"Honorable" Mentions
* Spoiler Alert: All entries in my Top 11 are animated. I've just found many live action shows to let me down after a while and be kind of a chore to revisit.
* One of my favorite genres used to be the Police Procedural. My favorite entries used to include Law & Order SVU, NCIS, Psych!, and the first few seasons of Grimm and Gotham before things went super crazy. However, my increased understanding of the systemic problems of law enforcement has made watching any of these once beloved shows a sour pill.
* If any live action shows would ever come close to the actual list, it would be Doctor Who and Star Trek: The Next Generation. Unfortunately, the availability of both shows for me took a massive hit during the period I was revisiting and reevaluating them.
* The first two seasons of The Ren & Stimpy Show are sublime and of particular influence and importance to me. But when the team tried to carry on without the creator, the show's quality took a sharp nosedive and missed the spark of mad genius the creator brought with it. Unfortunately the aforementioned creator happened to be John Kricfalusi who is just a garbage human being. Like, in the top teirs of absolute horrid garbage human beings, barely a step removed from the absolute worst refuse our species ever produced. So of course when he tried to revive R&S on his own with the Adult Party Cartoon it had elements of the spark but laid his garbageness full bare which made it in many ways even worse than the show without him. And that's all I have to say about that.
* The Simpsons, South Park, and Family Guy were all formative for me and all fell off.
Family Guy was first. Every time I see an episode from any era I am reminded instantly both why I fell in love with it and why I ultimately stopped watching. It has certsin sensibilities I love and respect and others I cannot and will not get on board with.
South Park actually survived on the Top 11 for some time - high up - until I saw how its certain hardcore centrist attitude kind of made a lot of things worse in a lot of ways. It still has some of the best satire on television, and I can even respect certain disagreements, but when it has bad takes it has BAD takes.
The Simpsons...well The Simpsons has a chance of actually climbing back up. I've been revisiting some of its golden era and a lot still holds up. Unfortunately, it was in 2000 that I was unable to keep watching the show, and I need to watch all 32 seasons in order for me to truly consider it.
Top 11 Favorite TV Shows of All Time
11. Invader ZIM
No, I have not yet been able to see Enter the Florpus, but otherwise this is a great distillation of Jhonen Vasquez' twisted humor.
Favorite Episode: Mysterious Mysteries of Strange Mystery
10. Rocko's Modern Life
I have seen Static Cling, however, and it shows just how well this concept ages. This show just gets more relatable the older I get.
Favorite Episode: Zanzibar
9. Steven Universe
This entered the list higher than this, and then a mostly satisfying but clearly rushed ending, an amazing epilogue film, and an epilogue miniseries that I stopped watching after a couple disappointing episodes made major fluctuations. But despite certain disagreements with certain retconned characterizations and bittersweet memories, it's still an amazing series I love.
Favorite Episode: Mr. Greg
8. The Critic
The only fully adult-targeted show on this list. Just consistently hilarious and Jon Lovitz is criminally underrated. Let's also pretend the godawful webseries never existed.
Favorite Episode: Sherman of Arabia
7. The Spectacular Spider-Man
This series was one stupidly-cancelled season away from being THE definitive Spider-Man adaptation in my eyes. As it is, it's still a remarkably close second to the Raimi Trilogy.
Favorite Episode: Catalysts
6. Gargoyles
I was so super-obsessed with the VHS of the 5-part pilot edited into a feature film as a child that I spent a better part of 4th grade literally identifting as a gargoyle, but I was clueless to the existance of the actual series until it was off the air and I was unable to see the two canon seasons until quarantine. Better late than never!
Favorite Episode: Awakening (Parts 1-5)
5. Ducktales 2017
The last few episodes feel insanely rushed as it was clear a 4th season was being set up before it was axed halfway into production on the 3rd, but otherwise this was a consistently solid series that far surpassed its predecessor.
Favorite Episode: The Duck Knight Returns
4. Freakazoid!
Underrated gem that definitely seemed more aimed at parents than the children in its Saturday Morning demographic, and it was the WB's stupid Big Kids Go First lineup putting the more adult-loved cartoons earlier in the morning when they would sleep in that killed it.
Favorite Episode: Candlejack
3. Gravity Falls
Many shows on this list have been masters of playing the long game with narrative and characterization, but this one is the undisputed master of masters. On top of being gut-bustingly hilarious when not just busting your gut by punching it.
Favorite Episode: Sock Opera
2. Animaniacs
I credit both my knowledge of popular culture and my understanding of humor to having my father sit with me and explain every single joke in Animaniacs. The reboot is...fine.
Favorite Episode: Hearts of Twilight
1. Batman: The Animated Series
THE definitive Batman adaptation. THE definitive version of these characters (I like Pfeiffer's Catwoman slightly more, but otherwise...). Great writing, great animation, great atmosphere. Perfect series.
Favorite Episode: Almost Got 'Im
See you next time!
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