit and humor, and many feel it’s underrated. Created by Tim & Eric, it first aired in 2004, before their more popular show, Tim and Eric Awesome Show, premiered three years later.
Tom Goes to the Mayor was a unique animated series. It used a simple animation style, combining photos of the actors’ faces with drawn backgrounds, and even included real-life video clips playing on TVs within the show. Adult Swim notes that the show was very divisive – people either loved it or hated it, with no middle ground. Interestingly, some of the characters later appeared on Tim and Eric Awesome Show.
2) Metalocalypse
If you’re a fan of rock or heavy metal, you’ll probably love Metalocalypse, but it’s surprisingly underrated. The show is a hilarious parody of the heavy metal world, centering on a death metal band that’s become unbelievably famous – think Beatles-level popularity. Because they’re so influential, they’re unexpectedly tasked with saving the world.
The animated series originally aired from 2006 to 2013, but only lasted four seasons before Adult Swim canceled it, leaving the story unfinished. Fortunately, the creators, Brenden Small and Tommy Blacha, managed to produce a standalone movie, Metalocalypse: Army of Doomstar, which reunited the original cast and featured several big-name guest stars to provide a proper conclusion. The show deserved a longer run, and it’s definitely worth revisiting for any fan of Adult Swim.
1) Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law
Among the first original shows on Adult Swim, Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law stands out as a particularly clever and underrated gem. Similar to how Space Ghost Coast to Coast reinvented a classic superhero as a talk show host, Harvey Birdman reimagined a Hanna-Barbera character as a lawyer. The show’s brilliance lay in its witty use of classic cartoon characters within the context of its courtroom scenarios.
Boo Boo Bear was arrested and dubbed the ‘Uni-Boo Boo Bomber.’ Shaggy and Scooby were caught with drugs inside the Mystery Machine. The show was a bizarre and often funny parody, making fun of classic cartoon characters, popular legal dramas, and even the show’s own star, Harvey Birdman, voiced perfectly by Gary Cole. With great voice acting from Stephen Colbert and Paget Brewster, this overlooked Adult Swim series has a lot going for it.
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2025-12-01 17:11