Welcome to Top10Archive!
If television has taught us anything, it’s that watching cartoons clear into adulthood
is perfectly normal…
Right?
Regardless, the turn of the millennium brought with it a series of unforgettable programs,
ranging between highly inappropriate and gut-wrenchingly adorable.
After a laborious and tedious process, we are paying tribute to the best of the 2000’s
with our picks for the Top 10 Cartoons of the era.
10.
Ed, Edd n Eddy (1999 - 2009) Canadian cartoonist, Danny Antonucci, created
the infamous "Ed boys", Ed, Edd, and Eddie, for Cartoon Networks Cartoon Cartoons, after
he was challenged to make a children's cartoon.
It closely follows the title characters, known to the other characters of the show as "the
Eds", and their adventures in a suburban cul-de-sac.
Often times it focused on their attempts to obtain the objects of their desire... jawbreakers.
The show was a fan favorite, and ran for 6 seasons, grabbing a Leo Award and several
nominations along the way.
9.
Invader Zim (2001 - 2006) The animated cult classic Invader Zim was
created in 2001 by Jhonen Vasquez.
The show centers on an alien invader, Zim, from his home planet Irk; his mission is to
conquer Earth... or so he thinks.
Really, the "tall ones", the leaders of planet Irk, were just sending him off to annoy someone
else.
Setting off to Earth with his malfunctioning robot servant, GIR, on a 6-month journey where
he would almost immediately encounter his main antagonist, "That big headed boy" Dib,
and his sister Gaz.
The show was pitched to Nickelodeon, who wished to cater to an older demographic.
In 2002 the show was canceled after its first season, before the 2nd season - which was
already finished - would ever get the chance to air.
Fans, however, would rally for its return, getting the 2nd season to launch 2006.
The show garnered critical acclaim, winning 1 primetime Emmy Award as well as a couple
Annie Awards.
8.
Kim Possible (2002 - 2007) "What's the sitch", the catch-phrase of Kim
Possible, the heroine of Bob Schooley's, and Mark McCorkle's animated series of the same
name.
Airing on Disney channel, the plot surrounds Kim as a teenage, crime-fighting, super spy
and her uncoordinated, and awkward, partner, Ron Stoppable... as well as Rufus the naked
mole-rat and the many adventures they have.
Kim Possible was well received from the get go, and was never canceled during its 4-season
span, growing to become Disney channels second longest running original series, having been
surpassed by Phineas & Ferb.
Kim Possible would go on to win a Primetime Emmy and a Daytime Emmy, as well as an assortment
of nominations. 7.
Powerpuff Girls (1998 - 2005) Sugar, spice, and everything nice, these were
the ingredients chosen to create the perfect little girls!
Created by Craig McCracken for Cartoon Network studios, the show follows the story of 3 super-powered
little girls by the names of Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup and their fight against evil
in Townsville, USA.
The series would run from 1998 to 2005 and a feature film was released in 2008.
It would go on to get praise from critics, getting 2 Primetime Emmy Awards along with
multiple nominations.
The Powerpuff Girls were so beloved and popular, that in 2014, Cartoon Network announced a
rebooted series, scheduled to release in 2016.
6.
King of the Hill (1997 - 2010) God dang it Bobby!
a phrase often yelled by propane and propane accessories salesman, Hank Hill, from the
American animated adult-sitcom, King of the Hill.
Co-created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, King of the Hill focuses on the life of Hank
Hill and those around him, in the fictional, small neighborhood of Arlen, Texas.
The show would get its debut on Fox network as a mid-season replacement; a show that premiered
during the second half of traditional television seasons.
The show would find much success over its 13-year run, winning multiple awards in the
process, including 2 Primetime Emmy Awards.
5.
Fairly Oddparents (2001 - Present) A show with wands and wings and floaty crowny
things, the Fairly Oddparents, created by Butch Hartman for Nickelodeon studios, centered
on the adventures of Timmy Turner, a boy whose life is so bad he was granted two fairy godparents.
Garnering huge success, 1 Primetime Emmy Awards, 15 additional awards and a plethora of nominations,
the Fairly Oddparents is still running and just as popular as we remember it.
4.
Pokemon: Various titles (1997 - Present) Pokemon, everyone knows what it is, it just
celebrated its 20th anniversary and has spawned massively successful video games, card games,
cartoons and movies.
Created by Satoshi Tajiri - first as a game - it would be adapted into the cartoon franchise
across the world just one short year later.
Pokemon has had 2 writers throughout its run - which is still going by the way - Takeshi
Shudo, who wrote the first 157 episodes and Atsuhiro Tomioka, who has written the rest.
Unlike the other shows on our list, Pokemon has only been nominated, and has yet to win
an award.
3.
SpongeBob Squarepants (1999 - Present) SpongeBob SquarePants, the American cartoon
created by actual marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon studios.
The show was originally supposed to be an educational show of sorts; with many of the
educational ideas from the show being transcribed to an unpublished comic book by the name "The
Intertidal Zone".
The cartoon, however, follows our absorbent and yellow friend during his life in Bikini
Bottom, along with his friends and other residents; mostly marine life, except Sandy Squirrel...
but we're not gonna get into that right now..
The show picked up, ran, and hasn't looked back since; gaining 41 awards so far to date,
with a vast amount of other nominations. 2.
Family Guy (1999 - Present) Luckily, there's a Family Guy!
Luckily, there's a man who, positively can do...
all the things that make us, laugh and cry... and he goes by the name Seth MacFarlane.
The show centers on Peter Griffin, his wife, Lois, and 3 children Meg, Chris, and Stewie...
along with their sentient dog, Brian.
The show was originally broadcast on Fox, but in their infinite wisdom and obvious good
choices in television series...
they canceled it, just 1 episode shy of finishing their original series run.
Favorable DVD sales of the show would force Cartoon Network to offer MacFarlane a renewal
of the show, and the rest is history.
Family Guy has won 5 Primetime Emmy Awards, 19 additional awards and received roughly
70 additional nominations, and it's still running strong, leaving plenty of opportunities
for more to come.
1.
Futurama (1999 - 2013) When Matt Groening was approached by Fox to
develop another series, he began the process of creating Futurama, eventually recruiting
Simpsons writer and producer, David Cohen.
The series tells the tale of a 20th-century pizza delivery boy, Philip J. Fry, and his
many adventures in the 30th century that he thawed out into.
The show garnered lots of attention for its deep character development, rich storyline,
and.. just the way many of the episodes hit you right in the feels!
Though never officially canceled, Fox executives were never supportive of the show according
to Groening, even going as far as to stop buying episodes to force it into going out
of production.
Comedy Central would go on to pick it back up - which we thank ye for - and the show
would go on to win an astounding 6 Primetime Emmy Awards and an assortment of 20 other
additional awards, with close to 100 total nominations before the curtains closed.