Some people say “I don’t watch cartoons or anything animated. I’m an adult”. However, just because a show is animated, doesn’t mean it’s made for children.
Netflix has a variety of animated shows for kids, but here are a few adult animated shows that you can enjoy:
Paradise PD (created by Roger Black and Waco O’Guin)
Watch the worst Police Department attempt to keep the small town of Paradise safe. The Police Chief is not only loud-mouthed, but foul-mouthed! His wife, The Mayor, convinces him to hire their son Kevin as part of the force. Kevin is the soft, dim-witted well-intentioned cop who wants to make his father proud; especially following an incident that happened when he was a child. Follow Paradise’s finest; a dog with drinking and drug addiction issues, a geriatric sex manic, a lady with a “fat-guy fetish” and anger issues, the only cop who uses a piccolo and not a gun because of PTSD and the cat-loving forever eating kind and loveable fat guy.
Big Mouth ( created by Andrew Goldberg, Nick Kroll, Mark Levin, and Jennifer Flackett)
While the cast of characters are in middle school, this is NOT a show for middle-schoolers! Get ready to re-live the awkward horrors and wonderful joys of puberty. At that age it’s like everything is more intense, thanks to our hormones, and the show goes ahead to animate our hormones as “Hormone Monsters”. They show up at the worst times, confuse us into making decisions we didn’t fully think through and worst of all, make our bodies change! Watch the teenagers go experience, learn and grow throughout the seasons, and if you’ve already watched Big Mouth, you’ll be glad to know there’s a spinoff that takes place in the supernatural home world of The Hormone Monsters called “Human Resources”.
F is For Family (created by Bill Burr and Michael Price)
A comedy about family that isn’t for the family. The show is about the Murphy’s living in the 1970s and is based on Bill Burr’s stand-up. Most shows celebrate 90s nostalgia whether it’s reboots, reunions or remakes, but this show highlights 70s; music, clothing, and lifestyle. Watch with caution…remember, it was the 70s…
Close Enough (created by J. G. Quintel)
A comedic and surreal look into the lives of a married couple in their early thirties trying to raise a five-year old daughter while living with their two divorced bestfriends / roommates. The show consists of random thematic episodes that are relatable and have a science fiction element. Take a look at the hilarious ways adults transition from their early 20s, to marriage (or divorce), to being a parent in your early thirties.
The Midnight Gospel (created by Duncan Trussell)
Tried getting into podcasts but always subscribing and never following through with the actual listening? Gone as far as bookmarking some you would definitely like, and listened to some just because there was video to back it up like a live recording or clip. This show was made for people like you; it’s a podcast accompanied by vibrant colors and patterns and a visual narrative you can follow. It’s based on actual interviews with real audio from The Duncan Trussell Family Hour podcast. Clancy travels through the universe with a malfunctioning multiverse simulator and interviews beings in different worlds; lessons on civilization, love, peace, death and war are explored.
Bojack Horseman (created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg)
Follow a washed-up former star of an 80s to 90s television show called Horsin’ Around. Over a decade after the shows cancellation, Bojack decides to make a comeback to Hollywood, later known as Hollywoo due to the shows satirical nature. The alcoholic self-loathing horse enlists the aid of his agent who also happens to be his ex-girlfriend, Princess Caroline, who tries to make it happen. This tragicomedy is hilarious, heart-warming, awkward, cringey and dark. It doesn’t shy away from references to sex, drugs and alcohol and as the seasons go by a lot of other topics are explored; addiction, depression, anxiety, loss, sexuality, trauma and loneliness.
Rick and Morty (created by Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland)
Even if you haven’t watched this show, you’ve probably heard about it. Be it the fandom, the references about pickles or Szechuan sauce, or your friends constantly recommending it. Sociopath and super genius scientist Rick Sanchez and his not-so-smart grandson Morty Smith, travel the universe in a spaceship made from trash and have adventures; some are silly and wacky, while others lead to having to move from their Earth to an Earth in another dimension. Most often described as a “smart show for smart people” Rick and Morty is witty, hilarious, adventurous and dark. It takes more than one viewing of an episode to fully appreciate the satire and genius of the topics like the multiverse theory, battling toxic behaviour, and the purpose of existence. In a Reddit AMA session in 2013, Roiland said he would love to make a feature-length film of the show, but until that airs, the fifth season of R&M is scheduled to premiere on Sunday 20th June 2021.
Which of these animated adult shows are you binge-watching this weekend?
