Our Best Cartoon Network TV Shows of all time looks at the first destination that anyone wishing to binge on anything to do with animation. The network is full of animation shows from different genres. Better still, some shows in the network have incorporated multiple genres, making them more engaging and entertaining. So, if you are in the mood for some comedy or action-packed shows but don’t know where to start, here is a list that will help you. There are many good Cartoon Network TV shows. But we have narrowed the list down to the ten best, from the most modern shows to the classics. So, keep reading.
# 10- ED, EDD N EDDY
Who would have guessed that the three preteen boys in the ‘Ed, Edd n Eddy’ Cartoon Network TV series would be that entertaining? Who would even think that the show would last for a whole decade with over 65 episodes, 130 segments, and six seasons? Well, apart from the three kids having wacky and wild misadventures in suburbia, the show also incorporates fairies, magic, and other fantastical elements. Anyone who has watched the entire show will tell you that it would never have lasted as long as it lasted if the creators did not deliver quality work each season. The three kids are brilliant. But as much as brilliant their plans are, they still failed miserably. The bottom line is that it made an excellent TV series.
In the debut season, the Eds end up tearing their bathing suits after showcasing their talents to their friends. The second season begins with Ed believing that he is under the surveillance of Santa Claus. So, he rejects anything to do with being naughty. The first episode of the third season features Edd refusing to join others in outdoor plays until he is done with his chores. The animated comedy TV series halts in the sixth season, with Double D feeling frightened of rejection at the school’s dance party.
# 9- CODENAME: KIDS NEXT DOOR
A decade after the last episode of this show aired, it is interesting these days to imagine what next-door kids might be up to. The show exhibits almost all elements of an ideal kid’s life, from secret hideouts, friends, codenames to treehouses. Since the show’s debut season in 2002, it has become one of the favorites for many kids and adults who followed it on Cartoon Network. Creator Mr. Warburton integrated action and adventure in a way that it was able to last for six years, until 2008 when the network aired its last season.
The first season features an invasion of the KND’s treehouse by a candy-robbing pirate’s crew. In season two, Numbuh Four accidentally destroys Numbuh three’s beloved toy. Then, Numbuh Four goes to an all-girls boarding school with a horrifying secret in the following season. Season four’s ‘Operation RABBIT’ highlights Nimbuh Five and Nimbuh Two venturing into the Jungle Gym to recover the misplaced bunny. The fifth season begins with Nimbuh one being suspicious that the Delightful Children might have fixed the essential fourth-grade elections. The series ends in season 6 with Senator Safety’s robots attempting to conquer the world.
#8- FOSTER’S HOME FOR IMAGINARY FRIENDS
Imagine living in a world where imaginary friends are real.That is the principle behind this successful Cartoon Network TV show that is the favorite for many. The creators’ innovativeness in creating such hilarious, catchy, and character-driven plots is definitely out of this world. In other words, we can say that the show’s humor is top-notch, from the characters to the storylines. The storyline revolves around Mac and his imaginary friend Bloo. This plot style allowed the inclusion of other multiple character designs in the TV series. Most cartoon fans love watching comedy, fantasy, and adventure, and this TV show is nothing less than a blend of that. For sure, this TV series deserves all the accolades the film industry can offer.
The first season is generally an introduction to Mac’s life, an eight-year-old kid, and his imaginary friend, Bloo. The two seem to get along quickly, but Mac’s mom does not buy her son’s idea. The second season begins with Mac attempting to interfere with Bloo’s private party. But Bloo is clever enough and tempts Mac with sugar, his primary weakness. The Cartoon Network series ends in season 6 that begins with Mac hiring Jackie Khones for investigations after discovering his name is on the library’s most wanted list.
#7- STEVEN UNIVERSE
Rebecca Sugar created ‘Steven Universe’ exclusively for Cartoon Network. It is an American animated TV series with a pretty darn good myth arc. It is one of the best Cartoon Network shows due to its lovable and memorable characters, incredible songs, and fantastic animation. It perfectly demonstrates how much you can do with eleven minutes in each episode. 2010’s cartoons became incredibly interesting and memorable, thanks to the ‘Steven Universe’ collection. The animation series incorporated not one, not two, but more than three genres that made it stand out from other animations. From science fantasy, action, coming of age to comedy-drama, nothing would stop it from receiving accolades from every corner.
This cartoon network animated series has five seasons with 160 episodes. Steven tries to tame a monster’s violent and wild instincts in the first season after accidentally releasing it from a gem bubble. The second season features the cool kids helping Steven recover his fun life. The following season focuses on Greg, Steven, and Pearl traveling to Empire City to live a fun life. The fourth season starts the Gems and Steven dealing with a monster problem. Steen agrees to host Aquamarine to save his friends and Earth in the fifth season.
#6- SPACE GHOST COAST TO COAST
If you didn’t know, ‘Space Ghost Coast to Coast’ is one of the shows that gave Cartoon Network a glimpse of how animation could transform the film industry. For many years, cartoon shows mainly targeted younger generation viewers. But this show became a perfect definition of an entertaining animation show for an adult audience. It is an American animated parody talk TV series from the fantastic creations of Mike Lazzo. A re-imagined version of Space Ghost hosts the show, one of the reasons why most people are falling in love with it every day. The network aired this show somewhere close to midnight, ideally past most kids’ bedtimes.
#5- COURAGE THE COWARDLY DOG
Here is another fantastic animated show that Cartoon Network has ever aired. ‘Courage, The Cowardly Dog’ is an American animated TV series that combines several genres, including black comedy, comedy horror, and supernatural. People have varying perceptions about the show, but many think it is funnier than spooky. The scary-themed series incorporates Courage as the show’s primary character. Courage was talented enough to carry the entire series independently. Perhaps its human-like appearance was the main reason behind its entertaining nature. Or, the fact that it was pink made it conspicuous and thus more fun to watch. Apart from that, the storyline is catchy, involving an elderly couple living with a dog and always finding themselves in weird situations relating to the paranormal.
From 1999 to 2002, the show ran for four complete seasons with 52 episodes. The debut season began with Courage, the farmer, and Muriel staying at a motel out of bounds to all canines. Courage attempts to safeguard Muriel’s magic wish tree from external threats in the second season. Season three features a thief masking herself to resemble Muriel and steal a precious gem. The last season ends with Courage going to a sinister doctor for depression treatment.
#4- DEXTER’S LABORATORY
‘Dexter’s Lab’ is an American animated TV series that comes fourth on our list today. This 1996 show features a genius tiny boy and his crazy inventions in the laboratory. It is one of those shows that, while watching, you found yourself laughing for no reason. The series highlights the relationship between Dexter and his sister Dee Dee. Dexter’s sister is always causing him troubles with his secret lab as he competes with fellow genius Mandark. How do people even come up with such crazy ideas? This series is one of the few Cartoon Network shows with unforgettable characters and fantastic and original plots. Dexter’s thick ascent and constant battles mainly contribute to the show’s hilariousness.
In the first season, Dexter is excited after creating a device that turns human beings into animals until his sister Dee Dee gets hold of it and starts causing trouble. Season two features Dexter donning a synthetic beard to mimic his hero Action Hank. Unfortunately, the police can’t distinguish between him and the TV star as they misidentify Dexter for Action Hank. In season three, the series gets better as Dexter gives his mother superhero powers after accidentally shooting her with a laser beam. In the fourth season, Dexter’s sister accidentally causes a shutdown in his brother’s secret lab, and so she must ensure Dexter doesn’t find out.
#3- ADVENTURE TIME
If there is a show that deserves all the acclaims and accolades in the history of the Cartoon Network is this show. ‘Adventure Time’ is an American animated TV series from the creations of Pendleton Ward for the Cartoon Network. If you are craving a real adventure in the most literary form of this world, this is the show to watch. Throughout the ten running seasons, this TV series features a captivating plot about the post-apocalyptic lives of Finn and Jake, his adoptive brother. Watching this show feels like playing a video game, thus adding more charm. Jake has this magical ability to transform into any shape whenever he wants, and most viewers cannot get enough of this character.
The show begins with a bang as Finn and his magical dog Jake embark on a series of missions. Jake and Finn must liberate another princess from the Ice King. In season three, the Huggaboopies and Cute King invade the treehouse leaving Jake and Fin with no clue of their next move. The show’s season four features events following Finn’s quest to prove that Flame Princess is not evil. The 10th season gets even more entertaining when a fierce creature terrorizes the Candy Kingdom.
#2- SAMURAI JACK
‘Samurai Jack’ didn’t just last for over 15 years. It also won eight Primetime Emmy Awards. That’s not all. The show and its crew also won the Annie Award, OIAF Award, and the Annecy Official Selection Award in 2002. It also received multiple awards and nominations throughout the five seasons. That is enough proof of how this Genndy Tartakovsky’s American animated TV series for Cartoon Network is entertaining to watch. The animation is a perfect combination of adventure, comedy, action, and science fantasy. Jack’s adventures are some of the best in the history of Cartoon Network. The TV series revolves around a catchy plot involving Jack going into a dystopian future in a war against Aku, a shape-shifting enemy.
The debut season featured Jack surviving a cave filled with challenges. Jack finds an ancient warrior who is looking forward to getting to Valhalla. In the second season, Scotsman needs Jack to help him save his wife from the castle of Boon after being kidnapped. Jack accidentally runs into a wizard who gets irritated and transforms him into a chicken in season three. After meeting him in season four, Jack teaches an irritating would-be samurai a lesson. In the fifth season, Jack is still fighting the Aku forces. Unfortunately, he loses his sword.
#1- TEEN TITANS
‘Teen Titans’ is an American animated superhero TV series that deserves to be number one due to its comedy-action-packed episodes. With this show, you can have an assurance of no shortage of laughs. Additionally, since its 2003 premiere season, this animated TV series has highlighted lots of character-driven stories. It ended up becoming the most-beloved series on Cartoon Network. Apart from featuring comedy and action, the show also uniquely handles character development and serious themes. Since the show’s reruns are still airing on the network, today’s younger generations are falling in love with it as the previous younger generation did more than 15 years ago.
The show’s debut season features vigilante Dick Grayson as he leaves Gotham city, heading to Detroit. He makes this move to distance himself from Bruce Wayne. In season two, the main focus is on Terra, a new character who has the superhero powers of moving the Earth. The third season features a conflict between Cyborg and the Teen Titans. The fourth season picks up from where the series left in the previous season. In the fifth season, Beast Boy deals with his past experiences with the Doom Patrol. He also assists the Titans in the war against the Brotherhood of Evil by uniting more heroes.
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Conclusion
Now, we hope you know what to watch from our ten cartoon favorites on Cartoon Network. The shows are in hundreds on the network. But according to our analysis, these are the most legendary and iconic shows that Cartoon Network has ever had.
