Animation has always been a great medium to explore the boundless potential of sci-fi stories, and there are plenty of comedy shows which seize the freedom of animation.Animation and sci-fi go hand-in-hand, since both are interested in that which can’t be ordinarily depicted using Earthly means. Animated sci-fi comedies have the opportunity of using the entire universe as their setting.
Ever sinceThe Jetsonspremiered in the 1960s, there have been animated sci-fi comedies, although most of these were targeted toward children. The arrival ofFuturamain 1999 was a massive game-changer. AfterThe Simpsonsushered in a new dawn for adult-oriented animated comedy,Futuramaset the tone for sci-fi comedies. Since then, the 21st century has seen a boom in animated sci-fi comedies, with new classics such asRick and Mortypushing the genre forward.
Inside Joblooks like many other animated sitcoms which have come out in the last decade, with Netflix making more than a few of these. However, its humor is a step up from the industry standard, thanks in part to its intriguing concept.Inside Jobexplores the inner workings of a shadowy government department that keeps things ticking while the public remains blissfully ignorant.
Inside Jobdevotes episodes to pulling apart some famous conspiracies, from the JFK assassination to the existence of hyperintelligent reptile people.
Inside Jobdevotes episodes to pulling apart some famous conspiracies, from the JFK assassination to the existence of hyperintelligent reptile people. The show aims a few jabs at the kinds of people who construct these elaborate theories, showing just what the world would have to look like if they ended up being right. After two critically-acclaimed seasons, Netflix surprisingly pulled the plug onInside Job.The show ends on a cliffhanger.
Space Ghost Coast to Coastwas the first show produced by Williams Street, the studio that went on to launch Adult Swim, and its influence on the network is clear. Aside from its spinoffs,The Eric Andre Showand other Adult Swim have taken inspiration fromSpace Ghost Coast to Coast’s subversive humor. Although the character is based on a Hanna-Barbera cartoon from the 1960s, Space Ghost hosts a talk show from a space station.
Space Ghost Coast to Coastwas the first show produced by Williams Street, the studio that went on to launch Adult Swim.
Space Ghost Coast to Coastfeatures interviews with celebrity guests, although Space Ghost’s questions are often changed after the fact to poke fun at the guests. This unusual blend of scripted comedy and unscripted conversation is just one way that the show pulls apart the tired format of talk shows from the inside out.Space Ghost Coast to Coastuses some sci-fi surrealism to underline how strange talk shows are.
Final Spacedidn’t get the ending it deserved, but it still delivered three seasons of hilarious sci-fi comedy with an expansive scope. WhileFinal Spaceoften resembles an apartment-share sitcom on a prison ship hurtling through space, it’s also an intriguing adventure show about different factions fighting over the fate of the universe.Final Spaceisn’t afraid to get philosophical amid its fast-paced humor.
Final Spacefeatures an all-star voice cast, including David Tennant, Steven Yeun and Tom Kenny, each of whom can get laughs in their own way.
Final Spaceseeks to find the balance between personal drama and lofty themes about the very nature of existence.Its humor is proudly silly, especially with its hyperactive protagonist Gary, and this makes it all the more surprising when the show pivots into boldly ambitious sci-fi storytelling.Final Spacefeatures an all-star voice cast, including David Tennant, Steven Yeun and Tom Kenny, each of whom can get laughs in their own way.
Long before Phil Lord and Christopher Miller led the revolution in animated movies with theirSpider-Verseseries, they createdClone HighalongsideScrubscreator Bill Lawrence.Fans ofScrubswill likely be able to pick up on the many actors who have roles in both shows, and they will also appreciate the similarities in the humor of the two.Scrubshas always had some cartoonish tendencies, with cutaway gags, exaggerated sound effects and snappy physical humor.Clone Highprovides more of the same, with a simplified visual style that places emphasis on the writing.
Clone Highdeveloped a cult following during its brief run, and this was enough to warrant a short-lived revival two decades later.
Clone Highfocuses on a high school filled with the clones of famous historical figures, such as Cleopatra, Abraham Lincoln and Joan of Arc. It subverts the popular imagination of these figures to fit them into tropes of American teen dramas, with JFK becoming a dimwitted jock, for example.Clone Highdeveloped a cult following during its brief run, and this was enough to warrant a short-lived revival two decades later, with a new raft of famous figures.
Solar Oppositeswas always going to have to endure comparisons toRick and Morty, but the sci-fi comedy has been able to stand on its own two feet. The show follows a family of aliens from Planet Shlorp sent to scout out Earth as a potential new home for their species. This set-up allowsSolar Oppositesto function as an unorthodox family sitcom, with the aliens becoming bogged down in the minutiae of everyday life on Earth.
Solar Oppositesuses its alien characters to reveal the bizarre nature of humanity.
Solar Oppositesuses its alien characters to reveal the bizarre nature of humanity. These outsiders are the only characters in the show with the right perspective to question human social mores and pop culture. Their increasingly fraught attempts to keep a low profile and assimilate, even with a spaceship lumped on top of their house, begs the question of who would even want to spend time with humans in the first place.
Star Trek: Lower Deckswas the first animatedStar Trekshow in almost 50 years, and it’s much more comedic than the franchise’s other shows and movies. Despite jetting off into uncharted territory,Lower Deckshas proved to be a huge hit. In some ways, it seems derivative of other animated sitcoms which have popped up in the last decade, but its sense of humor is fresh and original.
Despite jetting off into uncharted territory,Lower Deckshas proved to be a huge hit.
Star Treck: Lower Deckshas plenty of details which connect it to otherStar Trekshows, and it has the same sci-fi action and adventure which fans of the franchise love, but it’s also a great introduction for those who aren’t as familiar withStar Trek.Ensigns Boimler and Mariner are a great comedic duo, and two guides through a wide universe who are fun to spend time with.Star Trek: Lower Decksseason 5will wrap up the series.
Adventure Timeoften looks more like fantasy than sci-fi, with magical kingdoms and brave adventurers, but the land of Ooo and all its strange inhabitants are the result of a nuclear war which wiped humanity off the face of the Earth. This makesAdventure Timea candy-colored post-apocalyptic show. There are other elements of sci-fi too, such as Princess Bubblegum’s experiments and the lovable robot BMO.
More observant viewers have been able to pick up clues and hidden details about the Mushroom War and the deep lore ofAdventure Time.
Adventure Timeis targeted toward younger audiences, but it has developed a cult following of all ages. More observant viewers have been able to pick up clues and hidden details about the Mushroom War and the deep lore ofAdventure Time.For those who aren’t as interested,Adventure Time’s rapid-fire comedy is both hilarious and accessible. Although the show ended in 2018, there are severalAdventure Timeprojectslined up for the future.
Although it ran for just two seasons,Gravity Fallsleft a lasting imprint, and attracted legions of devoted fans. In fact, the show’s length contributes to its appeal, as it can be appreciated as a whole more easily. Although most of thebest episodes ofGravity Fallscan be enjoyed in any order, watching the show from start to finish builds to an immensely satisfying payoff. The three-part “Weirdmageddon” finale ties all the different threads and characters together into an apocalyptic swirl of surreal humor.
Although it ran for just two seasons,Gravity Fallsleft a lasting imprint, and attracted legions of devoted fans.
Gravity Fallsis an exploration into the unexplained, and the show steadily introduces more and more bizarre concepts. What starts with ghosts and killer garden gnomes soon evolves into a hellscape being run by a charming pyramid who wants to end the universe. Through it all,Gravity Fallsretains a keen focus on the two main characters. Awkward, anxious Dipper and his outgoing sister Mabel are the beating heart of the show, and a perfectly weighted comedic double act.
Dan Harmon’sRick and Mortyoften threatens to buckle under the weight of its own self-referential meta humor. The set-up establishes the show’s dedication to sci-fi parody, with the two main characters sharing a lot with Doc and Marty fromBack to the Future.Rather than traveling through time, they go on dangerous journeys throughout the universe and into other dimensions. This gives the show an almost infinite playground, which breeds a kind of snarky nihilism.Rick and Morty’s meta jokes are one way of going beyond the multiverse, and looking at the show itself from an outside perspective.
The show has an almost infinite playground, which breeds a kind of snarky nihilism.
Harmon’s obsession with the mechanics of storytelling is just one avenue for comedy thatRick and Mortyexplores. It also has plenty of great episodes which take unique sci-fi concepts and push them to their limits. Take “Total Rickall,” for example, which features an alien parasite that implants false memories into the Smith family’s minds, and this creates a cavalcade of bizarre characters.Rick and Mortyseason 8promises more madcap adventures.
Futuramais the show which other animated sci-fi comedies often get compared to. Matt Groening’s second big hit afterThe Simpsonsis a loving spoof of the genre, with a quirky retrofuturist design that makes the year 3000 look surprisingly similar to how people imagined it would in the 1950s. This combination of the past and the future is at the heart ofFuturama’s sense of humor, as Fry is catapulted forward in time.
Throughout its many iterations,Futurama’s best episodesare miniature masterpieces of sci-fi comedy.
Futuramahas been canceled and rebooted so many times that the show has no option but to poke fun at itself. Throughout its many iterations,Futurama’s best episodesare miniature masterpieces of sci-fi comedy. The key is thatFuturamacan ground almost magical sci-fi concepts in the everyday. In doing so, it highlights the timeless foibles of human nature and western society.
