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Animaniacs poster

Shows that feel likeAnimaniacs (1993–1998)

The two Warner Brothers Yakko and Wakko and their Warner sister Dot had been (supposedly) created in the 1930's, but their cartoons were too screwy for the general public to handle. The three Warners were locked up in the studio water tower until they escaped in the 90's. There, they run wild, causing chaos everywhere!

If you loved Animaniacs, the closest series we have are Pinky and the Brain (1995), El Chapulín Colorado (1973) and Frasier (1993). All three share Animaniacs' warm and witty feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Bluey (2018).

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If Animaniacs hit the spot, these will too

Pinky and the Brain poster
Pinky and the Brain
1995–1998 · 4 seasons · The WB
★ 7.8animation · comedy · family

One thread runs through both: world domination

The difference: Trades the whimsy of Animaniacs for an angle of its own

Pinky and Brain are genetically enhanced laboratory mice who reside in a cage in the Acme Labs research facility. Brain is self-centered and scheming; Pinky is good-natured but feebleminded. In each episode, Brain devises a new plan to take over the world, which ultimately ends in failure, usually due to Pinky's idiocy, the impossibility of Brain's plan, Brain's own arrogance, or just circumstances beyond their control.

El Chapulín Colorado poster
El Chapulín Colorado
1973–1979 · 7 seasons · Las Estrellas
★ 8.5comedy · family

Both are built on the same subject: parody

The difference: Takes it somewhere less whimsical than Animaniacs does

Frasier poster
Frasier
1993–2004 · 11 seasons · NBC
★ 8.2comedy · familyPrime VideoHulu

Both keep coming back to the same thing: brothers and sisters

After many years spent at the “Cheers” bar, Frasier moves back home to Seattle to work as a radio psychiatrist after his policeman father gets shot in the hip on duty.

Rugrats poster
Rugrats
1991–2004 · 9 seasons · Nickelodeon
★ 7.4family · animation · kidsParamount+

The same mix in both: whimsy, then warmth

Focuses on a group of toddlers, most prominently Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, Lil, and Angelica, and their day-to-day lives, usually involving common life experiences that become adventures in the babies' imaginations. Adults in the series are almost always unaware of what the children are up to; however, this only provides more room for the babies to explore and discover their surroundings.

The Tom and Jerry Show poster
The Tom and Jerry Show
1975 · 1 season · ABC
★ 7.8kids · animation · family

Witty where it counts, playful underneath

The New Tom & Jerry Show is an animated television series produced for Saturday mornings by Hanna-Barbera Productions in association with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television in 1975 for ABC based on the theatrical shorts and characters Tom and Jerry.

La familia P. Luche poster
La familia P. Luche
2002–2012 · 3 seasons · Las Estrellas
★ 7.7comedy · family

Comedy built on comfort, twice over

This sitcom is about a Mestizo-Latino American family in P. Luche town. Ludovico and Federica P. Luche are the (mostly) happy couple who serve as the parents of their three kids: Junior, an amnesiac policeman who serves as their 12-year-old son, Bibi, their black sheep daughter who is the smartest of the bunch, and Ludoviquito, an heir who had switched places with their youngest. Together with their maid Exelsa, they live in Ciudad P. Luche, a town where emotions are heightened, the impossible is everyday, and plush fabric covers almost everything.

Bluey poster
Bluey
2018– · 4 seasons · ABC Kids
★ 9.2animation · comedy · familyDisney+

Whimsical animation, and it commits to that

The difference: Made in the 2010s, in a different era of the craft

Bluey is an inexhaustible six year-old Blue Heeler dog, who loves to play and turns everyday family life into extraordinary adventures, developing her imagination as well as her mental, physical and emotional resilience.

Slam Dunk poster
Slam Dunk
1993–1996 · 1 season · tv asahi
★ 8.7animation · comedyNetflix

Both lean on warmth more than on kids

Sakuragi Hanamichi is a junior high punk used to getting into fights and being rejected by girls but upon entering high school he meets the girl of his dreams, Haruko Akagi. He will do anything in order to win her heart including joining the school basketball team that is aiming to conquer the nation lead by Haruko's brother. The problem is that Sakuragi has never played basketball before and a freshman sensation is stealing the spotlight and Haruko's affection from him.

The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy poster
The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy
2001–2007 · 7 seasons · Cartoon Network
★ 7.6animation · comedy · kids

Family with a pulse of wit, in both cases

The exploits of the Grim Reaper, who has been forced into being the best friend of two children. A spin-off of the show Grim & Evil.

SpongeBob SquarePants poster
SpongeBob SquarePants
1999– · 19 seasons · Nickelodeon
★ 8.2animation · comedy · familyPrime VideoParamount+

Playful animation in both cases

Deep down in the Pacific Ocean in the subterranean city of Bikini Bottom lives a square yellow sponge named SpongeBob SquarePants. SpongeBob lives in a pineapple with his pet snail, Gary, loves his job as a fry cook at the Krusty Krab, and has a knack for getting into all kinds of trouble without really trying. When he's not getting on the nerves of his cranky next door neighbor Squidward, SpongeBob can usually be found smack in the middle of all sorts of strange situations with his best buddy, the simple yet lovable starfish, Patrick, or his thrill-seeking surfer-girl squirrel pal, Sandy Cheeks.

Phineas and Ferb poster
Phineas and Ferb
2007– · 6 seasons · Disney XD
★ 8.1animation · comedy · familyDisney+

Common ground: absurd

The difference: Leans harder into sci-fi & fantasy than Animaniacs does

Each day, two kindhearted suburban stepbrothers on summer vacation embark on some grand new project, which annoys their controlling sister, Candace, who tries to bust them. Meanwhile, their pet platypus plots against evil Dr. Doofenshmirtz.

The Flintstones poster
The Flintstones
1960–1966 · 6 seasons · ABC
★ 7.5family · animation · comedy

Cozy comedy, and it commits to that

The misadventures of two modern-day Stone Age families, the Flintstones and the Rubbles.

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The best-reviewed series that share Animaniacs’ defining feeling.