Why Animated Series Deserve Serious Attention
Animated TV series have always been more than Saturday morning background noise. At their best, they build rich worlds, complex characters, and emotionally resonant stories across dozens of episodes. Whether you're 6 or 60, there's an animated series out there designed to speak to you. This guide organizes the best by era and audience.
Classic Saturday Morning Cartoons (1960s–1980s)
These are the foundational series that shaped how millions of people think about cartoons:
- Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! (1969) — Mystery-solving teens and a lovable Great Dane. Simple, endlessly rewatchable formula.
- The Flintstones (1960) — The original prime-time animated sitcom. Stone Age humor with surprisingly sharp family comedy.
- Looney Tunes (shorts, compiled throughout this era) — Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Elmer Fudd remain unsurpassed in comedic timing.
- He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983) — Part toy commercial, part surprisingly earnest adventure story.
The 90s Boom: Animation Gets Ambitious
The 1990s produced an extraordinary wave of animated series that mixed humor with genuine storytelling complexity:
- Batman: The Animated Series (1992) — Dark, cinematic, and influential beyond measure. Introduced many fans to serious animated drama.
- Animaniacs (1993) — Irreverent, witty, and packed with jokes aimed directly at adults hiding in plain sight.
- Rugrats (1991) — Imagined the world through toddlers' eyes with surprising emotional intelligence.
- Gargoyles (1994) — Shakespearean themes in a stunning animated package. Criminally underrated.
Modern Masterworks (2000s–Present)
Contemporary animated series have raised the bar for what the medium can achieve:
- Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005–2008) — Widely regarded as one of the greatest TV series ever made, animated or otherwise.
- Gravity Falls (2012–2016) — A dense mystery-comedy with exceptional character development and a genuinely satisfying conclusion.
- Steven Universe (2013–2019) — Broke new ground in representation and emotional storytelling for young audiences.
- Bluey (2018–present) — Deceptively simple premise (Australian dog family), extraordinarily rich emotional content for all ages.
- Arcane (2021) — A League of Legends prequel that became one of the most acclaimed animated series ever made.
How to Pick What to Watch Next
- For families with young kids: Start with Bluey or Rugrats.
- For tweens and teens: Avatar: The Last Airbender and Gravity Falls are essential viewing.
- For adults who love drama: Batman: TAS and Arcane reward serious attention.
- For pure comedy: Animaniacs and Looney Tunes are timeless.
The golden age of animated series is arguably right now. The breadth of quality available across streaming platforms means there has never been a better time to explore the medium seriously.