Updated September 2, 2023 3.1K votes 592 voters 20.0K views
Over 500 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Most Overlooked Cartoon Network Shows
Voting Rules
Vote up the Cartoon Network series that deserve to be remembered as classics.
Since its debut in 1992, Cartoon Network has delivered some of the best cartoons on cable TV. Old Cartoon Network shows such as Dexter's Laboratory, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, and Johnny Bravo helped draw attention to the network in the late '90s. With the channel's expansion into video games and more adult-oriented material, Cartoon Network continues to dominate the market today.
While the network has a slew of beloved shows, there are plenty of Cartoon Network shows you forgot about. These shows maintain small yet solid fan bases years after their final episodes. Make sure to vote for your favorite forgotten Cartoon Network shows below.
Megas XLR got a full series from the network after its pilot episode won the 2002 Cartoon Cartoon Weekend Summerfest contest. The show follows a pair of slackers defending Earth with the help of mecha robot Megas XLR. While fan support was massive at the start, the show was canceled after two seasons in 2005. A number of fan campaigns have been launched to revive the series, but co-creator George Krstic stated it can't be done. In a 2014 interview with Untied magazine, Krstic said:
We've been trying everything and anything for the past ten years to try and get things going again - from buying the rights back, to licensing to a sanctioned reboot and the answer has always been "No way."
Animation company Titmouse, which would go on to work on Metalocalypse and Avatar: The Last Airbender, worked on Megas XLR's main titles.
Actors: Clancy Brown, Kevin Michael Richardson, Steven Blum, David DeLuise, Wendee Lee
In The Secret Saturdays, the Saturdays are a family of cryptozoologists trying to protect society from cryptids. The show, which lasted two seasons, has the distinction of being the first-ever HD original series on the network. Three years after its 2010 cancellation, the Saturdays appeared on an episode of Ben 10: Omniverse.
The Secret Saturdays was nominated for a Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing - Sound Effects, Foley, Dialogue and ADR Animation in Television.
Actors: Phil Morris, Nicole Sullivan, Sam Lerner, Diedrich Bader, Fred Tatasciore
Animated sci-fi series Sym-Bionic Titan deals with a trio of aliens posing as humans after crash-landing on Earth. When things get intense, the aliens combine to form Sym-Bionic Titan. The show was co-created by Genndy Tartakovsky, who created Cartoon Network classics Samurai Jack and Dexter's Laboratory. The show only lasted one season. Given the show's cliffhanger ending, Tartakovsky still hopes to revive it to resolve everything. In a 2017 interview with Polygon, he said:
If someone offered me money to finish up Titan, I'd do it. We had a John Hughes-type teenage comedy with action and it was... When you have babies, sometimes they grow up and have a life of their own and sometimes they don't find their footing. Jack grew up and moved on, and he needed an ending. I think my movie for Titan would be like... what was the name of it? Pacific Rim. Like that but without all the humor removed.
Time Squad follows a trio of time travelers trying to change the past to protect the future. While they're on their journey, they run into some noticeable historical figures.
Time Squad became the first cartoon produced solely through Cartoon Network Studios. During its two-season run, the show earned five Annie Award nominations, including one for Outstanding Achievement in a Primetime or Late Night Animated Television Production.
Actors: Mark Hamill, Rob Paulsen, Pamela Adlon, Michael Gough
As a spinoff of Grim & Evil, Evil Con Carne follows the misadventures of the diabolical Hector Con Carne. The series debuted around the same time as sister series The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy. Unfortunately, it couldn't match the level of success of Billy & Mandy. Evil Con Carne was canceled after 35 episodes.
Three years after its cancellation, a crossover episode with Billy & Mandy was released.
Inspired by Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Simpsons, The Life and Times of Juniper Lee follows Juniper Lee's quest to save the world with magic abilities. As expected, she has to do this while focusing on school.
Debuting in 2005, the show had a three-season run before concluding in 2007. In 2006, show animator Frederick J. Gardner III won an Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation.
Actors: Lara Jill Miller, Alexander Polinsky, Candi Milo
