For me it’s Home Movies
The fact that no one has said the Venture Bros. yet proves it’s the correct answer.
I have watched and loved a lot of the shows other people have brought up, but the Venture Bros. holds a very special place in mine and other people’s hearts. Incredibly funny and intelligent, and I genuinely cared about the characters and what happened to them. I firmly believe it will likely be the greatest show Adult Swim ever produce.
For those trying to get into it, the first season is a little slow, they were still figuring things out, but season 2 onwards is all incredible.
I didn’t come into here with Venture Bros. In mind. But that show is high art. 👍👍
Common side effects is pretty rad. Idk if its underrated tho
Watched it 2 weeks ago. NEW FAV
So good. Hopefully there is more to come
I really liked the oblongs
12 Oz mouse and sealab 2021 are alright
Is it just me or am I not seeing Moral Orel - was that not an adult swim original?
It wasn’t underrated it was just unliked
IMDb and rotten tomatoes and your dislike seem to indicate this is an underrated gem from adult swim.
I thought it was fantastic but to each his own, I guess
Correct. To each their own. I just found it off and not funny overall
Frisky Dingo was great, sort of a spiritual precursor to Archer but with superheroes instead of super-spies.
And the Xtacles. I still say “Bon Jovi Friday”.
Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell
Mission hill
Hmm I didn’t think this was an Adult Swim show, so I looked it up. It was originally a canceled CW series that Adult Swim got the unaired episodes of. Either way, I liked it a lot.
Yeah never heard of this one. I’ll check it out
It’s decent, I downloaded and watched it again recently. Cake did the theme song. Art is fairly simple and unique. Sucks it only had 1 season, I loved it, especially the real world episode.
“Too Many Cooks” is slept on
That was just one video though?
there were five episodes but they were all off slightly different than the others, like the parts were not in the same order.
Sealab 2021
Great reference, mailbox head!
Sealab 2021 crawled so Frisky Dingo could walk so Archer could run.
I will never forget Martian Law and doppelgangers.
Bizarro! I love you! Bizarro!
I used to run a fansite about Sealab 2021, back on the Old Web.
It was a good time and I made some long-term friends through it. It was a great community.
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.
Estrada came to my mall reopening in like 2011, my buddy and I were the only dudes in line and we brought our Sealab DVDs for him to sign. “ His comment was “Oh, Sealab…that was a trip”
I will always cry during the end of Home Movies when Brandon drops his camera and it breaks.
Home Movies had to die so that Metalocalypse could be born
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.
As much love as VB gets, the writing, the subtlety of the jokes, the depth of the characters, and the world building within is just so unique. It’s all so wonderfully crafted. I enjoy it very much and think it’s an absolute standout as far as A:S shows go.
The nozzle is calibrating.
IGNORE ME!
I’ve caught myself watching some of these episodes in the past. Almost forgot about this show
Jon Benjamin Has A Van.
Edit: actually, shit, that wasn’t Adult Swim. Still, though. Also not on Adult Swim: Drawn Together.
Frisky Dingo
If you like it, you’ll like Archer and Sealab 2021 too.
MASTER CYLINDER!!
Also, whenever my wife and I are really sleepy during the day, one of us will pull out "People let me tell you 'bout my NEW BEST FRIEND! Barnaby Jones…
…NAP."
I’m literally standing here going “it wasn’t called murder face, what the hell was the name of that show?l”
Thank you! My wife and I still to this day say “Ok buddy” thanks to Frisky Dingo.
I feel like sealab is mostly forgotten but was one of the funniest. It was just overshadowed by aqua teen at the time
Fuck this thread makes me feel old.
Hands down my favorite from that era.
I have FD on DVD, bought it new when the show was still on. Love it.
Wondershowzen
Love that show, but that was MTV. Their other series, Xavier, was on Adult Swim though.
I was JUST trying to remember this one earlier to show my kid lol. Mortimer!!
