11 Shows to Break Your Heart After BoJack Horseman
11 Shows to Break Your Heart After BoJack Horseman
You marathoned Season 3 of BoJack Horseman. You laughed. You cried. You cried some more. Come to think of it, you haven't actually stopped crying yet. Arguably Netflix's weirdest animated series, BoJack Horseman tells the story of its titular character. a has-been Hollywood actor who also happens to be an anthropomorphic horse. Equal parts absurd animal jokes and profound meditations on depression, BoJack is hilarious, heartbreaking and, unfortunately, short. If you need more shows that skirt the line between comedy and calamity, look no further.
Rick and Morty
What would happen if the two main characters in Back to the Future were antagonistic screwballs instead of best friends? Rick and Morty answers that question in the zaniest way possible. Mad scientist Rick and his dullard grandson Morty (both voiced by Justin Roiland) travel the multiverse having bizarre adventures, but it's partially to avoid familial dysfunction, existential dread and Lovecraftian horror lurking at the edge of reality.
Seasons: 2
Where to Watch:Hulu
Rick and Morty
Dead Like Me
When the main character gets killed by a flaming toilet seat from space in the first episode, you know a show is not messing around. In Dead Like Me, George Lass (Ellen Muth) returns from the dead as a Reaper, a spirit who eases the newly departed into the afterlife. The Reapers are a wonderfully mundane bunch, fretting about work and rent in addition to ethereal duties.
Seasons: 2
Dead Like Me
Archer
If the cast of Monty Python wrote a James Bond movie, you'd wind up with something like Archer. This animated espionage comedy show follows the exploits of one Sterling Archer (H. Jon Benjamin): an alcoholic superspy who has to deal with international conspiracies as well as his obnoxious co-workers. Usually irreverent and often wacky, the show's flawed, relatable characters still have some real emotional gravitas.
Seasons: 7
Where to Watch:Amazon, Hulu, Netflix
Archer
You're the Worst
Dark comedies about depressed creative types in Los Angeles don't have to be about animated talking animals; they can also be live-action romance stories. You're the Worst focuses on Jimmy Shive-Overly (Chris Geere): an Anglo-American novelist looking for love and self-fulfillment. He falls for the affluent Gretchen Cutler (Aya Cash), whose material wealth does little to alleviate her mental health issues. It's funnier than it sounds.
Seasons: 2
Where to Watch:Hulu
You're The Worst
Space Ghost Coast to Coast
If washed-up animated characters getting their second wind is your jam, Space Ghost Coast to Coast pretty much pioneered the genre. Space Ghost was originally a fairly disposable 1960s Hanna-Barbera superhero, but in 1994, Cartoon Network brought him back as a late-night talk show host played by George Lowe. While it doesn't pack much of a dramatic punch, it laid a lot of the framework for anarchic adult animation.
Seasons: 10
Where to Watch:Microsoft
Hannibal
People who eat people are the luckiest people in the world. Hannibal is technically a crime thriller rather than a comedy. However, you can't make a show about a cannibalistic serial killer/charming culinarian without your tongue planted at least a little bit in your cheek. Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) helps the FBI solve bizarre murders, which helps hide his hobby — killing and eating people in inventive ways.
Seasons: 2
Where to Watch: Amazon
Hinnibal
Daria
Daria might be one of those shows that only makes sense if you grew up during the '90s. The program can be just as entertaining, and harrowing, as reliving your own teenage years. Tracy Grandstaff voices the titular character: a monotonic high school student with a critical eye for just about everything. This fairly unsentimental look at the high school experience still delivers a lot of laughs.
Seasons: 5
Where to Watch: Hulu
Adventure Time
Yet another cartoon that starts off innocuous and winds up going to some very dark places, Adventure Time has come a long way since its debut. This show tells the story of young adventurers Finn the Human (Jeremy Shada) and Jake the Dog (John DiMaggio) as they adventure through the fantastical land of Ooo. Finn and Jake deal with magical princesses and the uncertainty of adolescence in equal measure.
Seasons: 7
Where to Watch: Hulu
Adventure Time
Moral Orel
Moral Orel may be animated like a Sunday school special, but its cuddly claymation exterior hides a show with a dark, perverse and often tragic take on American fundamentalist Christianity. Orel Puppington (Carolyn Lawrence) is a young, credulous boy who tries to take a hardcore Protestant morality to heart, but winds up making things worse for himself and his repressive family. There's some slapstick, too.
Seasons: 3
Where to Watch: Hulu
Moral Orel
Angel
This spin-off series from Buffy the Vampire Slayer mashes together elements of mystery, fantasy, adventure, crime and horror, but retains a strong sense of gallows humor throughout. Angel (David Boreanaz) is a vampire still in possession of his human soul. What's the next logical step? Recruit a motley crew of eccentric sidekicks and start up a detective agency, naturally. If only they could all come out alive.
Seasons: 5
Where to Watch:Hulu, Netflix
The Larry Sanders Show
A keen satire about the insane (and often inane) excesses of Hollywood, The Larry Sanders Show stars the late, great Garry Shandling as the titular talk-show host. In the show, Larry wrangles a celebrity-focused talk show, while dealing with his agent, his fellow performers and his ex-wife. While the show is a sitcom, it veers into the dark underbelly of celebrity and the culture that worships it.
Seasons: 7
Where to Watch:Amazon
Marshall Honorof is a senior editor for Tom's Guide, overseeing the site's coverage of gaming hardware and software. He comes from a science writing background, having studied paleomammalogy, biological anthropology, and the history of science and technology. After hours, you can find him practicing taekwondo or doing deep dives on classic sci-fi.