The Secret World of Alex Mack

Lately my life has seen a lot of near-misses that turned into new blessings. I couldn't get my hands on the Sugar Rush TV show, so I ended up reading the far superior original novel. The DVD series of Unfabulous is sucpiciously unavailable, so I ended up revisiting a show whose DVD I could find -- a show from my very distant past. And frankly it may even outclass Unfabulous.

I keep thinking "there's no deeper into my television history I could ever possibly go." I've revisited shows from when I was 12 only to find they're thrice as well-written as I ever could guess. Will I someday realize Barney was a work of genius? I doubt it. But Alex Mack takes my archeological excavating to new heights thus far, a show all the way back from the mid-90s. It hasn't knocked me completely off my feet but it has left me very deeply impressed as an expert piece of solid craftsmanship, and a definitive work in the teen genre.

The Secret World of Alex Mack is a Sitdram, a show that generally follows the conventions of situation comedies but with a more serious atmosphere and only the rare unambiguous punchline here or there. Sitdrams generally have a 30 minute runtime (22-ish sans commercials) and are typically very episodic like a sitcom. A term you more commonly hear is Dramedy, but a dramedy more closely resembles a drama, the way a sitdram resembles a sitcom. Dramedies frequently feature an hour-long episode running length and focus on story arcs, but with a lighter atmosphere than the stone-cold approach many dramas wield.

It didn't hit me until I popped the DVD in and watched the first episode. "Thomas W. Lynch... where have I seen that name before?" It turns out that the creator of The Secret World of Alex Mack would go on to make the impeccable South of Nowhere ten years later! And that's far from his only credit. Though not as prolific as the untouchable Dan Schneider, Thomas W. Lynch has carved out a sizable portion of Nick history, including the drama Caitlin's Way and the recent comedy Bucket & Skinner's Epic Adventures. His work permeates with sentimental weight, stylish production, and excellent music selection.

I find the mid 90s aesthetic of Alex Mack particularly exulting and masterfully refreshing. The mild production (as was standard in the 90s) is a glorious change of pace from the overstimulation you find on even the most supposedly "adult-oriented" programs today (i.e. news shows). It has a strong dignity and zenlike simplicity to it that for obvious reasons you don't find in any of the current Nick or Disney shows -- they're all comedies. Drama was the norm for teen live action in the mid 90s and the early 00s, but today straight-up comedy reigns unopposed. While I'm a diehard comedy fan, Nick could desperately use a new sitdram or drama. I'm hoping that after Bucket & Skinner, maybe Lynch can put together a new one.

Alex Mack truly shines when it puts aside the subplot of the chemical plant trying to capture Alex, and focuses on Alex's family and social life, crafting quality coming of age material which I find sincere and close to home. Luckily, this happens often. Alex's run-ins with the evil chemical plant are mostly unconvincing, since it only takes a few iterations to demonstrate that no consequences will really come from it. There isn't a lot of longterm plot development in the show but there is a much-appreciated smattering of schmaltz and drama covering very much relatable contnet that is realistically handled. You also have to give Mack credit for spawning the subgenre of magical power teen shows, followed most notably by Wizards of Waverly Place.

Finally, this opens up the door for me to acquire more vintage Nick shows. Luckily I have a couple options left to me: Pete & Pete, Clarissa Explains it All. Unfortunately, a lot of good old shows have never been released at all, neither on DVD-R nor on digital services like iTunes. Nick has released a few classic series and still shows several on Teen Nick, while Disney has released zero from their back catalogue and halts reruns of old shows as quickly as possible.

I'm hoping that the digital era will rectify this mistake -- today, every new episode of a show is quickly released onto iTunes and Amazon. Ideally these shows will remain available 5, 10, 15 years from now when Shake It Up, ANT Farm, and Big Time Rush become novel and therefore newly lucrative. However, it's possible old shows will be pulled from iTunes when they become no longer current -- I've already seen this happen with some music. It would seem to me a no-brainer for shows to be kept on iTunes for purchase, no matter how few buyers they get, seeing as how it's not exactly taking up space in a warehouse anywhere! But this is not always the case, only time will tell how old shows are treated.

Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer!

I've wanted to see this film ever since it came out, because it looked so inconceivably old school. Surprisingly, it's not a Nickelodeon movie, but it perfectly captures the summery, bittersweet aesthetic of live action kids shows and movies in the 90s, like Pete & Pete or Snow Day (granted Snow Day's from the year 2000).

Judy Moody wants to have the best summer ever, problem is her friends and parents are all going away. Her young Aunt Opal steps in to take care of her, but misadventure follows misdaventure and this summer is turning out a disaster! Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer is fun and carefree, with just enough drama to be engaging. Not to mention the excellent, exuberant camera work and solid performances throughout the cast. The premise is stock, but the plot is unique and universal.

Heather Graham puts in a glowing performance as the charasmatic, idiosyncratic and nurturing Aunt Opal, while Jordana Beatty acts with poise and showcases a decent bit of nuance in her command of emiting emotions with her facial expression, quite impressive for her age.

The film unfortunately recieved negative reviews, being handed the same absent-minded and lazy assesments that Ebert & ilk copy/paste into their ham-handed writing for pretty much any live action kids movie, condensing its redeeming features into having "bright colors" and calling it uninteresting. The critical zeitgiest is clear: the only admirable kids movies are animated. They'll lavish praise on any by-the-numbers Pixar film but if you make a film with actual humans in it, you've already made a fatal mistake. Even as a kid, I always prefered live action. Far be it for us to fancy something more relatable than talking inanimate objects, fairytale mentalities, and two-bit good vs. evil themes from centuries ago.

I certainly can't say Judy Moody ranks as one of my favorite movies of all-time, but it's a kids summer classic for sure and it's a spot-on new entry into a genre that has been conspicously and woefully absent as of late.

Sugar Rush

Sugar Rush is a 2004 novel by Julie Burchill that was turned into a TV series in the UK. Since the series is not available here in Region 1, I got the book instead.

I had seen it described (once) as a shallow fantasy story. Considering the premise is: a girl moves to a new school and promptly scores the affection of the head-of-the-totem-pole most popular girl, I was willing to believe it. But the concept didn't affront me -- we have, after all, been subjected to heterosexual fantasies since we were children. Even as toddlers we are fed Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Pocahontas. If hypothetically Sugar Rush's gay daydream were to show us the other side of the coin for once, that's something more than worthy of a look.

It was with a feuding mix of intrigued elation and embarassed chagrin that I discovered how utterly off-base the 'fantasy angle' was in describing Sugar Rush. The last thing I was expecting to find from Sugar Rush, was exactly what it is: one of the most disgustingly poignant and frighteningly insightful books I've ever read. Mind you, it's not poignant in a universal way, where I can say "read this book, it will change your life." It's poignant in the shockingly idiosyncratic way, where I have to wonder if -- in my specific case -- the author has been watching me live, in order to write this story. I'm a little bit terrified by this book, but only because it's been so long since I've had to face my own cold reality.

I was fully prepared for Sugar Rush to be superficial, gaudy, maybe even as bad as those preposterously graphic porn novels for houswives Wal-Mart sells about ravishing princes and gross idealized rape scenarios. But it wasn't. Not at all. I actually found it to be quite a sincere novel. Far from shallow, it's pretty insightful, verging on brilliant.

It's neither as eloquent nor as romantic as Annie On My Mind, but there's no shame in being beaten by the best. It's a different aesthetic -- one that I'm less fond of. But it's one that is, in all honesty, exceedingly more true to my actual teenage years than Annie is. Annie represents idyllic, perfect love, while Sugar Rush presents a more accurate depiction of the sordid little lives we lead. At its finest moments, Sugar Rush manages to accurately capture the naive, butterflies-in-the-stomach fun of being young, juxtaposed against the horrible rough edges inherent in the coming of age. Side by side you have the light-headed excitment mixed with fear that you get from brand new experiences, when you're young enough to feel like anything can happen; And then comes sorrow, the dread, the existential confusion that accompanies divorce, lost friendships, school. The self-doubt, the unbridled enthusiasm, the awkwardness, the drugs... portrayed just how I really experienced them all as a teen.

I was pleased to find that Maria "Sugar" Sweet wasn't quite the archetypal "popular girl" ruling the school like she had been portrayed in some write-ups. As a matter of fact, her popularity lasts all of about one paragraph, from then on out she's more of an outcast misfit. I certainly have nothing against popular people (love 'em), but two people alone in the world clinging to each other for warmth -- that's my favorite kind of love story. This novel takes a familiar set of angst and imbues it with a new modernity.

SPOILERS

I generally don't find it necessary to delve into spoiler territory in my reviews, but it's impossible to discuss the impact of Sugar Rush without doing so. So I strongly discourage those who have not read the novel, who think they ever might, from reading any further portion of this review.

While an upcoming tragedy was distinctly foreshadowed, I was expecting something categorically different, perhaps an ill-fated out-ing like in a Nancy Garden novel. I think the disastrous and illuminating phone call with Stella is the moment where the reader is supposed to realize Stella and Maria are two terminally selfish, woefully clueless peas in a pod. And I did briefly consider it, but I shrugged it off. You have to understand, my mind was set on this being a love story. An unadventurous straight-A private school prep falls for the informal but passionate city school girl? Where have I seen that before? I was fully expecting this to be the crude, unkempt 00s update of Annie On My Mind. My mind wouldn't let go of the idea that they would end up together until the gangbang scene, putting me right in the mindset of Kim and allowing me to be quite a bit as flabbergasted as she.

It's hard for me to even process this book. I have to look back on scenes like when Maria cheered Kim up after her disastrous school presentation and wonder, in light of the ending... what was the motive there? I suppose Maria was a good friend some of the time, it wasn't ALL about attention. But she still did manipulate Kim. But Maria probably didn't even realize how she was manipulating Kim. That's sort of the point, that she's simply clueless and blind.

Suffice to say, Sugar Rush mirrors what I've gone through quite ferociously. It scarily mimics a few aspects of my history that I have no intention of getting into, but what was most striking about it was the thought process Kim went through. It's not just that she was duped, but that she was duping herself to an extent. She held on to hope longer than a person reasonable should have, looking at everything that Sugar did and figuring out a way to keep believing they were meant for each other. Kim had a conclusion in mind, and morphed the circumstances to support that conclusion, rather than looking at the circumstances and deciphering what they mean. My real life tragic flaw is the very same, when it comes to love I make excuses and manipulate the benefit of the doubt until I can "reasonably" hold on to hope. Until it eventually all tumbles down, when the benefit of the doubt gives way to hard facts.

I'm really glad Zoe and Kim ended up together, though. I was always hoping they would be friends again, I never felt they should have really parted ways in the first place. I was shipping them without ever thinking they had a chance to be together. That confrontation scene at the end was exquisite. All in all I just have to say this novel was impeccable at every turn. The writing was a little odd at moments, but the story was flawless and brilliantly handled.

Now I'm off to embark on "Sweet," the novel's sequel. I'm a very trepid about what territory it might cover (since it was inspired by the portrayal of Sugar in the TV series, rather than the original novel), but with such a steller first book I'm confident it will be excellent.

Update: Sugar Rush the TV Series

Sugar Rush became a hit TV show on the UK's Channel 4 in 2005 & 2006. To prep myself for reading "Sweet," I watched a few episodes of the TV series. As a TV show, it's quite decent. Coming into it blind, I'm certain I would enjoy it a lot. But as a devout fan of the original novel, I find the TV interpretation hard to swallow. It's a show inspired by the characters of Sugar Rush (or even just its premise) rather than being an adaption of Sugar Rush itself. The characters are similar to how they appear in the book, but the plot does not align in the least. Zoe does not even exist in this adaption, although a random character named Saint (Zoe's nickname) begins appearing in season 2. The TV version of Stella never even abandons Kim & the family, thus altering her character dramatically. Basically, the TV version is devoid of every little thing that makes Sugar Rush bloody brilliant. Yet, if I can mentally divorce the show from the source material, I would enjoy the TV version as a quality (though trashy) gay teen drama that came out right around the time we in the US had the stellar South of Nowhere.

Pop 8 Collection

It's here! Couldn't stand to wait as long as I wanted but I did wait longer than the pace of new collections in 2011, at least.

1. Smooth Criminal -- Michael Jackson
2. Decode -- Paramore
3. Sheela-Na-Gig -- PJ Harvey
4. Ms. Jackson -- OutKast
5. Part of Me -- Katy Perry
6. Coming Home -- iCarly Cast
7. He's Mine -- Rodney Atkins
8. Take a Hint -- Liz Gillies & Victoria Justice
9. Party in the USA -- Miley Cyrus
10. Leave It All To Me (Billboard Remix) -- Miranda Cosgrove
11. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) -- Michael Jackson
12. Sugar, We're Goin Down -- Fall Out Boy
13. We Found Love -- Rihanna
14. Skin & Bones -- David J. Roch

South of Nowhere

After obsessing over The Good Wife and subsequently running out of new episodes to watch, I set my aim on finding a new drama for my viewing pleasure. Since we're years removed from the last time I got into a romance show, that's the realm I shot for.

Romance dramas are another genre which I love with all my heart, but am extremely discerning with. The glitzy 90210 spiele is not my kind of scene, nor is the cheeky modern chic of the Sex And The City crowd. I'm more into the original WB aesthetic: Dawson's Creek, Gilmore Girls. A little more wholesome and moral, a little less overwrought or convulsing. I'm not sure if WB wholesomeness is all that true to life either, but the FOX sex & money mayhem just doesn't feel relatable to me.

I landed on South Of Nowhere, the groundbreaking Teen Nick original which I've had on my to-watch list for quite some time. Unfortunately I've never had the Teen Nick channel so I had never been able to see it. As it would happen, the reason I've waited this long to get it on DVD amounts to a misconception. Expository write-ups about the show (on Wikipedia, for example) portray it as being about a girl who questions her sexuality when she befriends a gay girl. I misinterpreted that as: a bicurious straight girl with a gay friend. Not as interesting of a setup, to me. But only a few episodes in, it becomes clear that both the girls are gay, and in fact the series revolves around the romance between the two of them. Ironically, by the end of the series it wouldn't be out of line to contend that Ashley (the friend) is some level of bisexual while Spencer (the first character), is solely interested in women.

South of Nowhere definitely has more of a WB feel than a FOX one. I loved watching it with the utmost of thoroughness. I couldn't identify an overarching theme or message in the series (which is something I like to find in a drama), but the characters are solid, the plot is decent, and the highest praise I can give any show: ...it had me frequently yelling at the TV screen! The twists were shocking and the emotional investment was immense. Not even The Good Wife has inspired quite that reaction in me. South of Nowhere is a uniquely beautiful and touching series, and very entertaining.

The cinematography is gorgeous. It has this definite "shaky cam" thing going on, which reaches a peculiar 'meta' level when at one point the main character starts carrying a camera around and randomly recording whatever's going on! I'm sure the odd angles and jittering must annoy a lot of people, but as a fan of found footage movies, I dig it. My guess would be it's done to foster a feeling of closeness to the action, or realness. Or even just to heighten the action itself, and add an extra modicum of suspense. In any case, it gives the series a very *literal* edginess and makes it feel distinctly cool, not to mention modern. Helping the mood is a [i]perfect[/i] soundtrack of hip alternative rock.

SoN was an incredibly innovative series, not just for being a drama about teen lesbians broadcast on a teen-oriented channel alongside the likes of Drake & Josh, but for being among the first programs in any demographic to star and revolve around lesbian characters, and for doing so with such grace and humility. Often when one of TV's various taboos is guillotined, it is handled with sensationalistic fervor to garner publicity and ratings, but South of Nowhere tells a subtle romantic tale with the quiet dignity befitting its story. As a result, South of Nowhere may never have recieved the notoriety it so clearly deserves. But, in exchange for fame, it was able to tell an endearingly sincere story that has touched so many lives in a way no other program could.

I found it fantastically refreshing to watch a romance show again. I wish I had any idea of where to go after South of Nowhere. I'm not sure there's another program like this on the planet. There are some interesting UK programs, e.g. Sugar Rush. But they're completely unavailable on DVD/legal download stateside, and who knows if they foster the wholesome WB perspective I like in a romance. It might be a long time before I get my romance fix again.

But at least I can look forward to rewatching South of Nowhere ad naeseum! ^^

The Epidemic of Teen Sitcoms About Pop Singers

In the not at all distant past, teen sitcoms were mostly about regular schmucks, from Clarissa Explains It All and Even Stevens to Unfabulous and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. You also had your share of relatively unique (often Sci-Fi) premises, like Phil of the Future or The Secret World of Alex Mack.

Teen idols making waves as temporary pop music stars was nothing new. But a few programs came around that changed the relationship between their music and their television fame. You can trace the concept back to earlier instances, such as Drake Bell's guitar-slinging persona in Drake & Josh. But the concept truly became formidable in 2006.

The TV film High School Musical became unfathomably successful upon its release in January of 2006. Shortly thereafter Hannah Montana premiered and took over the world, centering on a fictional pop singer posing as a regular kid. Next, a previously made mockumentary-style independent film was turned into a TV series by Nickelodeon, called the Naked Brothers Band. High School Musical proved beyond dispute that music from a kids-oriented program could garner A-list sales, while Hannah and the NBB showed how seamlessly the TV show and the pop music by the show's star could be integrated. It was a match made in synergy heaven, with the show and the music career effortlessly promoting each other to stunning new sales heights.

Somewhere around the time that the same concept stormed network TV in the form of likewise-ultra-successful Glee, the TV world began bubbling over with the same old idea from Hannah Montana & Victorious. It's just now reached a fever pitch where practically every sitcom on Nick and Disney follows this formula.

Current or recent shows based entirely around the premise of an aspiring young singer or singers, with ties to commercially released music:

Hannah Montana
The Naked Brothers Band
Jonas L.A.
Big Time Rush
Victorious
How to Rock
A.N.T. Farm
Austin & Ally


Current shows that have included a subplot about one of the characters attempting to become a professional musician or that have included a character singing an original song (in at least one episode):

iCarly
Good Luck Charlie
Shake It Up
Jessie
Bucket & Skinner's Epic Adventures


Together that comprises every single notable sitcom currently airing new episodes on Nick and Disney (granted, I don't consider Nick's B-List sitcoms notable, they are: Supah Ninjas and Fred: The Show).

Technically, is a bunch of shows about aspiring singers less original than a bunch of shows about regular kids? Not necessarily. But the 'regular kid' premise has a sort of universal appeal. Even as a diehard, rabid, foaming at the mouth lover of pop music, having every show be about singing is starting to drive me up the wall. And I say that even as a likewise rabid fan of the current stock of teen sitcoms!

I don't need to tell you that I consider iCarly and Victorious the greatest ever entries in the teen sitcom genre, nor that I watch and adore nearly all of Disney Channel's current live action programing. If you read this blog, you know this. But with the recent premieres of Austin & Ally, and How To Rock, I just can't handle this identical premise any longer. Throw us fans a bone and give us another show about regular kids, or super-powered kids, or fueding siblings ...or lobsters on the moon, I don't care as long as nobody sings any songs. Jennette McCurdy has her own show soon to be made. Jen happens to be one of the most technically proficient singers on Nick or Disney. But if you bastards stick her in the 15th Hannah Montana remake, I will fucking cut you.

The Top 15 Greatest Adult Cartoons

TV is my flipping life, and there are a lot of amazing genres I wouldn't opt to live without. But the "Adult Cartoon" is quite possibly the best category. At their highest echelon, an adult cartoon combines all the laughs and feel-good rewatchability of the best sitcoms, with some of the highest quality story-telling from action and drama shows. Plus they categorically present a snarky, irreverent (and markedly hilarious) subtext that  pretty much defines my generation.

There's been a vast omnibus of excellent adult cartoons in the last few decades; so many great ones worthy of discussion that aren't included here, and incredible new entries coming out nearly every month! But I wanted to limit this list to the very best of the best, for now. I'm interested in someday compiling a much larger list. But for now, here is the ultimate creme de la creme of the adult cartoon genre!


1. The Simpsons 
Score: 20++
Influence: 5+ Quality: 5 Longevity: 5+ Uniqueness: 5

Its influence cannot be understated, The Simpsons invented the adult cartoon in the American conscioussness. Its outstanding quality has long since been ingrained in our collective culture. I don't really need to say much, because if you're not already familiar with this show then you're probably not familiar with any of these shows and you're probably not interested enough to bother reading this blog.


2. South Park 
Score: 20+
Influence: 5 Quality: 5+ Longevity: 5 Uniqueness: 5

Effortlessly defining the Adult Cartoon in both its extremes, South Park flits back and forth between gruesome gross-out humor and some of the most intelligent social commentary on TV. 16 seasons in, South Park is amazingly still among the most extreme shows in a genre which obsesses over one-upping itself and pushing boundaries. After all these years, no one has stepped up to the plate against their unprecedented and unsqueamish satire of public figures.


3. Family Guy 
Score: 18+
Influence: 5 Quality: 5+ Longevity: 5 Uniqueness: 3

FOX again heralded in a new wave of adult cartoon glory with this ceaselessly hilarious farce, borrowing The Simpsons' aesthetic without trepidation and empowering it with all the gall and irreverence of South Park. More recently, Family Guy has impressively been able to match both the unbarable grossness and the editorial commentary of South Park.


4. Space Ghost Coast to Coast 
Score: 17
Influence: 5 Quality: 3 Longevity: 4 Uniqueness: 5

This outstandingly influential first production from Williams Street, about a snarky contradictory super hero hosting a talk show, debuted in the early 90s and invented the Adult Swim gameplan for the next 18 years and counting, even before Adult Swim existed. Its antisocial and ocassionally nonsequitor comedy was handled with craft and Cartoon Network is still trying to equal it today.


5. Beavis and Butt-Head 
Score: 16
Influence: 4 Quality: 3 Longevity: 4 Uniqueness: 5

This trailblazing Gen-X classic, featuring the misadventures of two brain dead teens with a nack for music video critique, pre-empted the antisocial humor & live action spoofing in Space Ghost and the crudeness fixation of South Park. Sure Futurama and Family Guy both came back from the dead, but B&B's reputation is so strong it managed to ressurect itself 14 years later, and began airing new episodes last year!


6. Futurama 
Score: 16
Influence: 2 Quality: 5 Longevity: 5 Uniqueness: 4

Matt Groening's second foray into the genre likewise ranks as one of the funniest and best-crafted cartoons in the ilk. All the classic, plot-based sitcommery of The Simpsons is retained, plus a stronger dose of flippant, modern mayhem and a setup that remains unique in the sea of shows based around Simpsons-esque family units.


7. The Boondocks 
Score: 15
Influence: 2 Quality: 5 Longevity: 3 Uniqueness: 5

The Boondocks is a marvel of craftsmanship. It expertly mirrors the cynical, world-weary humor of Daria while coming closer than any to matching the harsh Juvenalian satire of South Park. Equipped with gorgeous, anime-inspired art (possibly the best-animated of all adult cartoons), it tackles hip hop culture in ways other programs never could.


8. Aqua Teen Hunger Force 
Score: 14
Influence: 3 Quality: 3 Longevity: 5 Uniqueness: 3

Aqua Teen was devised to take Space Ghost the next step further, with stronger misanthropy, more preposterous nonsequitors, and more mania per minute. And it succeeded, it's still by far one of the funniest, most nonsensical programs Adult Swim has ever aired.


9. Daria 
Score: 14
Influence: 3 Quality: 4 Longevity: 3 Uniqueness: 4

The antithesis of Beavis and Butt-Head, Daria concerns the fairly realistic daily life of a precocious bookworm who circumvents the evils of high school and misguided adults, never failing to inject her seething disillusionment into every facet of life. Daria is of uncommon style and displays an admirable bit of wit.


10. King of the Hill 
Score: 14
Influence: 2 Quality: 4 Longevity: 5 Uniqueness: 3

To follow-up Beavis and Butt-head, Mike Judge gave us a tempered and smart look at a more 'down home' living mentality with traditional-or-die farther Hank, his goofy and unmasculine son, and a townful of zany Texan cohorts. It's remarkably subtle for its genre, and consistently manages to be both fun and funny.

11. The Venture Brothers 
Score: 13
Influence: 2 Quality: 4 Longevity: 3 Uniqueness: 4

This exceedingly creative spoof on Super Hero and action/adventure mythos, about a former boy-adventurer and his Butterfly-themed arch nemisis, proved that Williams Street isn't the only collective capable of skewering classic cartoons. Impressively, the show has weaved various references and plotlines into a rich mythology of its own. Hopefully there will be more programs like it.

12. Home Movies 
Score: 13
Influence: 4 Quality: 3 Longevity: 3 Uniqueness: 3

Awkward, quirky humor at its finest, neurotic egos bounce off of each other as three kids try to shoot their own moves in their back yards (among other places). A similar disposition to the venerable Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist, but with stronger characters and funnier jokes.

13. Metalocalypse 
Score: 12
Influence: 3 Quality: 3 Longevity: 3 Uniqueness: 3

Shades of the bumbling antics of Beavis and Butt-head combine with the tropes of metalhead culture, accented with dazzling high-quality animation (a first for Williams Street), in this show about the exploits of an ultra-successful death metal band that has more or less taken over the world despite being incopetent to so much as keep themselves from killing themselves.

14. Archer 
Score: 12
Influence: 3 Quality: 4 Longevity: 2 Uniqueness: 3

The creator of Sealab 2021 and Frisky Dingo brings a more coherent adherence to plot, and all the original vitriolic impiety of its predecessors, to the FX network's excellent Arrested Development-esque 007 spoof. Could this be the start of a much wider reach for the Adult Swim aesthetic?

15. Sealab 2021 
Score: 11
Influence: 2 Quality: 3 Longevity: 3 Uniqueness: 3

Featuring the zany antics of an often ill-fated underwater science lab (despite no science being accomplished therein), Sealab 2021 uses the Space Ghost setup of refashioning an obscure cartoon into a brutally absurd cacophony of destruction and pulls it off nearly as well as Space Ghost itself. It ranks as one of Adult Swim's most classic pieces.

Notes:

- This is not my personal favorites list, that would be a fairly different list. The shows here were, quite transparently, ranked based on a few categories: influence within the genre (particularly when it concerns trend-setting and style-defining works, and how many new shows they inspired), overall quality (the cleverness of the writing and the funniness of the jokes), longevity (how long the show was able to last and how much broadcast replay it sustains), and uniqueness (how stark and original the show was when it premiered, and how many similar counterparts it has today). It goes without saying that any artistic hierarchy is wrought with subjectivity.

- Entries on the list were limited to the *genre* known as 'Adult Cartoons,' so other adult-oriented animated programs (including but not limited to anime) are inelligible, as were shows not explicitly aimed at a teen/adult audience (e.g. The Ren & Stimpy Show).

- Rankings might seem pretty low for a lot of shows, but I stuck to a simple out-of-five system for convenience's sake. Tabulating more complex rankings for each show would have been difficult, just keep in mind I'm ranking them against the highest possible standards. All 15 programs here are truly top-notch, incredible, and deserving of the most earnest accolades.