15 TV Shows To Watch If You Like South Park

Since 1997, the animated sitcom "South Park" has pushed the boundaries of what's permissible on basic cable to hilarious effect. Spearheaded by series creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the show has tackled current events through the lens of a group of foul-mouthed adolescents in a small Colorado town. A constant presence on Comedy Central since its premiere, the show has built up a lovingly complicated lore and growing fan base for decades. Beyond skewering the ever-evolving state of affairs and barrage of pop culture references, "South Park" has maintained its popularity through a sharply crafted and often lavatorial sense of humor.

For fans of delightfully crude animated series, there is no shortage of cartoons to tickle that funny bone. These shows feature strong comedic writing and memorable characters that prove cartoons are not just for kids. Here are 15 TV shows to watch if you enjoy "South Park" and want to keep the irreverent animated laughs coming.

Years before "South Park" upset parents with its crude animated humor, "The Ren & Stimpy Show" gained its own notoriety on Nickelodeon. The show revolves around hot-tempered chihuahua Ren (originally voiced by John Kricfalusi) and his dim-witted feline friend Stimpy (Billy West) as they get into different antics each episode. Though Ren is frequently frustrated by Stimpy's clueless behavior, the two maintain a close friendship. Together, the duo take on a variety of odd jobs that they inevitably botch in over-the-top ways.

"Ren & Stimpy" captures many of the animated sensibilities prevalent in the '90s, from a reliance on gross-out gags to storytelling that frequently veers into the absurd. The series was a showcase for modern slapstick, a sort of twisted update of "Tom & Jerry," though built on partnership instead of shared antagonism. The show has been revived since the original series concluded in 1995, evoking its '90s gags with a healthy dose of nostalgia. "The Ren & Stimpy Show" is widely considered one of the best Nickelodeon shows of all time, just make sure the kids aren't around to watch.

Before creating "King of the Hill" and "Silicon Valley," Mike Judge gave Generation X its own sneering icons in "Beavis and Butt-Head." The titular teenage doofuses debuted on MTV in 1993, with the show revolving around them hanging out in a squalid house in Texas and watching television. With Judge voicing both characters himself, the duo offer snide commentary while watching music videos and getting into other lowbrow shenanigans. Butt-Head is more of the leader of the two, often developing the harebrained schemes that he and Beavis get into.

"Beavis and Butt-Head" clearly struck a chord with audiences when it premiered, spawning feature films in 1996 and 2022. The show proved that social satire doesn't need to be sophisticated to be effective and funny, especially when told through the perspective of crude and boneheaded protagonists. The characters feel like slightly older iterations of the "South Park" gang, though certainly no smarter in their outlook and activities. In recent years, "Beavis and Butt-Head" has received a revival on Comedy Central, putting these two slackers back to work.

Another Nickelodeon show that pushed boundaries with its edgy sense of humor was the 1993 series "Rocko's Modern Life." The series' titular protagonist, Rocko Rama (Carlos Alazraqui), is a mild-mannered wallaby living in American suburbia with his dog Spunky. Rocko is usually joined by his best friend, Heffer Wolfe (Tom Kenny), a buffoonish steer, and the meek turtle Filburt (Mr. Lawrence). The group gets into all sorts of odd adventures, usually infuriating Rocko's neighbor Ed Bighead (Charlie Adler).

While not as boundary-pushing as "The Ren & Stimpy Show," "Rocko's Modern Life" definitely was geared more for slightly older audiences. The 1993 Nickelodeon series featured a more cohesive story and likable characters than its 1991 counterpart, fueling its appeal. Stephen Hillenburg, who worked on the show as a director, would go on to create the much more family-friendly "SpongeBob SquarePants" years later. A nostalgia blast for millennials, "Rocko's Modern Life" might not have had the longevity of "South Park," but it inadvertently helped pave the way for it.

The start of series creator Seth MacFarlane's television empire, "Family Guy," has taken the family-centric animated comedy template popularized by "The Simpsons" and ramped up its humor considerably. The show centers on the Griffin family, living in the Rhode Island town of Quahog, led by blue-collar patriarch Peter (MacFarlane). The family often gets into all sorts of hijinks with their friends and neighbors, including the Griffins' infant son Stewie (MacFarlane), a murderously scheming genius. Episodes are frequently punctuated by cutaway gags, usually initiated by passing dialogue from the characters and incorporating pop culture references.

Sitting at over 450 episodes and counting, "Family Guy" is one of the most prolific animated series still currently on television. With its reliance on cutaway jokes, the punchlines come in fast and furious throughout the series, often serving as a highlight over the main episode plots themselves. The show is also a fantastic showcase for MacFarlane, not only for his comedic sensibilities but his vocal talents with the multitude of characters that he plays. "Family Guy" boasts plenty of funny episodes and has become a television staple, entertaining audiences for more than 20 years.

After creating "The Simpsons," Matt Groening brought his animated sitcom sensibilities to the realm of science fiction with "Futurama." Debuting in 1999, the series opens with pizza deliveryman Philip J. Fry (Billy West) accidentally being cryogenically frozen on the eve of the 21st century. Revived a millennium later, Fry meets the last surviving descendant of his family, Hubert Farnsworth (West), who runs an interstellar delivery service. As Fry settles into the 31st century and a new delivery job, he befriends the rest of Farnsworth's staff on wacky adventures throughout the cosmos.

While "The Simpsons" certainly has its own charm and celebrated longevity, "Futurama" is the show that tonally aligns closer to "South Park." Pop culture gags and social commentary appear frequently, often more prominently than in "The Simpsons," while the sci-fi show still has a tremendous amount of heart. After multiple revivals on various platforms following its initial run on Fox, "Futurama" feels refreshingly unchanged even as it pivots to reflect changes in modern society. A colorfully animated sci-fi comedy, "Futurama" uses its 31st-century setting to skewer the world we live in now.

If there was ever an Adult Swim show that captured the crude and outrageous sensibilities of "South Park" the best, it'd be "Aqua Teen Hunger Force." The show revolves around three anthropomorphic food items, Master Shake (Dana Snyder), Frylock (Carey Means), and Meatwad (Dave Willis). Along with their human neighbor Carl (Willis), the group often gets into wonderfully weird hijinks, from poorly conceived schemes to taking on various enemies. Just like Kenny in "South Park" returning to life each episode, so much of the suburban status quo of "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" similarly resets every episode.

There's just something about the counterculture sensibilities in Adult Swim original programming that aligns nicely with "South Park." This is certainly true of "Aqua Teen Hunger Force," which uses its generic suburban setting and surreal characters to deliver all sorts of oddly hilarious fun. The series became a staple on Adult Swim for over a decade, never getting too serious without missing a beat on its absurdist humor. One of the most enjoyable animated series of all time, "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" keeps things strange and is all the better for it.

As a spinoff of the satirical talk show "Space Ghost Coast to Coast," "Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law" was among the inaugural original shows for the Adult Swim programming block. Just as "Space Ghost" saw its titular superhero change careers, "Harvey Birdman" has its '60s Hanna-Barbera hero (Gary Cole) become a trial lawyer. Though retaining the preceding series' penchant for absurdist humor, the 2001 spinoff features a more structured narrative approach detailing Harvey's courtroom antics. Many of the supporting characters are other classic Hanna-Barbera figures, either as clients, colleagues, or legal opponents to Birdman and his team.

Staged like a '70s workplace sitcom, "Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law" veers into a more ribald sense of humor that Adult Swim leaned on heavily in its early shows. Birdman and his supporting cast would deliver this more evenly, backed by an impressive voice cast that includes Stephen Colbert and Paget Brewster. The series isn't precious about its classic Hanna-Barbera characters either, poking fun at them mercilessly, such as having the Jetsons completely hopeless when visiting the modern era. "Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law" was pivotal in helping Adult Swim develop its identity, helping influence some of the best Cartoon Network shows of all time.

Classic family-based adventure series from the '60s get completely skewered by the 2003 Adult Swim series "The Venture Bros." The show follows immoral scientist Rusty Venture (James Urbaniak), the single father to twin sons Hank (Chris McCulloch) and Dean Venture (Michael Sinterniklaas). The family is accompanied and protected by ultra-macho bodyguard Brock Samson (Patrick Warburton), who has no problem dispensing lethal force to get the job done. The ensemble faces a wide range of recurring antagonists, though none more frequently than Rusty's college nemesis, the Monarch (McCulloch), a supervillain mastermind.

On its surface, "The Venture Bros." is a spoof of "Jonny Quest," but the show goes deeper than that inspiration. The series pokes fun at everything from mid-20th-century action-adventure pulp stories, comic book supervillains, and run-of-the-mill mindless action movies all at once. With gleefully over-the-top carnage and plenty of sharply self-aware humor, the show grows stronger as it continues. One of the unequivocal gems in Adult Swim's extensive catalog, "The Venture Bros." exceeds its parody origins to become its own enduring triumph.

After the success of "Family Guy," Seth MacFarlane delved into jingoistic satire with the animated family sitcom "American Dad!." The show centers on the Smith family, with patriarch Stan (MacFarlane), an ultra-conservative agent working for the CIA. This puts him at odds with his hippie daughter Hayley (Rachael MacFarlane) and other oddball members of his family, including the domesticated alien Roger (Seth MacFarlane). In between Stan taking on various national security missions, he tries to get his family to ditch their liberal outlook, often failing spectacularly.

Unlike "Family Guy," "American Dad!" doesn't rely on cutaway gags to deliver the bulk of its jokes, letting viewers stay with the main characters more each episode. This prolonged perspective really underscores how truly bizarre the show actually is, while maintaining a coherent narrative at its core. Despite its television-obsessed aliens and talking goldfish, the series offers its own twist on the modern American family, especially in an increasingly politically divisive country. "American Dad!" isn't just a government-tinged take on the "Family Guy" formula but something distinctly its own, an identity it develops considerably as it progresses.

Heavy metal is more than just a music genre; it's an entire way of life in the 2006 Adult Swim series "Metalocalypse." The show revolves around the ridiculously popular death metal band Dethlok, which has fanatical legions of fans worldwide and an economic windfall that rivals developed nations. Because of the band's immense popularity, they're often permitted to do whatever they like, despite their tendency to leave accidental death and destruction in their wake. As the band tries to take their music to the next level, the ensemble's unwavering stupidity usually leads to gruesome disaster.

"Metalocalypse" provides audiences with a so-dumb-it's-fun premise, reveling in its celebration of heavy metal and hilariously buffoonish characters. After the series' conclusion in 2013, it received a continuation movie in 2023, providing the story with a satisfying coda. The show also boasts a surprisingly well-crafted original soundtrack, prompting its music to be released and toured commercially. The most rocking Adult Swim series, "Metalocalypse" captures the spirit of heavy metal while bringing the laughs.

The golden age of pop culture spycraft, embodied by characters like James Bond, serves as the backdrop for the FX animated series "Archer." Set in a nebulous time period that usually evokes the 1960s, the 2009 series follows an independent spy agency whose star operative is Sterling Archer (H. Jon Benjamin). Though incredibly competent, Archer is prone to numerous vices and glaring personal insecurities, highlighted by the fact that his boss is his mother, Malory (Jessica Walter). Later seasons take the characters to differing genres and inspirations, including overt science fiction and an homage to "Miami Vice," while keeping its spoof elements sharp.

Initially, "Archer" feels like a comedic cross between early James Bond movies and "Mad Men," with its chauvinistic setting. The ensemble cast each bring their A-game, especially Aisha Tyler as fellow operative and Archer's on-again, off-again lover Lana Kane. Just when the show seemed to completely mine its '60s premise, it pivoted to broaden its concept to great effect. "Archer" ran for 14 seasons, thoroughly parodying pulp action stories and thematic pop culture across the series.

One of the most successful Adult Swim series in the Cartoon Network programming block's history is "Rick and Morty." The show follows mad scientist Rick Sanchez and his timid grandson Morty Smith as they use Rick's inventions to travel through time and space. This often involves the duo exploring alternate realities and parallel dimensions, sometimes encountering variations of themselves and people they know. In between the cosmic action, the rest of Morty's family frequently get drawn into the sci-fi adventures.

"Rick and Morty" has been a cornerstone of Adult Swim's programming lineup since 2013 and shows no signs of slowing down. The sense of humor is as wacky as it gets, embracing the possibilities of the sci-fi genre, but the show also has a surprising amount of emotion at times. For those curious, there are essential "Rick and Morty" episodes everyone should watch, highlighting the series' appeal. With "Rick and Morty" renewed through 2029, fans can expect more antics from the grandfather and grandson duo for years to come.

On paper, the most absurd show on this list is the 2014 Adult Swim series "Mike Tyson Mysteries." The cartoon stars Tyson as himself, who has turned to solving mysteries after retiring from boxing. Joining the former heavyweight champion are his adopted daughter, Yung Hee (Rachel Ramras), the ghost of the Marquess of Queensberry (Jim Rash), and a depraved man possessing a pigeon (Norm Macdonald). This unlikely crime-solving team travels the world to ostensibly investigate all sorts of cases, though rarely reaching a satisfying conclusion.

Just based on the general synopsis above, "Mike Tyson Mysteries" regularly treads on the outright bizarre with its premise. There is a surprising sophistication to some of the gags, though the entire affair is unabashedly wacky in its execution. Macdonald and Rash are both right in their comedic element, while Tyson has no problem playing himself as a bit of a clueless buffoon. A send-up of shows like "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?," "Mike Tyson Mysteries" is certainly unique and often hilarious for those interested in the joke.

One last Adult Swim show to include on this list is the surrealist series "Smiling Friends," which premiered in 2020. The show revolves around a quartet of people working for the titular charity, primarily Charlie Dompler (Zach Hadel) and Pim Pimling (Michael Cusack). Whereas Pimling is an idealistic and cheerful optimist, Charlie is a cynical pessimist in direct contrast to his best friend. Along with their other coworkers, Charlie and Pimling take on a variety of strange tasks while sharing their observations about the world.

"Smiling Friends" pushes the creative boundaries of what to expect from an Adult Swim original series, both visually and tonally. The show uses a myriad of animation techniques in its depiction of the mind-bendingly surreal, while the character designs run the gamut of being cute and creepy. At the same time, the show's tone alternates between crudely hilarious and introspectively existential on a dime, keeping viewers on their toes. A beautifully rendered reinvention of what Adult Swim can be, "Smiling Friends" is an understated masterpiece.

After creating "Rick and Morty," Justin Roiland teamed up with series writer Mike McMahan to create a very different sci-fi animated comedy with "Solar Opposites." The show centers on a family of aliens who crash on Earth, led by adults Korvo (Dan Stevens) and Terry (Thomas Middleditch). The ensemble acclimates to living among humanity, observing the species' odd foibles and fixations, while growing closer together. The story gradually expands to follow miniaturized humans in the family's terrarium and other extraterrestrial entities in Korvo and Terry's lives.

Anyone familiar with McMahan's work on "Star Trek: Lower Decks" knows his penchant for gradually building the emotional investment in between the outrageous sci-fi gags. "Solar Opposites" is no different in that regard, though it lacks the associated "Star Trek" derring-do and places a greater emphasis on family. After Hulu cut ties with Justin Roiland, recasting his voice roles, the show only seemed to improve across its final three seasons. A family sitcom that grows more complex and rewarding across its six seasons, "Solar Opposites" should be among Hulu's best original series.