Last year, James Harrison, who was at the time playing for the New England Patriots, said he would spend his free time watching Cartoon Network, instead of the game between the Steelers and the Jaguars, two of the remaining favorites in the NFL Superbowl odds.
As much as this was a shot to his former employees – the Steelers – who ditched after 14 seasons, we understand why Harrison, now retired, would rather choose Cartoon Network than anything else.
Cartoon Network is one of the all-time best TV channels for cartoons that both kids and adults can enjoy. The best Cartoon Network TV programs of all time include the most viewed shows on Cartoon Network as well as our personal favorites 90’s childhood animations. You can also check the top 50s cartoons and 60s cartoons to find more cartoon shows that hit the world by storm in the past decades.
Adventure Time might top your list, following the epic adventures of Jake the Dog and Finn the Human throughout the Land of Ooo. However, we do believe other dogs can take the lead on this list.
1. Courage the Cowardly Dog
The American animated horror comedy television, created by John R. Dilworth for Cartoon Network, portraits the life of an anthropomorphic dog who lives with an elderly couple in the middle of Nowhere.
In each episode, the trio are thrown into bizarre and frequently disturbing misadventures, often involving the paranormal or supernatural. The series is known for its dark, surreal humor and atmosphere. First aired in 1996, Courage the Cowardly Dog was created as a seven-minute animated short, “The Chicken from Outer Space”. Beautifully crafted, one of a kind cartoons that incorporated deep evil characters leaving you in a delightful terror while you were young, like the fetus blob from Hell, Freaky Fred, the tree with a human face, the big fungal foot and many others.
2. Ed, Edd n Eddy
A Canadian American animated comedy television series created by Danny Antonucci for Cartoon Network, and the sixth of the network’s Cartoon Cartoons. The series revolves around three boys named Ed, Edd or “Double D” to avoid confusion with Ed, and Eddy, collectively known as “the Eds”, who live in the suburban town of Peach Creek.
Under the unofficial leadership of Eddy, the trio frequently invent schemes to make money from their peers to purchase their favorite candy: jawbreakers. Who doesn’t remember the all mighty jawbreaker? A shiny sphere of sugar, capable of breaking your jaw if you’re brave enough to try and eat it all at once. Their misadventures did come to an end with a final film called “Ed, Edd n Eddy’s Big Picture Show”.
3. Dexter’s Laboratory
Created by Genndy Tartakovsky, also known for Star Wars: Clone Wars, Dexter is a genius boy inventor with a hidden laboratory in his room. He is in a constant battle with his older sister Dee Dee, who always finds a way to get inside Dexter’s lab and inadvertently foil his experiments. Dexter also engages in a bitter rivalry with a fellow boy-genius named Mandark, who is Dexter’s neighbor and classmate.
With 4 seasons and 78 full episodes, the series won three Annie Awards, with nominations for four Primetime Emmy Awards, four Golden Reel Awards, and nine other Annie Awards. Interestingly enough, the show did have to remove some episodes: Silver Spooner was a spoof character of Silver Surfer, perceived to be a stereotype of gay men. Another episode did not air on live television as it did have rude censored language. The episode was later published on AdultSwim via Youtube on January 2013.
4. Adventure Time
The series follows the adventures of a boy named Finn and his best friend Jake, a dog with the magical power to change shape and size. The series drew inspiration from a variety of sources, including the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons and video games.
The show has received positive reviews from critics and won awards including: eight Primetime Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, three Annie Awards, and many more. It is known that Nickelodeon passed on the show twice, as it was “too weird” for children. Nine months is the average time it takes to create a single Adventure Time episode. Watch the work of art in less time right now, even on the Netflix platform.
5. Scooby-Doo
From 1969 to the early days, Scooby-Doo is a timeless masterpiece from writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears. Frank Sinatra’s “Strangers in the Night” inspired Scooby’s name and when aired, ABC production though Scrappy-Doo was a “bad role model” and a negative influence on kids.
It now holds the record for the most episodes of a cartoon comedy series, hitting in 2004 its 350th episode surpassing The Simpsons and Tom and Jerry.