By Fawzia Khan, Chelsea Steele & Jordan Lee
Cartoon Network has a long history of offering just as many hit shows as huge disappointments. While some cartoons like Adventure Time and Clarence were controversial, they developed a strong fanbase and received many positive reviews. On the other hand, some shows failed to impress most viewers due to weak premises and uninteresting plots.
From the incredibly disappointing Teen Titans Go! reboot to the ridiculous premise of The High Fructose Adventures of Annoying Orange, some Cartoon Network shows failed to create enticing storylines and characters. The worst Cartoon Network shows of all time were discomforting, muddled, and offered little excitement in the overall premise.
Updated on April 23rd, 2024 by Fawzia Khan: Cartoon Network has a decades-long legacy of incredible animated shows, however, some of them don’t quite hit the mark. These shows couldn’t become quite as popular as their counterparts on the network. This list has been updated with even more unsuccessful series that couldn’t quite appeal to CN’s demographic.
Scaredy Squirrel Betrayed Its Source Material
Rating Scores
| IMDb | 4.2/10 |
| Reelgood | 44/100 |
Based on Mélanie Watt’s series of books, Scaredy Squirrel depicted a germophobic squirrel who feared everything: bees, germs, aliens, and even the unknown. Joined by Dave, a blue skunk, the two embark on some unimpressive missions, which are further worsened by an art style that is uninteresting and bland. There was room for imaginative animation, with a fictional city and supermarket to depict, but that’s where the show failed.
Most importantly, the show couldn’t adapt the book well, which also bothered fans of the series. The voice acting and title song, hallmarks of a good CN show, also left a lot to be desired, making it one of the less popular Cartoon Network shows.
Incredible Crew Was An Unfunny Comedy
Rating Scores
| IMDb | 4/10 |
| Reelgood | 38/100 |
Even though over 330 sketches were developed for Incredible Crew and then cherrypicked for the single season of the show, it could not do justice to the sketch comedy genre. The show was confused from the start, comprising music videos, skits, and parodies of well-known videos, but none of them caught the attention of the audience.
The comedy wasn’t funny, and it feels outdated in today’s context. It is no surprise that the show only lasted one season, with the teen actors never quite delivering the acting they should have. Cartoon Network’s live-action offerings have not always been the best.
Level Up Leaned Too Hard on Stereotypes
Rating Scores
| IMDb | 4.3/10 |
| Reelgood | 41/100 |
For a network that showcased cartoons, the sudden shift into live-action shows was surprising, and not great. Targeting the gamer community, Level Up followed a fictional premise where a group of gamers has to battle ghouls and trolls who have managed to leak out of their video games into real life. Interesting as it sounds, the execution was not the greatest.
Firstly, Level Up tended to depict stereotypes about gamers, which didn’t sit well with the target audience as they felt like they were being mocked. Some more research into gaming and a little more thought into the show would have definitely helped this show, but all of that was missing.
Teen Titans Go! Is Popular With Young Kids, But Long-Time Fans Can’t Stand It
Rating Scores
| IMDb | 5.5/10 |
| Reelgood | 60/100 |
Teen Titans Go! has had relative success since its release, going on season eight. The cartoon is a more comical take on the young superhero team from DC Comics, and the previously successful Teen Titans animated series.
Though this show has been entertaining for the new, younger audience, it has received poor reviews. Fans of Teen Titans hated this reboot, criticizing Teen Titans Go! for throwing away the strong emotional pull of the original series. With its cheap, overly cartoonish art style, obnoxious humor, and Flanderized characterization of the Titans, most long-time Teen Titans fans feel that TTG! pales in comparison to the original cartoon.
Johnny Test Is Criticized For Its Lack Of Creativity & Annoying Cast Of Characters
Johnny Test – Johnny Test Season 1 Intro (Clip)
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Rating Scores
| IMDb | 5.2/10 |
| Reelgood | 55/100 |
The reboot of Johnny Test has received some mixed reviews, but much of the audience seems to enjoy the new cartoon. However, the original series, which began in the mid-2000s, received harsher criticism from viewers who found the show annoyingly repetitive and unoriginal.
Johnny Test is about a boy who is used by his older twin sisters to test their wacky scientific experiments. The series followed the same general formula in each episode, creating a predictable plot that aged badly. The show was also harshly criticized for being a knock-off of popular cartoons such as The Adventures Of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius, with far less intrigue and originality.
Chop Socky Chooks Was Too Bizarre To Catch On
Rating Scores
| IMDb | 4.1/10 |
| Reelgood | 41/100 |
Chop Socky Chooks is about three chickens with martial arts skills who fight against the villain Dr. Wasabi in their world, Wasabi World. The show did not last long, airing for one season with 26 episodes. Given its abbreviated airtime, most people have forgotten about the series altogether.
The show failed in most regards, with the animation, writing, and voice acting being harshly critiqued by viewers. Despite the quirky, unique concept, Chop Socky Chooks quickly became a particularly forgettable cartoon. As a result, it’s one of the least popular titles to come out of the network.
Out Of Jimmy’s Head Had An Interesting Concept, But Fell Flat
Rating Scores
| IMDb | 2.1/10 |
| Reelgood | 32/100 |
Out of Jimmy’s Head was another unique concept that fell flat. In this partially animated series, Jimmy gets a cartoonist’s brain transplanted in him, resulting in him seeing the beloved animated characters in his regular day-to-day life. These characters were meant to add absurdity into Jimmy’s life, but their presence became redundant because Jimmy’s real life was already quite weird — he had an alien sister.
Though Out of Jimmy’s Head was defended by some who thought the show was a fresh take on a coming-of-age storyline, the show’s humor was unconvincing and lacked creativity. Many viewers thought the characters were unlikable, with more negative characteristics than positive.
Dude, What Would Happen? Was Cartoon Network’s Failed Attempt At Live-Action Programming
Rating Scores
| IMDb | 2.2/10 |
| Reelgood | 41/100 |
Dude, What Would Happen? is one of the few live-action shows to air on Cartoon Network. This reality show starred three boys, Ali, Jackson, and CJ, who did experiments based on questions others may not have thought to ask. Some of these experiments involved making a loud fart noise with a hundred whoopee cushions and trying to dunk with a bungee cord in a 25-foot basketball hoop.
Dude, What Would Happen? received scathing reviews, criticized as an extremely dysfunctional and ridiculous version of Mythbusters. The series had no real point besides watching teenagers doing goofy things, and the three protagonists were more irritating than funny. This show was thrill-seeking without an aim.
Uncle Grandpa’s Brand Of Humor Was Harshly Criticized By Viewers
Rating Scores
| IMDb | 4.4/10 |
| Reelgood | 50/100 |
Uncle Grandpa is about a magical man who considers himself the uncle and grandpa of everyone. Throughout the show, he visits children struggling to bring them on exciting and outlandish adventures. It was one of the more successful series, running for five seasons and even teaming up with the ever-popular Steven Universe for a cross-over.
The series developed a dedicated group of followers who appreciated the outlandish quality and the quotable catchphrases. However, Uncle Grandpa was received poorly by most viewers for being another random show with a plot designed to be simply silly with no message or emotional pull.
Almost Naked Animals Had A Strange Premise and a Weak Story
Rating Scores
| IMDb | 3.2/10 |
| Reelgood | 49/100 |
Almost Naked Animals is one of the cartoons from Cartoon Network that viewers thought would have worked better as an adult animated series on Adult Swim. Set at a vacation resort, the characters are shaved animals that only wear underwear, with absurd humor that didn’t quite appeal to anybody.
Almost Naked Animals was a discomforting premise with odd and gross imagery. The show had a muddled, subpar storyline with little progression and intrigue. Though some viewers enjoyed the main character, Howie, many of the characters were flat and uninteresting. The entire premise was in bad taste, and seriously outdated.
Secret Mountain Fort Awesome Failed To Connect With Its Audience
Rating Scores
| IMDb | 3.1/10 |
Secret Mountain Fort Awesome follows a cast of monsters that enter the human world through a portal. They struggled to adapt to the human world, facing discrimination and feeling like outcasts. The premise had a lot of potential that failed to impress.
Secret Mountain Fort Awesome is another cartoon that seemed like a mature concept forced into a family-friendly narrative. The humor in the show was a complete miss, failing to surpass anything other than goofy and underdeveloped. The characters were poorly developed, creating a lack of emotional connection for viewers unmoved by their struggles and triumphs.
2The Problem Solverz Was Judged For Its Crude Style and Harsh Color Palette
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Rating Scores
| IMDb | 2.0/10 |
| Reelgood | 25/100 |
The Problem Solverz follows three unorthodox detectives with unique characteristics who seek to solve some crazy mysteries throughout the world. This series had very little support and is largely considered one of the worst cartoons ever.
The crude animation of The Problem Solverz didn’t impress viewers, who thought the imagery was increasingly difficult to watch because no effort was put into it. The show failed in every aspect, offering poorly constructed storylines and character arcs with animation incompatible with the narrative. The comedy didn’t quite land, and the after the first season, was cancelled with a second season only on Netflix.
The High Fructose Adventures Of Annoying Orange Unsurprisingly Annoyed Viewers
| IMDb | 1.9/10 |
| Reelgood | 61/10 |
Originally a YouTube series known as “Annoying Orange,” The High Fructose Adventures of Annoying Orange is a live-action/animated series that follows the quirky adventures of Orange and his fruit friends. The concept of this show was intended to be entirely outlandish but hilarious.
Though Annoying Orange succeeded in being outlandish, it failed to be remotely funny. The show was not entertaining for children and adults alike, shocking audiences when a second season was created. The quirky shorts on YouTube may have been a hit as mindless entertainment, but the Cartoon Network series failed to impress in all aspects.
Source: https://www.cbr.com/unpopular-cartoon-network-shows-ever/