The 30 best cartoons even adults can enjoy

24. Space Ghost Coast to Coast

Already mentioned in the countdown was Harvey Birdman, Attorney At Law, a show based on a classic Hanna-Barbara cartoon superhero reimagined as a criminal defense attorney. That adult cartoon was itself not only a reimagining of a classic character but a spin-off of Space Ghost Coast to Coast, which was also a reimagining of an old cartoon superhero. The superhero Space Ghost turned into a talk-show host with his former enemy, the alien mantis Zorak, as his bandleader.

This was the show that Cartoon Network gambled their plans on to produce adult cartoons aimed squarely at grown-ups. After debuting in 1994, the show ended up as a monster success, lasting ten years and even spawning specials along the way. Overall, there were 110 episodes and five specials that aired on TBS, TNT, Cartoon Network, and Adult Swim.

The show was bizarre, with Space Ghost serving as a talk-show host, similar to a Conan O’Brien, interviewing real-life guests through a monitor. The interviews varied between fun and entertaining and very confusing, as sometimes the celebrities questioned acted like they had no idea what they were being asked and seemed exasperated at times. Both Zorak and producer Moltar were former enemies of Space Ghost and didn’t hide the fact that they hated him, forced into their jobs as punishment for their crimes.

The talk show aesthetic was just part of the show, as there were also tangents where things just went off the rails as well as animated shorts that interrupted the talk show that bordered on surreal. If it wasn’t for Space Ghost Coast to Coast, other adult cartoons like Harvey Birdman and Sealab 2021 might never have seen the light of day.