10 Best Cartoon Network Shows Of The '90s, Ranked

Launched in 1992, Cartoon Network has been a basic cable staple for over 30 years, primarily celebrating animated programming. Initially highlighting the extensive animated libraries of Warner Bros. and Hanna-Barbera, the channel went on to produce its own content, which eventually became its programming focus. Today, we're taking a look back at that inaugural decade of Cartoon Network programming, more specifically, the '90s. After all, some of the best Cartoon Network shows of all time aired during this formative decade, laying the groundwork for its additional original content to follow.

There are a couple of caveats to keep in mind when it comes to the shows that we selected for this list. We're not just looking at animated series that aired on Cartoon Network during the '90s, but shows that were also produced during the decade. For example, "Batman: The Animated Series" was produced in the '90s but didn't come to Cartoon Network until 2000 while "The Flintstones" was decades old by the decade. With that in mind, here are our picks for the 10 best Cartoon Network shows of the '90s ranked, showcasing that crucial decade for the channel.

For better or worse, one of the defining characteristics of '90s cartoons, particularly those produced for basic cable, was that they tended to rely heavily on gross-out humor. This emphasis on lavatorial laughs was often combined with absurdist premises, and few shows from the decade were as bizarre as "Cow and Chicken." Like many cartoons on this list, the show began as a pilot that aired on Cartoon Network's anthology series "What a Cartoon!," with successful shorts receiving their own shows. The titular pair are anthropomorphic animal siblings who are often menaced by the Devil, with all three characters voiced by Charlie Adler.

Debuting in 1997, "Cow and Chicken" mixed its unorthodox family dynamics with oddball gags that usually veered into the surreal. Adler's multifaceted performance carries a lot of the series, especially in how he voices the Devil as the character tries to ensnare and outwit his bovine and poultry quarry. But even better than "Cow and Chicken" itself was the show's superhero spoof segment "I Am Weasel," with Michael Dorn playing the main character. This series may put off viewers who didn't grow up with the series, but for any Cartoon Network-watching millennial, "Cow and Chicken" holds a special nostalgic quality.

Another '90s cartoon that relied heavily on toilet humor was "2 Stupid Dogs," which originally debuted on Cartoon Network's sister channel TBS in 1993. The series eventually made its way to Cartoon Network, with the channel even cutting its own promos starring the characters. The show itself centers on a little dog (Mark Schiff) and big dog (Brad Garrett) who get into various misadventures, from obnoxious owners to menial jobs. Much of the series' comedy comes from the fact that the canines and many of the characters around them are hopelessly dim-witted.

If "Cow and Chicken" feels like a riff on "Rocko's Modern Life," then "2 Stupid Dogs" feels like it's treading on similar ground as "Ren and Stimpy." Both shows feature pairs of anthropomorphic animals whose ineptitude gets them into trouble, though "2 Stupid Dogs" isn't as consistently mean-spirited. That distinction goes a long way, making the whole thing more palatable than many of its contemporaries with a similar sense of humor. Finding a surprising amount of mileage from its relatively simple premise, "2 Stupid Dogs" keeps things light and funny.

In all honesty, "Transformers: Beast Wars" would rank much higher on this list but it didn't have as prominent a presence in Cartoon Network's lineup. Cartoon Network aired the show's second season, which stands among its best, even if the series is more closely associated with its original syndicated run. A sequel series to the original "Transformers" animated series, the show follows a group of time-traveling Cybertronians landing on Earth in prehistoric times. The second season is when the time-traveling stakes come into focus, opening with a bang as Optimus Primal (Garry Chalk) returns in a new Transmetal form following the Season 1 finale.

One of the pioneering fully computer-animated television series of the '90s, "Transformers: Beast Wars" frequently looks laughable by today's standards. But the animation quality is much better in Season 2 while the storytelling takes bigger swings, including the deaths of other major characters. The show's G1 connection also makes it a must-watch for fans of the franchise, finding interesting ways to continue the '80s series' story. A forgotten '90s cartoon still worth watching, "Transformers: Beast Wars" is a fun reinvention of what the franchise can be.

Aimed more toward the preteen crowd, "Johnny Bravo" premiered in 1997 and ran for four seasons. The eponymous protagonist is a sort of muscular Elvis Presley pastiche, complete with a pompadour and distinct drawl. Hopelessly self-centered, Johnny is constantly trying to land a date with the women that he encounters with little success. The series also had a surprising number of guest stars and cameos, from other Hanna-Barbera animated characters to real-life figures appearing in Johnny's escapades.

Like some of the shows fueled by gross-out gags, "Johnny Bravo" may not have aged the best among Cartoon Network's early original output. But as boorish as the title character can be around women, the important thing to keep in mind is that Johnny is always portrayed as a buffoon. Johnny's constantly failing at striking up a romance; he's no ladies' man, no matter how much he fancies himself as one. That distinction fuels a lot of the humor in "Johnny Bravo" and makes its shallow protagonist that much more palatable.

Premiering at the tail end of the '90s, "Ed, Edd n Eddy" still managed to make a splash on Cartoon Network before the decade was done. The show's titular trio are three adolescents living in unassuming suburbia who routinely get into all sorts of mischief. The group is led by Eddy (Tony Sampson), a hot-headed youth who drags his friends Ed (Matt Hill) and Edd (Samuel Vincent) into his schemes. Running for six seasons, the series features everything from neighborhood rivalries to the characters' first awkward steps toward adolescence.

While the character designs, particularly of its central trio, are garishly rendered, there is a genuine, if rambunctious, heart to "Ed, Edd n Eddy." A lot of that comes from the show's earnest exploration of adolescent imagination and dreams run wild, usually with chaotic results. The three main characters balance each other out well, taking on a comedy team dynamic, from the good-natured but dim-witted Ed to the neurotically intelligent Edd. Carrying Cartoon Network into the 21st century, "Ed, Edd n Eddy" brings the laughs with youthful reckless abandon.

"Transformers" wasn't the only legacy animated property getting a 3D makeover during the '90s. The Hanna-Barbera action-adventure franchise "Jonny Quest" was revamped on Cartoon Network in 1996 under the title "The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest." The show featured Jonny (J.D. Roth) and his friends embarking on globe-trotting missions and investigating odd phenomena, with most of the action presented in traditional animation. But the series' big gimmick was QuestWorld, a virtual reality environment presented in 3D computer animation.

While mitigating the dated cultural stereotypes that made the original series and its forgotten '80s cartoon revival age poorly, "The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest" maintains the freewheeling fun. The conventionally animated sequences feel like a natural continuation of the preceding shows, while the 3D animation is more amusing than exciting these days. But for as outdated as the 3D sequences look now, the storytelling itself largely holds up. One of the best incarnations of Hanna-Barbera's classic property, "The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest" brings plenty of escapist action.

Of the Cartoon Network original series that revolved around toilet humor from the '90s, the one that aged the best is "Courage the Cowardly Dog." A big part of that heightened appeal comes from the show blending surreal horror with its crude gags. The eponymous protagonist, Courage (Marty Grabstein), lives in a remote farmhouse with his elderly owners, where supernatural threats are an almost constant occurrence. Despite being as easily frightened as the title suggests, Courage finds himself often saving the day despite his deep-seated fears.

There are laughs generated from the gross-out moments throughout "Courage the Cowardly Dog," but also a haunting sense of the grotesque. Right from the opening episode, this is a show that leans into body horror, something that low-key traumatized plenty of younger viewers. But that's all part of the series' charm, showcasing the collision of otherworldly terror with the utterly mundane. One of the best TV shows that starred a dog, "Courage the Cowardly Dog" brought a little horror comedy to Cartoon Network.

The '90s marked a seismic shift in talk shows as longtime king of late night Johnny Carson retired and a new generation of television hosts tried to fill the void. Cartoon Network threw its own completely nonsensical hat into the ring with "Space Ghost Coast to Coast," which premiered in 1994. With Space Ghost voiced by the late George Lowe, the '60s superhero traded cosmic heroics for hosting a talk show alongside several of his old supervillains. A surprising amount of '90s celebrities appeared on the show, but the interviews themselves were rarely the point of the zany antics going on.

Cartoon Network's "Space Ghost Coast to Coast" made history, not just as one of the channel's earliest original series but also through the influence it would have on the network's future programming. The show introduced an early version of the absurdist humor that informed the channel's Adult Swim programming block launched years later. And with some of the guests that appeared, like Carrot Top and Jim Carrey, the show really captures the '90s aesthetic. A low-budget satire of the late-night wars heating up the talk show scene, "Space Ghost Coast to Coast" embraces overt irreverence to groundbreaking effect.

After appearing in two "What a Cartoon!" shorts in 1995 and 1996, "The Powerpuff Girls" received its own series in 1998. A family-friendly superhero satire, the show's titular trio are super-powered sisters made of sugar, spice, and everything nice. Backed by a memorable cadre of supervillains, the show brings a vibrant punk rock energy to the genre and its requisite action set pieces. The series went on to inspire a movie prequel, an anime adaptation, and a reboot in 2016, but that original show still stands as the best realization of the concept.

Regardless of medium or channel, "The Powerpuff Girls" is one of the best superhero TV shows of all time. There is plenty of self-referential humor about the genre and its juvenile heroes, but also loads of rousing action in virtually every episode. That said, revisiting the show as an adult, it's clear that it was a kids' cartoon that told inappropriate jokes, albeit subtly and without being mean-spirited. But it's those sensibilities of playing to audiences of all ages that helped make "The Powerpuff Girls" what it was, mixing superhero thrills with cheeky laughs.

Another show that debuted its pilot through "What a Cartoon!" was the sci-fi series "Dexter's Laboratory," which made its full premiere in 1996. Created by Genndy Tartakovsky, the show is named for a preadolescent boy genius who keeps a secret advanced lab in his room. Dexter's experiments provide much of the show's action and comedy, with Tartakovsky showcasing the penchant for elaborate fight choreography he'd later carry into "Samurai Jack" and "Primal." The show also included superhero-themed segments, "Dial M for Monkey" and "The Justice Friends," both of which leaned more heavily into comedy.

"Dexter's Laboratory" is easily one of the best '90s cartoons ever made and certainly the most prestigious that Cartoon Network crafted during the decade. As the series progressed, it got bolder with its already impressive storytelling, pushing its creative boundaries even further. This includes a musical episode, a story nearly completely devoid of dialogue, even an extended ode to "Speed Racer." An absolute triumph, though we'd recommend sticking to the original '90s run rather than the 2001 revival, which continued under Chris Savino after Tartakovsky departed.