1. Regular Show (9/10)
2. We Bare Bears (9/10)
3. Craig of the Creek (8/10)
4. OKKO (8/10)
5. Steven Universe (8/10)
6. Mao Mao (8/10)
7. Apple & Onion (8/10)
8. Uncle Grandpa (8/10)
9. Mighty Magiswords (7/10)
10. Gumball/Infinity Train (7/10)
DISHONORED MENTIONS:
12. Clarence (6/10)
13. Ben 10 reboot (5/10)
14. PPG reboot (5/10)
15. Victor and Valentino (4/10)
16. Summer Camp Island (4/10)
17. Problem Solverz (3/10)
18. Secret Mountain Fort Awesome (2/10)
1. Over the Garden Wall - Darn near flawless. Very imaginative story with fun characters, gorgeous Autumn scenery, and an innovative structure.
2. Steven Universe - What even needs to be said about this show?
3. Infinity Train - Similar to OTGW, this nails the scenery and tone. The storytelling is a little more uneven but the high points still make it more than warrant the #3 spot despite it only being one season in.
4. OK KO: Let's Be Heroes - This show had basically everything. Action, continuity, self-containment, exploration, comedy, Jim Cummings... what more could you ask for?
5. Adventure Time - Probably one of the most likable and well fleshed-out fantasy worlds in all of animation. It had some rough and dull points, but it sure was a fun journey worth exploring.
6. Regular Show - This show really knew how to balance mature, relatable scenarios with the crazy and paranormal. I can't say every decision was perfect (the romances especially) but it left a clear mark in animation history.
7. The Amazing World of Gumball - A hilarious show with tons of neat stylization and tons of fun characters, as well as plenty of heart when it's needed.
8. The Looney Tunes Show - I liked this show before it was cool... but anyway, the mix of Seinfeld and Goof Troop worked surprisingly well for Looney Tunes.
9. Craig of the Creek - I really love how much imagination is packed into this show, and it's an example on how much character interactions can really elevate the enjoyment factor.
10. Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart - CN didn't experiment too much with art styles this decade, but this one really stands out as being very appealing and open to lots of fun action. This is #10 because it's not as developed as the others as of now IMO.
Though the network had its share of missteps, I'm amazed (overall) at how much Cartoon Network was crushing it this decade, so much so that I had to make a top 20 list.
20. ben 10 - I could never abide the bickering in the original show and while this could use more interesting villains (even one would be good), this is a fairly decent reboot.
19. sidekick - Kind of mean-spirited, but still amusing.
18. total dramarama - Granted, this show is revealing itself to have a very shallow bag of tricks, but every now and then, it hits the funny bone.
17. beware the batman - A little dark, but still pretty fascinating.
16. clarence
15. summer camp island
14. cloudy with a chance of meatballs
13. we bare bears
12. regular show - Wasn't too keen on the Thomas/romantic plot tumor/outer space arcs...but those first few seasons are golden.
11. almost naked animals - One of the sillier shows the network aired, but sometimes, you don't want deep meaning from a cartoon; sometimes, you just want to laugh.
10. total drama the ridonculous race - After years of dull retreads and characters clearly plagiarized from reality shows, the franchise needed a fresh start and this show was much appreciated in that regard.
9. unikitty
8. teen titans go - I'll be the first to admit that its first year (with some exceptions) was rough and it has its patchy moments even now, but when it clicks, it is one of the funniest shows around.
7. ok ko let's be heroes
6. apple + onion
5. infinity train - Exciting, emotionally affecting and quite original miniseries with strong voice work, especially from Ashley Johnson. And speaking of Miss Johnson...
4. ben 10 ultimate alien
3. craig of the creek
2. green lantern the animated series
1. scooby-doo mystery incorporated - Much like "Teen Titans Go!", this took some time to find its feet, but - with its impressive writing and mythology - it became the best incarnation of "Scooby-Doo" ever.
01. Adventure Time
02. Regular Show
03. The Amazing World of Gumball
04. Steven Universe
05. Justice League Action
06. We Bare Bears
07. Total Drama Presents: The Ridonculous Race
08. Craig of the Creek
09. Clarence
10. Infinity Train
1. Steven Universe
2. Young Justice
3. We Bare Bears
4. Regular Show
5. DC Super Hero Girls
6. Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart
7. Ben 10: Omniverse
8. Star Wars: The Clone Wars
9. Justice League Action
10. Clarence
1. Steven Universe: I think that this is easily the best Cartoon Network. I love the characters, the world building and especially all of the meaningful lessons they provide. The fact that they can include so much character development and lore within eleven minute episodes is just so impressive to me as well. Throughout the series, they emphasize the importance of communication, understanding and empathy, which are especially good messages for kids. They also showcase the struggles of grief and self-worth problems quite effectively. I love the series so much and I'm so glad that it has had a positive impact on a lot of people.
2. Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated: This is definitely the best Scooby Doo series for me. I liked the on-going mystery, most of the cast had more fleshed out personalities than before and it could get surprisingly dark at times for Scooby Doo. The romance drama could get a bit much at times, but it was a really solid series that deserves more attention.
3. Over the Garden Wall: It's a mini-series, but it works so well. The scenery can be both beautiful and creepy, there is a growing sense of tension throughout the series and there's still plenty of humor and charm with the characters. It's just a really good mini-series that work quite nicely for Halloween.
4. We Bare Bears: This is just a really relaxing slice of life kind of show. The three leads balance each other nicely, there are some really fun human supporting character and it can be pretty funny. It can also pull off some good emotional moments to make it more charming than I initially expected it to be.
5. Green Lantern: The Animated Series: I really liked this series. I liked the setup, the cast, the action and the growing romance between Razer and Aya. I wish it had gotten another season, but the poor reception of the live action move sealed its fate. The ending was pretty satisfying though, so it wasn't as frustrating as it could be.
6. Justice League Action: This was just such a good series. It was basically the perfect Justice League series for current Cartoon Network. It was more light-hearted, but didn't become too ridiculous so that fans could still take it seriously. There was little to no continuity involved too, but it still got treated like dirt. I'll still watch a few episodes from time to time and it is still so much fun. It's a good light-hearted Justice League series that still makes use of its vast universe and cast of characters. It deserves another season at least.
7. OK K.O. ! Let's Be Heroes: This was a really fun show. It was charming with its humor and art style while also providing a bit of action. It could get surprisingly emotional at points too, but it provided some nice lessons and moments. The ending felt a tad rushed, but it was all around pretty satisfying.
8. Craig of the Creek: This is a really good slice of life kind of show. It reminds me of Recess a bit in that most of the supporting cast of kids are in their own special groups. I like the lead characters, their group dynamics, Craig's family is really fleshed out instead of being ignored or forgotten and it's just all around fun. It feels like a nice idealistic version of childhood.
9. Adventure Time: I only binge watched the series from time to time, but it did have some really good character and emotional moments with its cast and the universe was pretty interesting too. It might have been higher up if I watched it more often, but it was enjoyable and had a huge impact the channel as well.
10. Regular Show: I think I watched this more regularly than Adventure Time until the last season. I just lost interest in it for some reason, but the humor was pretty solid and kind of pushed the boundaries for Cartoon Network early on.
I'll also give an honorable mention to Infinity Train. The first season was great, if a bit on the nose with its messages, but it was effective and I'm really eager to see what season two has to offer. It just seems too early to put it on a best list.
1. Craig of the Creek
2. Regular Show
3. Adventure Time
4. Steven Universe
5. OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes
6. Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart
7. We Bare Bears
8. The Amazing World of Gumball
9. Apple and Onion
10. Robotomy
1. Scooby Doo! Mystery Incorporated
2. Regular Show
3. Adventure Time
4. Transformers: Robots in Disguise
5. Teen Titans Go!
6. Ben 10: Ultimate Alien
7. Ben 10: Omniverse
8. Over the Garden Wall
9. Clarence
10. MAD
1. Steven Universe
2. Over the Garden Wall
3. Adventure Time
4. Regular Show
5. Infinity Train
6-10: N/A since I wasn't terribly interested in whatever else that Cartoon Network was offering.
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