For me it’s Home Movies
The Midnight Gospel, I really wish they made more than one season
Joe Pera Talks with You. Its so funny. Why is it so soothing? Why can’t I stop crying?
I really appreciate Three Busy Debras. Might just be that it matches my humor style perfectly but my gosh does it make me laugh.
Mission hill
Yeah never heard of this one. I’ll check it out
I don’t know if it’s underrated, I don’t actually know anything about Adult Swim, but Childrens Hospital was hilarious
Wondershowzen
Truly cruel that we didn’t get a full series of this!!!
Ergo Proxy
black dynamite ?
Oh yeaaaah 😹😹
Not sure it’s underrated so much as not well known, because I’m not sure I’ve heard of anyone who knows it but doesn’t like it: Venture Bros
It’s kind of hard to describe. It starts with a simple goofy premise: What if a boy adventurer like Johnny Quest grew up and was stuck living in his dead father’s shadow for the rest of his life? He’s a failure, a single father coasting on dad’s legacy, his two sons are so dumb they buy the whole “cartoon boy adventurer” schtick 100%, and his bodyguard is a frustrated black ops guy just itching for any excuse to spill blood.
Just… anything I say couldn’t do it justice. Here’s some choice scenes that stand pretty well on their own.
The dreaded candiru! This one really covers a lot of the tone of the series in about two minutes.
Why there’s a system - covers some world building and some of the legacy of the main character’s dad.
Getting the gang back together. Covers some more of THE MIGHTY MONARCH and two of his henchmen. 21 (Gary) has a character arc throughout the show like you wouldn’t believe.
And it dives in further than the core concept: What kind of PTSD would growing up like that leave? How would the world’s idea of his dad differ from reality? What kind of father could put his son through that sort of shit? What would a world with ridiculously campy superscience be like with real people in it?
That makes it sound more serious than it is. It’s irreverant, ridiculous, nonsensical, referential to some real deep cuts pop culture wise, campy as all hell… and also heartwarming, touching, and messily human. So, so fucking much of the plot is shaped by the trauma and lingering aftereffects of the MC’s dad.
So many things that would be a throwaway gag on another show are followed up on, and build up episode to episode, season to season. That’s not super rare now, but when they started the show in 2003 it was. It also deconstructs a lot of comic book and TV tropes, which was also far more novel at the time.
And it’s earnest. So many characters that would be just the butt of a joke are treated like actual fucking people instead of only just their stereotype. They’re totally that fucking stereotype, 100%, but they’re also people and have more too them than only that.
It’s very much an auteur work, and it often went multiple fucking years between seasons as the two show runners figured out what they wanted to do, but the result is probably one of the best shows I’ve ever seen.
I have to give some strong, strong warnings though. The show started in 2003 and holy shit does it show. Stereotypically flamboyant gay men, incredibly insensitive word choices and portrayals, weird side plot about a special forces general getting mtf top surgery to escape the military but its actually a deep cover op but maybe they’re actually trans but maybe not… and in the later seasons they try distressingly hard to make a (not offending, medicated) pedophile into a likeable character. They… kinda do in the end too?
All I can say is stick with it, it’s worth the burning sensation and the doctor can totally get you something to clear that right up. I think.
And watch the movie, Crimson is the Blood of the Baboon Heart, at the end. The show was cancelled suddenly, and the creators regretted ending what became the final season the way they did. Baboon Heart isn’t amazing, it doesn’t wrap up every plot point, but it hits the big ones and is a good send off.
The nozzle is calibrating.
I’ve caught myself watching some of these episodes in the past. Almost forgot about this show
Sealab 2021
Great reference, mailbox head!
I used to run a fansite about Sealab 2021, back on the Old Web.
It was a good time and I made some long-term friends through it. It was a great community.
I will never forget Martian Law and doppelgangers.
I bought a Cameo from Eric Estrada a while back for a buddy that I used to watch Sealab 2021 with. Estrada was shocked in his message that he had Sealab fans reaching out for his time, but he’s kind of a mailbox-head.
Definitely Xavier: Renegade Angel. Everyone I’ve tried to show it to irl thinks it’s the dumbest fucking show lol
Still quote “What doth life?” to this day.
Do you know the way to the lake?
the lake
the lake
You only have one penii?
May I see it
See with your eyes, not with your mouth.
They’re all wrong. Xavier is a masterpiece that will give you mind worms that never leave (in the best way possible)
Check out Wonder Showzen, it’s by the same dude. He also made The Shivering Truth and he’s the voice of Towelie on South Park.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernon_Chatman
spoiler
He’s part of an art collective called PFFR. Another member, Jon Glaser, has made some good shows too. I highly recommend watching Delocated.
You should be able to stream all of these shows here https://hydrahd.io/ If you have difficulty, try torrenting or using another site from the piracy community wiki.
Omg I love both of those shows! Didn’t realize Wonder Showzen was made by the same guy as Xavier.
Yes camehere to recommend this show
I’m surprised no one has mentioned The Brak Show! That was definitely one of my favourites back in the day.
Brak’s “The Brak Shiw”, starring Brak!
C. Martin Croker, voice of Zorak, died too young. Losing him was a big punch in the guy to early Adult Swim lovers of Space Ghost Coast to Coast and the Brak Show.
The other day one of my coworkers asked me if I knew who the professor brothers were and I could not have been happier. China IL is deeply missed by some
Frisky Dingo
If you like it, you’ll like Archer and Sealab 2021 too.
I feel like sealab is mostly forgotten but was one of the funniest. It was just overshadowed by aqua teen at the time
Hands down my favorite from that era.
It wasn’t helped by the voice of Captain Murphy dying so soon into it’s run. His son taking over just didn’t have the same chutzpah as the OG.
I have FD on DVD, bought it new when the show was still on. Love it.
