Top 10 Worst Cartoon Shows Ever
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Worst Cartoons Ever. For this list, we’ll be looking at some of the most annoying, offensive, and downright unwatchable animated series ever made. What is the worst cartoon you’ve ever seen? Let us know in the comments!
#10: “The Nutshack” (2007-11)
“The Nutshack’s” theme song was so ridiculously repetitive that it became a meme to insert it into other shows, movies, and songs. If you saw the trend and ever wondered whether or not the show was better than its annoying theme song, we’re here to tell you: it wasn’t. Critics took issue with the show’s second-rate animation style and offensive humor. Although “The Nutshack” attempted to throw out edgy jokes at a mile a minute, most of them didn’t land. The show could’ve been a great opportunity to feature Filipino-American protagonists written by Filipino-American creators. But its clunky writing and lazy stereotypes prevented audiences from wanting to see any of it.
#9: “Father of the Pride” (2004-05)
Jeffrey Katzenberg’s well-known for helping classic films like “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Prince of Egypt” get to audiences. But his animated sitcom “Father of the Pride” had no chance of being as successful as those films. The series follows a pack of lions who work for Siegfried and Roy while making lame jokes. While the animation style made the show look like a kids film, the content was firmly for adults. If you could somehow get past that bizarre combination, the low stakes and unfunny gags would make you want to click away. Despite its issues, NBC gave it a primetime air date and heavily promoted it. But poor reception led to it being swiftly canceled in the middle of its first season.
#8: “PopeTown” (2005)
Some shows have a few controversial episodes. But “Popetown’s” entire concept was offensive. During the series, we follow a priest who is responsible for taking care of a childish pope. Outside of its controversial portrayal of a real figure, the series was full of annoyingly selfish and dimwitted characters. The show’s tendency to make light of real life issues with pitch black humor didn’t help either. Before it premiered, people protested “PopeTown” so much that it was actually abandoned by its network before its premiere. Although the series eventually aired, it was banned in several areas. One network even had to pay a fine for showing it! Ultimately, “PopeTown” didn’t have enough redeeming qualities to keep its edgy content going past its controversial first season.
#7: “Darkstalkers” (1995)
There are plenty of bad adaptations of video games out there. But this series may be the worst animated example of the trend to date. Inspired by “Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors,” the series made its first major misstep when it made a game geared for adults into a kids series. Its thirteen episode run offered few redeeming qualities. Not only was the animation stiff and ugly, but the terrible dialogue made it hard to sit through. And fans were also forced to follow a one-dimensional character created just for the show instead of one of their favorite fighters. It’s a shame that the colorful “Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors” game got such a bland and lifeless adaptation.
#6: “The Chop Socky Chooks” (2008)
One look at “The Chop Socky Chooks” should give you a pretty good idea of why it’s one of the worst cartoons ever. The Cartoon Network series is about a trio of chickens who regularly use their kung-fu fighting skills to defeat their arch-nemesis, Dr. Wasabi. If you didn’t immediately realize these characters were chickens, you’re not alone! They look like weird blobby aliens at best. Their distinguishing characteristics and voices also lean heavily on cheap stereotypes. Outside of the show’s bad writing, parents complained about its nonstop depictions of violence. The chicken show was constantly roasted by everyone for a season before it finally faded into obscurity.
#5: “The PowerPuff Girls” (2016-23)
Making a reboot of a beloved cartoon series already comes with its challenges. But few revivals angered fans like this show did. Although the original voice cast for the main trio could’ve been looped into the new “PowerPuff Girls” show, the production team didn’t bring any of them aboard. The show might’ve escaped the backlash from this controversy if it had managed to be a fresh take on the original. But it was markedly worse than its predecessor at every turn. Its cheap-looking animation, poor writing and forced pop culture references all made fans hate it more. We’re definitely glad that the next PowerPuff reboot will have creator Craig McCracken back at the helm. The 2016 reboot just lacked sugar, spice or anything nice.
#4: “The High Fructose Adventures of The Annoying Orange” (2012-14)
After the Annoying Orange spent years tormenting fruits, vegetables and YouTube viewers with his bad puns and crass sense of humor, Cartoon Network decided to bring him to their network. The series featured a surprising number of celebrity guest stars including Matt Bomer, Mark Hamill, and Weird Al. But even star power couldn’t save this doomed concept from itself. The main character’s voice and personality are just as annoying on tv as they were in his viral videos. Unfortunately, for parents forced to watch along, the other characters were sour and awful too. And the plots weren’t complex enough to make good brain food. While annoying orange might’ve been a hot viral sensation, he was past his expiration date when he reached tv.
#3: “Allen Gregory” (2011)
While some unlikable characters can be fun to watch, others can just be unbearable. Allen Gregory definitely falls in the latter category. The series begins when the intelligent and mean title character is suddenly forced to attend a public elementary school. Allen immediately talks down to every teacher and all of his peers when he arrives. And to make matters more uncomfortable, he develops a huge and very inappropriate crush on his principal. Unfortunately, there’s barely anyone else in this series left to root for. The comedy is also either too cringeworthy or mean-spirited to work from moment to moment. Mercifully, Allen Gregory had a very short run of only seven episodes before being canceled by Fox.
#2: “Ren & Stimpy’s Adult Party Cartoon” (2003)
“The Ren & Stimpy Show’s” edgy humor and unique art style appealed to adults and children alike during its original run. However, its revival on Spike ended up alienating everyone. “Ren & Stimpy’s Adult Party Cartoon” tried to be grosser and more mature than the original. Although it definitely succeeded, the new series lost all of the original’s charm. In every episode, viewers would be subjected to disgusting imagery and detestable characters. The in-your-face adult humor and extreme levels of violence present in each story appealed to no one. Even original Stimpy actor Billy West didn’t return for the series because it “didn’t sound funny”. Only three episodes aired before Spike finally pulled the plug on this troubled franchise.
#1: “The Problem Solverz” (2011-13)
There’s simply no cartoon that hates your eyes more than “The Problem Solverz.” The narrative takes place in a blindingly brightly colored world full of terribly drawn characters. Even if you look away, you’ll still hear a grotesque main cast full of grating vocal performances. They star in a show full of surreal plots and a unique and unfunny brand of anti-humor. It takes all the brainpower and willpower you have just to figure out what is going on in each episode. While Cartoon Network was supposed to air 26 episodes, it gave up after the 18th installment. Visually, emotionally and aesthetically unappealing, “The Problem Solverz” can only help encourage you to find something else to watch ASAP.