Top 20 Worst Cartoon Network Shows

#20: "My Knight and Me" (2016-17)

Does it seem wrong for a show set in medieval times to try to be hip and cool with the kids? You bet it does, but that’s what we got with “My Knight and Me”. Imported from France, the series focuses on the wacky misadventures of a misfit squire, his dimwitted father, and a tomboy princess. It was decently animated, but the wince-worthy humor and annoying characters got on our nerves quickly. Trying to watch even one episode made us wish we could go back to the real Dark Ages just to get as far away from this series as possible.

#19: "Mixels" (2014-16)

In the mid-2010s, Lego introduced us to “Mixels”, one of the company’s more unique brands featuring brick-built monsters from different tribes you could mix and match. Naturally, a cartoon was not too far behind. Unlike Cartoon Network’s other Lego-themed programs, “Mixels” wasn’t exactly heavy in story, and the episodes felt more like YouTube shorts. While some look back at the show with fondness, others will agree that it was a little too weird and childish to leave a lasting impression. The “Mixels” show wrapped up in 2016 after only two seasons, and the toys disappeared along with it, proving that just because a toy CAN be made into a show doesn’t mean it SHOULD.

#18: "Chop Socky Chooks" (2007-08)

If you have never heard of this show, consider yourself lucky. If you have, we apologize for reawakening the repressed memories. “Chop Socky Chooks” follows a trio of kung-fu fighting chickens as they do battle with the insidious Dr. Wasabi inside an enormous shopping mall. Parents hated it because of the violent content; everyone else hated it because it was just plain bad. The bizarre art style wasn’t winning anyone over –seriously, how were we supposed to know those were chickens? Plus, the unfortunate stereotyping only turned audiences away even more. By the time it felt like the show finally found its footing, it was much too late, and not many can look back at this series fondly.

#17: "George of the Jungle" (2007-08; 2016-17)

While not exactly a pop culture powerhouse, the original 1967 “George of the Jungle” cartoon was fondly remembered for its snappy humor. Cartoon Network’s 2007 reboot cannot boast such a warm reception. Instead, it’s a stiffly animated cookie-cutter program where, instead of saving the jungle with hilarious results, George gets into clichéd cartoon antics we could be watching on better, more consistent shows. The first season only lasted two years, and then it was unexpectedly revived in 2016 with drastic changes to bring it more in line with the original 1960s cartoon. The continuity changes might be head-scratching, but at least they tried to restore the franchise’s legacy; alas, it was too little too late.

#16: "ThunderCats Roar" (2020)

Did you grow up with the “ThunderCats” franchise? Remember how much you loved the high-stakes action and drama the last two incarnations brought to the airwaves? Sorry to say that you won’t find any of that in the 2020 reboot, “ThunderCats Roar”. Immediately, fans were turned off by the heavily stylised art style. Little did they know that this was just the beginning, as the show itself was littered with over-the-top, obnoxious humor that feels disrespectful to the franchise’s legacy. It’s been compared to the equally infamous “Teen Titans Go!”, which ironically had a crossover episode with “Roar” which parodied the show’s critiques. But while “Go!” continued on, “Roar” only lasted one season before coming to a screeching halt.

#15: "BrainRu$h" (2009)

Pop quiz – did anyone ask for a live-action game show on a CARTOON Network? The correct answer is no, but we still got one anyway with 2009’s “BrainRu$h”. Hosted in Knott's Berry Park, the show forces unknowing contestants to answer trivia questions while on roller coasters. It’s a fairly interesting idea for a show, but outside of being on the wrong network, there wasn’t any real depth to the show to make it stand out even among CN’s other abysmal live-action shows. It only lasted six episodes, spanning barely over a month, before having the plug pulled, and our brains could rest easier with it gone.

#14: "Squirrel Boy" (2006-08)

The late Everett Peck will always be remembered fondly for his work on “Duckman”. His final animated show, “Squirrel Boy”, however, isn’t remembered as fondly –if it’s remembered at all. The premise is basic enough – a neat freak kid named Andy gets into misadventures with his mischievous talking squirrel named Rodney. It had a notable voice cast, with such stars as Richard Steven Horvitz and Pamela Adlon, as well as a unique art style, but the humor wasn’t tickling any funny bones. Some might find Rodney’s schemes a little too annoying or mean-spirited, but the show is mostly just boring to sit through. It didn’t help that it came out at a time when Cartoon Network was about to enter its darkest age – the CN Real Era.

#13: "Secret Mountain Fort Awesome" (2011-12)

The original pilot for “Uncle Grandpa” saw our titular enigma doing battle with a band of disgusting mutants. Later on, said monsters would get their own series titled “Secret Mountain Fort Awesome”, where we see them trying to adapt and fit in with a society that rejects them for their hideousness. This actually sounds like a profound and deep show... if it could take itself seriously. Instead, it blends its ugly art style with the usual obnoxious, crass humor that makes shows like this a chore to sit through. Unsurprisingly, this show was cancelled after two seasons, and Uncle Grandpa would finally get his own show... whether it was any better is up for debate.

#12: "Total DramaRama" (2018-23)

Have you ever watched “Total Drama” and thought to yourself, “Wow, wouldn’t it be funny if they did ‘Muppet Babies’ but with the campers”? Apparently, someone at FreshTV thought the same thing because following “The Ridonculous Race”, that’s what we got. Several of the iconic “Total Drama” competitors –and Jude from “6Teen”, because why not- embark on misadventures in a daycare run by Chef Hatchet. Not only was this a poor substitute for an ACTUAL season, but the questionable characterizations and more childish writing didn’t sit well with longtime fans of the franchise. Then, of course, there’s the infamous “Fart Fairy” episode... if you didn't watch that one, consider yourself lucky.

#11: "The Powerpuff Girls" (2016-19)

You know the old saying “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,”? Someone at Cartoon Network should’ve heeded this advice before they greenlit the 2016 “Powerpuff Girls” reboot. For starters, the reboot had no involvement from original creator Craig McCracken or the original voice actors for our titular trio, which turned longtime fans away from the start. The show itself fares no better – the pace is agonizingly slow and the humor is filled with dated, cringy memes. Did anyone need to see Blossom and Bubbles twerking? Absolutely not! To be fair, it could’ve been worse – it could’ve been that live-action reboot that CW tried to push for. Thankfully, that monstrosity never saw the light of day.

#10: “Scaredy Squirrel” (2011-13)

Setting aside its horrendous theme song for a moment, now it’s time to tear apart the rest of the show. Loosely based on Mélanie Watt’s book series, this Canadian import follows the titular germaphobic squirrel as he and his best skunk friend engage in all types of shenanigans. Along with having next to nothing in common with its source material, the show suffers from unimpressive art and animation, along with rather uninspired writing –it feels less like an adaptation and more like another “SpongeBob” rip-off. What’s even worse, the voice acting is like torture to the ears… especially Scaredy’s. If you can’t capture a book’s true spirit, why bother adapting it?

#9: “Almost Naked Animals” (2011-13)

The title alone is enough to repel viewers. Another Canadian import, the show follows a gang of badly-shaven animals wearing nothing but undergarments as they run a resort hotel. Their excitable manager, Howie, usually gets his staff involved in some form of hijinks. It’s not exactly clear what demographic this series was aiming for, but it’s safe to say that it didn’t end up appealing to anyone. Not only were the imagery and character designs unsavory, the premise and episode plots are unbelievably boring with random, fast-paced humor. There may have been a time when unsightly characters appealed to viewers, but that ship has sailed… and it took these animals’ clothes with it.

#8: “Level Up” (2012-13)

Time to open this can of worms – for a short while, Cartoon Network tried its hand at live-action programming… and most of them were pretty bad. For example, this forgotten disaster follows four gamers who do battle with escaped videogame monsters –or ‘Leaks.’ In addition to being horribly out of place on a CARTOON network, this show desperately tries to appeal to the gamer demographic, but knows nothing about how real gamers act –its characters being mostly stereotypes played by annoying actors. If you really want to appeal to your target audience, don’t talk down to them or try to imitate their culture… or at least actually learn about them first.

#7: “Dude, What Would Happen” (2009-11)

Imagine a reality show similar to “MythBusters,” but without the charm or scientific integrity; that’s exactly what you get with “Dude, What Will Happen.” Three eccentric teens set out to answer what could happen in some of the weirdest and most unimaginative situations through experimentation. Aside from once again being live-action litter on the CARTOON Network, the show spits in the eyes of science just to appeal to dumb thrill-seekers. It doesn’t help that the ‘Dudes’ are loud and in your face, and the jump cut editing is distracting. The show could have been fun for kids… if it were on a different network or properly written.

#6: “Incredible Crew” (2012-13)

The network tackled nearly every other live-action TV genre poorly, so why not add sketch comedy into the pot? Created by Nick Cannon, “Incredible Crew” offers viewers a mish-mash of surreal skits, weird music videos, parody commercials, and so on. What’s really incredible is how phoned in the comedy really is. You can tell that the actors are trying, but their performances come off as awkward and forced. Add to that the fact that sketch comedy has mostly moved to the internet in recent years, and you’ve got a show that feels hopelessly out of date. Not even “Adventure Time”’s Jeremy Shada could save this incredibly bad train wreck.

#5: “Uncle Grandpa” (2013-17)

As previously mentioned, “Uncle Grandpa” originally debuted as a pilot episode for another terrible series called “Secret Mountain Fort Awesome” before becoming its own spin-off …which, like we said, didn’t do any better. The series follows a Mary Poppins-like man who’s both the uncle and grandpa of everyone in the world, as he takes the kids he meets on strange adventures. Random humor is all fine and good, but “Uncle Grandpa” doesn’t seem to know when to stop, and most of it has no rhyme or reason. The character himself is no better, with his annoying voice and boneheaded methods for fixing things. Would you really trust THIS guy to watch over your kids?

#4: “Teen Titans Go!” (2013-)

The comment section would have our heads if we didn’t include this stinker. Rather than continue fan favorite “Teen Titans,” the whole series was rebooted as a comedy that happened to feature the original’s voice actors. The show received lots of backlash from superfans, and it’s easy to see why: it takes being random too far, and paints the Titans as incompetent idiots who act more villainous than the actual villains. Arguably the worst part of the series is how it constantly antagonizes its viewers – it KNOWS the original’s superior, but revels in its mediocrity, and practically rubs in the sad fact that it’s here to stay.

#3: “Out of Jimmy’s Head” (2007-08)

A follow-up to the TV movie “Re-Animated”, this show features Jimmy Roberts – a teenager with a cartoonist’s brain transplanted in his head, which of course allows him to see and talk to cartoon characters. It tries to rip-off “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”’s cartoon world meets real life scenario, but Jimmy’s regular life is cartoony enough –he has an alien sister for crying out loud – rendering the cartoon characters unnecessary. They try to cover up the nonsensical, unfunny writing with a laugh track… but has that ever worked? Out of all the live-action shows the network tried to force on us, this is the one we wish we could remove from our heads the most.

#2: “The High Fructose Adventures of Annoying Orange” (2012-14)

Like what Nickelodeon did with “Fred: The Show,” Cartoon Network decided to bring YouTube’s “Annoying Orange” to the airwaves. The series follows the titular character and his friends as they embark on zany adventures alongside their human friend. The title is an understatement, as this series is nothing short of obnoxious – the jokes and writing are lackluster, and the Orange himself is too grating to bear. While it got high views in the first few weeks, critics rightfully plowed it into the ground and buried it after two seasons. If you want to bring a web series to Television, at least be sure they have some substance… and aren’t irritating beyond all reason.

#1: “The Problem Solverz” (2011-13)

This “unique” little dud follows three detectives that take on any challenge they can find in the town of Farboro. Oh boy… where do we begin? The only thing harder on the eyes than the hideous character designs is the lazy animation. Furthermore, the writing provides absolutely nothing of value – just random, off-the-wall humor for the sake of it. It was originally pitched for Adult Swim, but was rejected and made into a kids’ cartoon… then cancelled after one season before the second/final season was released on Netflix. The one problem the Problem Solverz couldn’t solve was how terrible their series was.

Any Cartoon Network stinkers we missed? Let us know in the comments.