With such a wide-spanning medium like animation, it's easy to overlook a lot of shows. In this seemingly specific genre, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Time again, animated series that don't get some spark of buzz online or on social media often go unnoticed -- especially on such a huge platform like Netflix. Fortunately, there's plenty that can be curated into this list. Straight from the streaming giant itself, here are some of the most underrated and bingeworthy animated shows on Netflix.
Farzar
- Creators: Roger Black, Waco O'Guin
- Cast: Dana Snyder, Lance Reddick, Kari Wahlgren, David Kaye, Jerry Minor, Carlos Alazraqui, Grey DeLisle.
The creators of Brickleberry, Roger Black and Waco O'Guin, conceived the over-the-top, raunchy adult animation that is Farzar. This Sci-Fi story follows an aloof Prince Fichael (Dana Snyder), who leads his unfortunate team through space, fighting aliens to accomplish absurd missions. With the help of his robot best friend, Scootie (Jerry Minor), the crew might just survive. This shock comedy delivers some of the most obscene material on Netflix.
Hoops
- Creator: Ben Hoffman
- Cast: Jake Johnson, Ron Funches, Cleo King, Natasha Leggero, A. D. Miles, Rob Riggle
Hoops is an animated comedy centered around Ben Hopkins (Jake Johnson), a vulgar high school basketball coach. Living in the shadow of his retired basketball star father, Barry Hopkins (Rob Riggle), Coach Hopkins' aspirations to make it to the big leagues are severely hindered by the lack of a capable team. With little to no hope, he recruits a 7-foot-tall teenager, Matty Atkins (A. D. Miles), to try and win games and jumpstart his career. While negative reviews forced this show to cancel, there are still hilarious bits that make this show a must-watch for fans with bawdy humor.
Entergalactic
- Creators: Kid Cudi, Kenya Barris
- Cast: Kid Cudi, Jessica Williams, Laura Harrier, Ty Dolla Sign, Timothée Chalamet, Vanessa Hudgens, Macaulay Culkin, Luis Guzmán, Keith David
Scott Mescudi stars in this relatable romantic comedy as Jabari, an artist fresh out of a relationship and on the path to success in New York City. After a chance encounter with his ex-girlfriend Carmen (Laura Harrier), Jabari will have to juggle his love interests and his work life. Scott Mescudi, who normally goes by his stage name Kid Cudi also has his dreamy music playing throughout the show as an added bonus.
Adventure Beast
- Creators: Bradley Trevor Greive, Mark Gravas
- Cast: Bradley Trevor Greive, Josh Zuckerman, Danice Cabanela,
Adventure Beast is an animated nature program that removes all the red tape that prevents wildlife expert Bradley Trevor Greive from getting up close and personal with the animals. A comedy at its core, this show teaches real-life facts while hilariously putting the hero in risky situations. Based in Australia, there is no shortage of unique information to learn, which keeps this show fresh and interesting.
Tear Along The Dotted Line & This World Can't Tear Me Down
- Creators: Zerocalcare
- Cast: Zerocalcare, Valerio Mastandrea, Paolo Vivio, Chiara Gioncardi
Technically, its two shows, Tear Along The Dotted Line and This World Can't Tear Me Down, are both based on the same comic by Italian cartoonist Zerocalcare. The shows follow a high-strung cartoon artist and his imaginary armadillo that appears to be a manifestation of his thoughts and anxieties. This show is incredibly smart and powerful, and while it may be less popular for being in Italian, it is worth reading the subtitles.
Q-FORCE
- Creator: Gabe Liedman
- Cast: Matt Rogers, Gabe Liedman, Sean Hayes, Patti Harrison, Wanda Sykes, David Harbour
This animated comedy channels a secret agent and his LGBTQ+ superspy posse as they go on a variety of adventures. Q-Force centers around Steve Maryweather, voiced by Sean Hayes, who was dropped from the American Intelligence Agency after he came out as gay. Maryweather’s character not only leads his team through wild rides but also maintains the queer community at the forefront of each lesson or adventure. Featuring the voices of Matt Rogers, Wanda Sykes, and David Harbour, Q-Force does rely on cheesy jokes and a few stereotypes for laughs, but sometimes that hits the spot. While it was canceled after just one season, there’s much to appreciate, like the sharp writing, witty commentary, and the feel-good energy it leaves behind.
Mulligan
- Creators: Robert Carlock, Sam Means
- Cast: Nat Faxon, Dana Carvey, Chrissy Teigen, Ayo Edebiri, Tina Fey, Sam Richardson, Daniel Radcliffe, Ronny Chieng, Phil LaMarr
Mulligan is an adult-animated comedy that was conceptualized by the minds of 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. The show begins after Earth is destroyed by some sort of alien attack. As the dust settles, a group of unruly survivors get together to begin life anew. Nat Faxon voices the main character, Matty Mulligan, an ordinary working-class Bostonian who single-handedly saved Earth from a total invasion. As he tries to lead what’s left of humanity, he also navigates love, friendship, and rebuilding the community.
Saturday Morning All-Star Hits!
- Creators: Kyle Mooney, Ben Jones
- Cast: Kyle Mooney, Beck Bennett, Geraldine Viswanathan, Emma Stone, Nathan Fielder, Dylan Sprouse, Paul Rudd
Coming from the creative forces of Kyle Mooney and Ben Jones, Saturday Morning All-Star Hits! Is a unique twist on the typical animated comedy series. This partially animated show somehow manages to recreate the nostalgia that comes from watching pre-aughts cable cartoons. Mooney plays twin brothers Skip and Treybor, who jointly host an 80s-style TV show that broadcasts a variety of animated programs. Viewers can expect to see edited cuts of different cartoons with the hosts interjecting their own tidbits and opinions – think KaBlam! for adults with a dash of SNL.
Agent Elvis
- Creators: Priscilla Presley, John Eddie
- Cast: Priscilla Presley, Kaitlin Olson, Matthew McConaughey, Johnny Knoxville, Tom Kenny, Niecy Nash
Co-created by Priscilla Presley, Agent Elvis stars Matthew McConaughey at the forefront playing a spy version of The King himself. While this animated sitcom is seemingly inspired by the feature film Elvis & Nixon, it also feels very similar to the show Archer. The mixture of comedy, action, and even a little science fiction makes for a classic show with tons of potential.
Super Drags: Red Band Slayage
- Creators: Fernando Mendonça, Anderson Mahanski, Paulo Lescaut
- Cast: Fernando Mendonça, Sérgio Cantú, Wagner Follare, Pabllo Vittar, Silvetty Montilla, Rapha Vélez, Sylvia Salustti, PatrÃcia Garcia, Guilherme Briggs
Originally a Brazilian Netflix show, Super Drags: Red Band Slayage is the story of three friends who get the opportunity to become drag queen superheroes with a mission to fight against homophobia. This raunchy comedy has hilarious lines that are so outrageous it will have the audience rolling. The English dubbed version features some of RuPaul's Drag Race cast, including Trixie Mattel, Ginger Minj, Willam Belli, and Shangela. Though the show was canceled, partly due to a lack of viewership, it's evident that this show was way ahead of its time.
Bee and PuppyCat
- Creators: Natasha Allegri
- Cast: Allyn Rachel, Kent Osborne, Alexander James Rodriguez, Ashly Burch, Arin Hanson, Ellen McLain
When a mysterious PuppyCat falls from the sky, Bee's (Allyn Rachel) mundane life is completely turned upside down as they transport to an alternate universe. Their adventures of taking on mildly dangerous jobs play out like the daydreams of a nihilistic cat owner. Bee and PuppyCat is a show that really digs its claws into the audience, and once they've become a fan, they're hooked.
Watership Down
- Creators: Richard Adams, Tom Bidwell
- Cast: James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult, John Boyega, Ben Kingsley, Tom Wilkinson, Gemma Arterton, Peter Capaldi, Olivia Colman, Mackenzie Crook
Watership Down is an animated fantasy drama that was adapted from the critically acclaimed novel under the same title, written by Richard Adams. It follows Richard Adam's mythologies about a world full of rabbits that must evade predators. The dangers of this world tug at the audience's heartstrings as our rabbit heroes, Hazel (James McAvoy) and Fiver (Nicholas Hoult), try to survive. This show is a bit of a slow burn when compared to other animations, but has amazing writing and storytelling to easily make up for it.
Trailer Park Boys - The Animated Series
- Creators: John Paul Tremblay, Robb Wells, Mike Smith
- Cast: John Paul Tremblay, Robb Wells, Mike Smith, John Dunsworth, Patrick Roach, Cory Bowles, Jeanna Harrison, Jacob Rolfe, Sarah Dunsworth-Nickerson
Trailer Park Boys - The Animated Series is a Canadian show that continues the adventures of the original mockumentary-style show Trailer Park Boys. Julian (John Paul Tremblay), Bubbles (Mike Smith), and Ricky LaFleur (Robb Wells) return to their antics, only this time not limited by mortality. If you've ever seen the original show, you know it takes a few episodes to get it. Once you realize that this goofy crew is nothing short of comedic gold, you'll fall in love all over again.
Bad Exorcist (Bogdan Boner: Egzorcysta)
- Creator: Bartosz Walaszek
- Cast: David Boat, Ryan Colt Levy, Stefan Marks
This Polish NSFW animated show is perhaps a hidden gem if you like ridiculous, crude satire that’s not in English. While several critics seem to shut it down for the lack of character development, the 11-minute episodes are enough to hook you. As Netflix describes it, the series is about Bogdan Boner – voiced by David Boat – an “alcohol-loving, self-taught exorcist-for-hire.” Overall, it’s entertaining, underrated, and great to just have on. Something to note is that there’s another series with the same character called Bogdan Boner: Egzorcysta, with what appears to be a very similar premise. If there are 4 seasons of Bogdan Boner in the cloud, it’s probably worth a watch.
Oddballs
- Creators: TheOdd1sOut, Ethan Banville
- Cast: TheOdd1sOut, Julian Gant, Gary Anthony Williams, Ethan Banville, Kimberly Brooks, Carl Faruolo
YouTuber Robert James Rallison, better known as TheOdd1sOut, and writer Ethan Banville thought up this quirky animated series, with Rallison’s channel serving as the inspiration. The plot follows two best friends, James, who looks like a marshmallow, and Max, an energetic crocodile. The duo traverse different school and home life situations, explore the world, and learn many valuable lessons along the way. The show doesn’t follow one cohesive storyline but rather several independent stories, which means chronological watching is only an option.