For me it’s Home Movies
black dynamite ?
Wonder Showzen
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.
I’ve caught myself watching some of these episodes in the past. Almost forgot about this show
Sealab 2021
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.
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
Definitely Xavier: Renegade Angel. Everyone I’ve tried to show it to irl thinks it’s the dumbest fucking show lol
Do you know the way to the lake?
the lake
the lake
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.
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.
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.
No Ugly Americans??? WTF people that shit was cancelled way to soon and it was hilarious.
Also Mike Tyson Mysteries was amazing! RIP Norm.
Well for one Ugly Americans was never on Adult Swim. It was a Comedy Central show.
Mike Tyson Mysteries is definitely a forgotten gem though.
O shit you’re right, it’s been so long since it went off the air. My brain remembered it as adult swim.
Tragic that it never got a full season. One of the best.
I’ll loan you five of my strongest men. Plus two or three of the weakest ones can come along, just for fun.
Frisky Dingo
If you like it, you’ll like Archer and Sealab 2021 too.
I have FD on DVD, bought it new when the show was still on. Love it.
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.
Psicops
It’s a fast paced blend of adhd, stupid and very funny, and was sold to the network as X-files but with morons.
China, IL is one of my all time favorites
Don’t forget the ancient skits up on Brad Neely’s youtube that were the precursor for it.
When I was in University, Adult Swim brought one of their “traveling carnival” things through. I know I got rid of my Venture Bros SPHINX! shirt from it, but I’ve got a China, IL pennant flag stashed away somewhere. Hadn’t even watched it at the time, binged it probably half a decade later. Didn’t mean to, but I couldn’t turn it off. Hilarious shit.
We’re all still waiting on Queeblo 002 twelve years later. Queeblo would be so disappointed in how much a Whopper costs now.
Queeblo 001 - Whopper and a Forty
Also, Neely’s Magnum Opus will always be Wizard People, Dear Reader.
TBH Brad Neely’s Hawg Nowlin Sclopio Peepio (I think i spelled that close to right) is really fucking weird and cool too
Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell
Especially if you’re into anything Aqua Teen Hunger Force related, the whole series has the same vibe with Dave Willis / Dana Snyder being involved. And Dana Snyder gets some on screen time in this one, it’s great!
Yes! I had somehow missed it until earlier this year, and now I’ve watched the whole thing 3 or 4 times.
Between this, Too Many Cooks, and the Yule Logs (among others), Casper Kelly has become one of my favorite writer/directors.
12oz mouse
“I always wanted to play in a band”
“Oh yeah? What do you play?”
“I play, uh… with minds. Now go home. But don’t look under your bed”
the sound of sandpaper slowly scratching a desk as a clock ticks in reverse
I can name you many. Superjail, Squidbillies, Harvey Birdman Attorney at Law, robot chicken, aqua team hunger force, home movies, moral orel, the ooblongs, the boondocks, space ghost coast to coast. Thats not mentioning all the fox stuff like american dad or the anime toonami stuff like inuyasha
Well underrated is what I was looking for. Robot chicken and boondocks are extremely well known, same for American Dad and Aqua team
