Top 20 90s Cartoons We're Ashamed To Love

“Family Dog” began as a well-received short from Brad Bird, who later directed animated classics like “The Iron Giant” and “The Incredibles,” n the anthology series “Amazing Stories.” The show itself came years later. And it was, well, a dog. It follows a suburban family and their titular canine, Jonah as they get into various shenanigans. But the family is deeply unlikable and needlessly cruel to each other and their dog, making for an animated sitcom that's more depressing than funny. CBS clearly didn’t have much faith in it, airing it during the typically dead summer months and cancelling it after only 10 episodes.

Did you ever wonder about what Yogi Bear would be like as a teenager and/or a crimefighter? No, you probably didn’t. But somehow that didn’t stop this ill-conceived update from getting the green light. This show depicts the famous ursine picnic basket thief as a young detective, alongside other famous faces from the world of Hanna-Barbera. From the theme song alone, the attempt to pander to youth culture is so blatant, it might as well be asking “How do you do, fellow kids?” Audiences said “no” to “Yo Yogi!” And really, can you blame them?

It’s one thing to have a protagonist on an animated sitcom have times of difficulty and overwhelm. But when that’s their default mode, it’s just not enjoyable. That’s the case of “Stressed Eric,” about a frazzled middle-class London father trying - and failing - to keep it together. Though the show does manage to convey how anxiety manifests, watching more than a few minutes can feel suffocating without any greater purpose. And the titular Eric isn't the kind of lovable loser that makes us want to root for him. It’s a feel-bad show that may appeal to very specific tastes but which just leaves us feeling empty.

“Super Mario Bros. 3” is considered to be one of the best videogames of all time. This TV adaptation, loosely inspired by the aforementioned game, isn’t considered to be one of the best anythings of all time. Its predecessor, "The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!" was no masterpiece, and this one is even worse. Though it takes cues from the game, such as power-ups, that’s not enough to make up for the shoddy animation, irritating characters, and overall lack of creative spark. Mostly, it feels like a reminder of all the better things you could be doing with your time, like for instance, just playing the actual game.

1999 saw the premiere of "Futurama," an animated sitcom about a delivery crew exploring strange planets that soon became a beloved cult classic. It also saw the premiere of “The Brothers Flub,” which has a markedly similar premise, with much worse execution. Following a pair of alien brothers and couriers as they travel through the universe, it’s the rare 90s Nickelodeon cartoon that seems to have inspired no nostalgia in anyone, except maybe memories of changing the channel minutes into an episode. Crass, loud, and generally unpleasant, “The Brothers Flub” could’ve just as easily been called “The Brothers Flop.”

You can probably make an educated guess about who voices the titular “Wish Kid,” - Nick McClary - just by looking at him. The success of “Home Alone” led to attempt at making Macaulay Culkin into a star in animated form as well. And it didn’t exactly work out. The premise is that Nick has a magical baseball glove that can grant wishes - once a week, which predictably backfire. The repetitive plotlines aren’t help by Culkin’s clear lack of experience with voice acting. A decade later, “The Fairly OddParents” took a similar premise to much better results.

Don’t get us wrong, we absolutely love “Little Shop of Horrors,” both the original B movie and the musical adaptation. But it wouldn’t be our first choice for an animated adaptation. “Little Shop” takes the deliciously sinister premise of a people-eating venus fly trap and tones it doen considerably. Now, "Junior," Is a companion to the young, nerdy Seymour, and though he has some powers, he's much less carnivorous than he is in the live-action adaptations.We know that compromises need to be made with adapting things for kids. But , “Little Shop” just feels like a generic cartoon, rather than the gleefully twisted horror comedy that inspired in.

Some athletes excel in their chosen sport so much, they’re likened to superheroes. So, it's easy to understand where the idea for a show depicting sports legends Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, and Bo Jackson as a crime-fighting team helping kids to be their best. Though it has some good intentions, it’s hard to miss how much it’s true to cash in on the fame of its real-life counterpoints, though Jordan himself rarely showed up for live-action segments. Call it a swing and a miss, a fumble, or an airball. Either way, it’s just not good.

Though many have fond memories of watching “Tiny Toon Adventures” and “Pinky and the Brain,” the nostalgia is not the same for this crossover. Combining the worlds of hyperactive Elmyra Duff and the former lab mice, this show came from meddling studio executives trying to make the latter series more of a sitcom. The creators didn't hide their frustration with the situation, even referencing it in the theme song. The voice acting and animation are still on point. But why waste so much time and talent fixing something that was perfectly good as it was?

Caillou didn’t dominate the 90s like he did the 2000s. But he was introduced in 1997, and many wished they had never gotten to know him. Based on a series of children’s books, it’s about the titular four-year-old boy, as he makes his way through the world. That’s a fine premise, in theory. But what bothers so many This is not ideal for a show watched by impressionable children, and over the years, a strong backlash against “Caillou” has formed. While he’s not always insufferable, it doesn’t make up for the times when he is.

In what was meant to be a heartfelt tribute to the man behind numerous Looney Tunes, the ill-fated anthology series, “The Wacky World of Tex Avery,” instead turned out to be an awful “Animaniacs”-inspired travesty. Although featuring some of animation’s best voice actors, such as Billy West, Maurice LaMarche, and Cree Summer, the show contained none of the iconic Looney Tunes characters Tex Avery turned into cultural icons, and focused on a lackluster, and downright insulting caricature of the legendary animator himself. Airing for 65 episodes between 1997 and 1998, a full seventeen years after Avery’s death, we’re just happy he wasn’t around to witness it.

Cashing in on Jim Carrey’s successful turn as the green-faced anti-hero, “The Mask: Animated Series” proved to be an inferior continuation of the 1994 box office smash. Following more along the lines of the gritty comic books that the film was based on, the absence of Carrey voicing the titular character left much to be desired. The animated series saw the clumsy Stanley Ipkiss take on a bevy of villains intent on taking over Edge City, including the Jason Voorhees-like Walter from the comics. Featuring the voice talents of Frank Welker, Jim Cummings, and Rob Paulsen, the series ran for three seasons. It wasn’t anything special, but at least it was better than “Son of the Mask”…

While the ‘80s may have pioneered the genre of anthropomorphic creatures in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and “DuckTales,” the 1990s tried their best to up the ante… to a greater or lesser degree. Case in point: the hilariously absurd “Fish Police.” Running for only one season in 1992 and consisting of six episodes, “Fish Police” pulled out some big guns (literally) with depictions of street violence, mature themes, and a noir-inspired storyline. The show also featured some heavy talent with John Ritter and Tim Curry providing voice work. Needless to say, the show was eventually buried by CBS, but still received a small cult following.

By 1994, the likeness of Jim Carrey could not be escaped, especially after the smash hit “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.” Sure enough, the marketing execs planned an entire animated series surrounding the over-the-top private eye’s further adventures. The lack of Jim Carrey, much like “The Mask,” proved to be a source of disappointment in the series’ embarrassing three-season run, even seeing an unwanted crossover episode with “The Mask” in 1997. With humor more akin to the “Ace Ventura” sequel, “When Nature Calls,” the animated counterpart just didn’t live up to the hype of the original film.

There are some movies that just shouldn’t even be considered for children’s entertainment. A prime suspect in this case would be the abysmal and unnecessary cartoon adaptation of the ridiculous sequel to the 1970s cult B-movie, “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes,” that aired on Fox Kids between 1990 and 1991. Taking place five years after the Great Tomato War of the first film, the animated series followed the exploits of Dr. Putrid T. Gangreen in his attempts to take over the world with homicidal tomatoes. As much as it had the makings of a wacky series, “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes” only managed to fall flat after 21 episodes.

In the early 90s, MC Hammer could be seen virtually anywhere. It was only a matter of time before he got his own animated TV series. Airing for only thirteen episodes in the fall of 1991, “Hammerman” had the unique distinction of actually having the iconic rapper star in the show… well, the live-action parts at least… with vocal duties being taken over by actor/screenwriter Clark Johnson, later of “The Wire” and “Homicide: Life on the Street” fame. “Hammerman” proved to be a ridiculous cash-in attempt on Hammer’s fame with the titular superhero, along with the help of his living shoes, tackling various social issues in the fictional Oaktown.

With almost universally bad reviews, the gross-out humor of “Mega Babies” was definitely not the best choice Columbia/TriStar (and eventually Sony Entertainment) banked on for success in the wake of “Rugrats.” Set in the uninspired Your City, USA, “Mega Babies” follows three super-powered infants who fend off giant robots and invading forces in disgustingly imaginative ways. Featuring plenty of disgusting jokes surrounding feces, snot, and other bodily fluids, “Mega Babies” sure did redefine the use of the term “gag.” However, that didn’t stop the creators from giving us 52 mucus-filled episodes over two seasons in the late-90s.

Jim Carrey again?! Once again cashing in on the comedian’s jarring fame, Hanna-Barbera’s unfortunate animated take on the misadventures of Harry Dunne and Lloyd Christmas proved to be an understandable failure. Although future “SpongeBob SquarePants” stars Bill Fagerbakke and Tom Kenny provided voice work on the “Dumb and Dumber” animated series, the child-friendly approach to the show clashed with the source material’s adult-oriented toilet humor. We’re just glad they never animated the movie’s famed diarrhea scene for a child audience. Needless to say, thirteen episodes was all we got… and didn’t need.

Easily one of the hottest groups around in the late 80s, the New Kids on the Block ushered in the 90s with a forgettable cartoon series. Much like “Hammerman,” the “New Kids on the Block” show only featured the famous boy band in live-action sequences, handing off the voice work to other actors for the animated portions. After a lackluster fifteen-episode season in 1990, ABC didn’t renew “New Kids on the Block” for a second run, which let many cartoon enthusiasts heave a sigh of relief. Featuring bad animation, lack of humor, and boring plotlines, the team of Jonathan, Jordan, Joey, Donnie, and Danny should have just stuck to the stage and off the screen.

In one of the most bizarre cartoon series ever approved, even by MTV standards, “The Brothers Grunt” gave gross-out fans a run for their money. It followed a group of fraternal, underwear-clad, cheese-eating, walking-talking boil-like humanoids grown off their creator’s back that are in search of their lost brother. The premise alone makes for a nauseating experience - and that doesn’t even factor in the various bodily fluids being splashed around everywhere. The less said about the series, the better. With a nearly unanimous negative reception, the horrific Canadian television series has never been officially re-released since its cancellation after 35 episodes in 1995.

Did we forget an ill-conceived 90s cartoon? Let us know in the comments