23 Years Ago Today, This 10/10 Adult Swim Show Premiered (But Never Got the Final Season It Deserved)

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Today marks the 23rd anniversary of the first episode of a truly unique and beloved Adult Swim show, a series that unfortunately never got the chance to finish its story as intended. For almost three decades, Adult Swim has been known for creating original programming, and fans have enjoyed countless one-of-a-kind shows. However, one particularly promising series didn’t get the conclusion it deserved.

I remember when The Venture Bros. first appeared on Adult Swim 23 years ago today, February 16th, 2003. It was a really interesting take on the classic adventure hero, like a grown-up version of Johnny Quest, and it quickly became clear the show had a much larger story to tell. Over seven seasons, it built something special, but sadly, it was cancelled before it could finish that story. A lot of fans, myself included, are still hoping for a proper ending someday.

The Venture Bros. Premiered on Adult Swim 23 Years Ago Today

I remember when The Venture Bros. first came on Adult Swim – it really stood out. The show was built on those old adventure serials like Johnny Quest, but with a clever spin. It imagined what would happen if Dr. Venture, the brilliant hero from those stories, had a son who grew up to be a bit disillusioned. Now, years later, he’s taking his sons, Hank and Dean, along with their incredibly capable bodyguard, Brock Samson, on adventures of their own. It took everything we loved about those classic shows and just dialed it up to eleven – it was a really fun take on the genre.

Fans were immediately surprised by the show’s clever subversion of classic tropes, and it quickly grew from there. The Venture Bros. began as a quirky, self-contained story, but later seasons became increasingly complex. The narrative expanded with a growing cast of characters, particularly delving into the mysterious organization of villains previously hinted at, and the overall story became much more ambitious. It became clear that creators Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer were building towards a grand finale.

The biggest problem with The Venture Bros. was how long it took to produce new seasons. There were significant delays between each season, and fans had already been waiting a long time after Season 7 finished. Just as Season 8 was anticipated, Adult Swim unexpectedly announced the show’s cancellation. Instead of a final season, the series concluded with a special movie event, but many fans felt it wasn’t enough to properly wrap things up.

What Happened to The Venture Bros?

After The Venture Bros. was cancelled, the creators had to abandon their ideas for a possible eighth season. Season 7 left many storylines open, but only a small part of what they had planned made it into the movie, The Venture Bros.: Radiant Is the Blood of the Baboon Heart. While the film served as a conclusion to the series for Adult Swim, it wasn’t the ending fans were expecting.

As a huge fan, I was so glad The Venture Bros. at least got to tell us how things ended with the movie! But honestly, it felt really rushed. So much of the show was built on these incredible, long-term storylines and character arcs, and seeing them all wrapped up in one big, explosive adventure just didn’t quite feel satisfying. It deserved a proper, extended finale, not a condensed burst. It was great to see some closure, but it wasn’t the ending this show truly deserved.

The ending felt like a quick fix to comfort fans after the show’s cancellation, rather than a natural conclusion to The Venture Bros. While it was good to get some closure, it’s sad knowing this shortened finale wasn’t the full story the show deserved. It simply wasn’t enough, and likely never will be unless the show returns in the future.

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2026-02-17 01:10