Top 10 Cartoon Network Series of the 1990s
For this list, we're taking a look at the most creative and memorable animated series that started sometime between 1990 and 1999.
#10: “What A Cartoon!” (1995-97)
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What better way to start off the list than with the show that brought life to the Cartoon Network? In order for artists and animators to explore their creativity, the Hanna-Barbera Studios president started this little animation showcase, where new animators and even Hanna-Barbera’s own crewmembers could show off cartoon shorts that they made themselves. The show not only brought us hilarious and entertaining clips every week; it also served as a start for great cartoonists like Seth MacFarlane, Butch Hartman and Craig McCracken. What’s more, more than a few of the shorts on What A Cartoon eventually turned into the Cartoon-Cartoons we all know and love.
#9: “Cartoon Planet” (1995-98; 2012-14) Remember the Hanna-Barbera superhero, Space Ghost? Well, when he wasn’t hosting his talk show, he and two of his old enemies, Brak and Zorak, started hosting their own variety show: Cartoon Planet. What started off as an hour of cartoons was eventually repackaged into its own half-hour show where pretty much ANYTHING goes. Weird original songs, cartoon countdowns, adlibbed skits, poetry readings– nothing was too surreal or too funny for this program. For Cartoon Network’s 20th year, the series was revived, with Brak and Zorak taking over Cartoon Planet’s reins.
#8: “I Am Weasel” (1997-2000)
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Talk about a twisted take on Pop Goes the Weasel. I Am Weasel follows the misadventures of the dim-witted I.R. Baboon and I.M. Weasel –voiced by Lieutenant Commander Worf himself, Michael Dorn. Weasel is intelligent, popular, and successful at anything he does; Baboon is… pretty much the exact opposite. Baboon is extremely jealous of Weasel’s success and feels overshadowed, so he makes it his personal goal to outshine his friend, although it never works out and Weasel is forced to save the day. Before becoming its own show, I Am Weasel was originally a segment on Cow and Chicken; in fact, keep an eye out for a certain Red Guy in some episodes.
#7: “Space Ghost Coast to Coast” (1994-2008)
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When you’ve grown too old to fight crime anymore, there’s only one thing left to do – force two former villains to help you host your very own talk show. That’s what Space Ghost did- and it worked out just fine. Every episode, he interviews famous celebrities through the TV near his desk – usually asking about their super powers or their secret identities. His old enemies, Zorak and Moltar, work as his bandleader and director/producer respectively, and they do NOT hide how much they hate working for him. Awkward, childish, and forces his enemies to work for him…Who else could host an animated talk show besides Space Ghost? …Or should we call him Tad Ghostal now?
#6: “Cow and Chicken” (1997-99)
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You think YOUR family’s weird? Try having a cocky chicken for a big brother, a silly cow for a little sister, and two possibly insane parents only seen from the knee down. That’s pretty much life for Cow and Chicken, and it only gets stranger from there. These barnyard siblings can be seen facing surreal problems that every child worries about – like getting a job, or getting stuck on the roof with your Cousin Boneless. And every so often, they’ll end up wrapped up in some scheme set up by their pants-less antagonist, Red Guy. But, whenever there’s trouble for her big brother, Cow will save the day as the Spanish-speaking Supercow… yes, you heard that right
#5: “Johnny Bravo” (1997-2004)
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If you’re trying to get a girlfriend, we have one very helpful tip for you – DON’T be Johnny Bravo. Johnny’s a dense womanizer that flirts with anything with a pretty face – even genies from a toaster – and usually gets nothing but pain or embarrassment in return… which is still funny for us to watch. Sometimes he ends up accompanied by unexpected guests like Adam West or the Scooby Gang. Johnny may not ever find the perfect girl, but at least he has two that care about him – talkative Little Suzy, and his own Mama. He may be a meathead, but Johnny will always have everyone doing the Monkey with him.
#4: “Ed, Edd n Eddy” (1999-2009)
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For most kids, summer is a time for having fun in the sun. For Ed, Double D, and Eddy, summer only means two things: cash and jawbreakers! The Eds are the perfect mismatched trio: Eddy is the greedy leader of the crew, Double D is the neat freak genius who rocks the pedal steel guitar, and Ed is the lovable goofball who loves chickens. Together, these three best friends try to scam their oddball neighbors out of their money to buy jawbreakers… but it doesn’t always end well for our favorite dorks. When they aren’t scamming the other kids, they can also be seen trying to fit in with the popular crowd or running away from the love-struck Kanker Sisters.
#3: “Courage the Cowardly Dog” (1999-2002)
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Who else is brave enough to deal with some of the strange creatures and ghastly people in the middle of Nowhere? Ironically, it’s Courage the cowardly dog. Abandoned as a puppy, he was found by the kind and motherly Muriel, and her bitter old husband, Eustace. When spooky things start happening in Nowhere, Courage will naturally scream for his life; but he is not afraid to step up against danger to protect his family… even if Eustace treats him like a “stupid dog.” The elderly couple is usually oblivious when things get hairy, but Courage knows when something’s going wrong.
#2: “Dexter’s Laboratory” (1996-99; 2001-03)
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It’s hard being a boy genius… especially when you’re the smartest one in the house. Good thing Dexter’s got his secret laboratory, where he can perform some of the greatest experiments the world has never seen. And no one else knows about his secret lab… except his ditzy older sister, Dee Dee. She constantly breaks into Dexter’s lab, which means trouble for his experiments. But the only thing worse than his STUPID sister is his academic rival, Mandark. Even though Dexter’s a scientific mastermind, there’s still a lot about life that even he doesn’t understand – like arcade games or girls. But that’s okay, even the smartest boy ever has a lot to learn. Before we reveal our number one toon, here are a few honorable mentions. - “Mike, Lu, & Og” (1999-2001) - “The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest” (1996-97)
#1: “The Powerpuff Girls” (1998-2005; 2016-)
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Take some sugar, spice and everything nice. Add some Chemical X and what do you get? The perfect little super heroines, that’s what! With their awesome super powers, Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup protect the City of Townsville from evil. Blossom is the brainy leader who’s as cool as her ice breath. Bubbles is the joy and laughter, but she can also be pretty hardcore. Buttercup is the brawn, but she does have her sensitive side. Together, they take down giant monsters and dangerous foes like Mojo Jojo and HIM. So if there’s trouble in Townsville, you can be sure that the day will be saved; thanks to the Powerpuff Girls– now more than ever, since the show was revived in 2016.
