Sayak Basu
Netflix is undoubtedly the single most game-changing streaming service in the entertainment space as far as the 21st century is concerned. The streaming platform has completely changed the way films and television shows are consumed by the audiences, and have also started producing content themselves dubbed as Netflix Originals. Now that there is an intense competition among the various streaming platforms that keep coming up, the only way a platform can hold on to its status and popularity is by producing the best web content. Netflix, with its vast all-encompassing roster of shows and films, has managed to do just that. Not only has Netflix produced films and shows in English, but they have also distributed original content from countries all over the world like India, Brazil, South Africa, United States, Canada, and others.
Along with their concentration on live-action films and TV shows, it also has to be said that animation gets equal importance from the Netflix authorities. And that is the reason original animated shows, both for children and adults, can be found on the platform. Among the numerous such shows that they have produced over the years, not one has been as popular and influential as ‘BoJack Horseman‘.
This adult animated series centers around an anthropomorphic horse who is a former television star currently residing in Los Angeles. Now having fallen upon difficult times, all BoJack does is consuming a whole lot of booze and lamenting over his failures in life. A complete nihilist, BoJack manages to criticize modern society and its extreme commercialization of everything. The show highlights the decadent lifestyle of stardom and the lack of values in today’s world. BoJack almost becomes the spokesperson of our generation. A socially conscious sitcom, ‘BoJack Horseman’ is a series which you should not miss out on at any cost. If you wish to check out similar shows, here are some titles you can look at. You can watch many of these tv shows like ‘BoJack Horseman’ on Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime.
7. Disenchantment (2018-)
Another Netflix original series, ‘Disenchantment‘ is the creation of the legendary Matt Groening, the person behind ‘The Simpsons‘. Groening has created three shows in the same universe so far- ‘Disenchantment’, which is placed in the Middle Ages, ‘The Simpsons’, which is present in the present times, and ‘Futurama’, a show set a thousand years in the future. ‘Disenchantment’ is the story of the young princess Bean, who lives in the ruinous kingdom of Dreamland. She is created in a way to shatter all your preconceived notions about coy medieval princesses. She loves drinking and is accompanied by a personal demon called Luci and an elf-like creature called Elfo. Their encounters with different fantastical creatures form the main narrative of the series. The concept of the series and the brilliant characters are truly praiseworthy. The show reflects the brilliant humor we have always associated Groening’s work with.
6. South Park (1997-)
One of the best adult animated shows of all time, ‘South Park‘ has been running successfully since it first aired on Comedy Central way back in 1987. The series centers around the lives of four boys- Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman and Kenny McCormick who live in the eponymous town. Each one of their characters becomes the source of humor in the show. While Stan is the “everyman” of the series, Kyle is the Jew who becomes the constant butt of Eric’s joke. Surprisingly enough, despite being a fourth-grader, Eric has quite strong anti-Semitic beliefs. Last but not the least, Kenny dies in almost every episode before coming back in the next one without providing any proper explanation of his return. Plots of the series sometimes might also be supernatural or fantastical. ‘South Park’ has always remained fresh with its approach to characterization and jokes, and can easily be considered a landmark in adult animated programming.
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5. F Is For Family (2015-)
The brainchild of famous comedian Bill Burr, ‘F Is For Family’ is inspired by his life as he was growing up in the 1970s in an Irish American family. The series is a complete throwback to the period, with its settings, the fashion, and even the music being strictly reflective of the period’s culture. The central character of the series is a former veteran, Francis X. “Frank” Murphy, who now works at an airport and is quick to get angry or use foul language. The socio-political landscape of 1970s America is brilliantly depicted in this series. We get to know of the position women held in society during that time, the role of the “father” in a family from that period, and so on. What the show does subtly is a lamentation of how political correctness has become an extremely important aspect in modern society, where one has to be very conscious regarding others’ feelings while talking about anything under the sun.
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4. Archer (2009-)
An animated sitcom about secret agents and espionage- the premise of ‘Archer‘ is so unique that it makes us sit up and take notice of the series as soon as we hear about it for the first time. The central character of the series is Sterling Archer, a secret agent working for the International Secret Intelligence Service (ISIS) – Wink Wink! The character is modeled quite a lot after James Bond, with him being a complete womanizer and a lover of the high life. ISIS is run by Sterling’s mother Malory, with her and the several people who work for the organization becoming the other important characters of the series. The show is set in an unspecified period in time, with a Cold War-like situation being ever present. From the eighth season onwards, some of the seasons have been placed in some unique settings. For example, Season 8 is placed in the film noir-esque settings of 1940s Los Angeles. Season 9 is placed on an island in the South Pacific era, while Season 10 is set in a retro-futuristic world. With brilliant voice-acting performances and solid writing, ‘Archer’ is one of the best-animated sitcoms you shall ever come across.
3. Family Guy (1999-)
Created by Seth MacFarlane, ‘Family Guy‘ is an iconic adult animated sitcom that has managed to capture the audience for close to two decades now. The series centers around a family comprising of a man, his wife, two teenage children, an infant, and a dog. The patriarch of the family is Peter Griffin, a blue-collar worker. His wife is Lois, a piano teacher who comes from an affluent family. Their children Meg and Chris are not very popular and are teenagers who are constantly bullied and victimized in school. The most interesting characters are the infant Stewie and the dog Brian. Stewie is someone quite ahead of his age. He uses phrases typically associated with arch villains, and always concocts plans to conquer the world. Brian, on the other hand, only talks to Stewie and displays a love for martinis. The everyday happenings in the family become the main focus of the series. ‘Family Guy’ mainly satirizes the everyday lives of American families.
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2. Futurama (1999-2013)
Another one of Matt Groening’s creations, ‘Futurama’ talks about the life of a certain Philip J. Fry who finds himself in the year 2999 after being cryogenically preserved for a thousand years. In this world where everything has changed, Philip takes up work as am intergalactic pizza delivery executive. The most fascinating aspect about the series is the intricacy that has gone behind the creation of the world in 2999. New York is now completely different and the old city is buried beneath the ground, and acts as the new city’s sewer. Religion has also gone through a massive change, with robots and Oprah having become the new gods. The series shows us how our perceptions of reality have changed over the years and how we have modified our customs and beliefs to suit the need of the hour.
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1. The Simpsons (1989-)
One of the greatest shows in the history of television, ‘The Simpsons’ has become a cultural icon with its influence being comparable to The Beatles, Mickey Mouse, ‘Friends’, or ‘Game Of Thrones‘. The series is set in the modern world and concentrates upon a dysfunctional family living in suburban America. Middle class American lifestyle is the subject of satire in this series. Controversial issues of environment, politics, education, and so on have always found a place in this show. ‘The Simpsons’ can easily be called the mirror on which America has been looking at its own self for about three decades now.
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