- Venture Brothers: Love the show, but if there's any show that's way overhyped by TZ... it's this one. I'm miffed it got inducted into our Adult Swim Hall of Fame in 2006. Not that it doesn't deserve at some point, but at the time of induction, it didn't deserve it. To be fair, I've probably undervalued the series at points myself. But the #5 show of the decade? That's a bit of reach, too. I'd have to think about it, but Venture is probably in the teens for me.
- Kim Possible: Really? A lot of people think #4 is too high? Personally, this is exactly where I'd put it on the list. A great mix of comedy and action, mix in some teenage drama, and finding ways to make revisiting a number of cartoon cliches interesting are why this show will hold a special spot in my heart. That, and it also happens to be the first Disney Channel series I ever watched (given my cable company had only made it available on basic cable in my area about 6-9 months prior to KP's premiere). It was also one of the few non-anime shows I liked at the time. Sorry, folks, but #4 is exactly where Possible deserves to be.
- Samurai Jack: This was visually the most stunning series in the first half of the decade (Avatar takes the second half), and that's why Jack is so unique. That, and our hero letting his actions actually speak in place of words. But the show's popularity dwindled as the show forged ahead. A more telling sign... when the show was brought back to try and prop a at-the-time dying Toonami... it didn't do much more than delay the inevitable. When it comes down to it, people will remember the series for being ambitious, but probably for nothing else. If the show held up better over the years, then Jack would be worthy at #3. Instead, Jack is just a Top 10 show to me.
- Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends: From the pilot movie, I knew Foster's was going to be a different type of series. One that would prove to be sheer fun. For people like me who never had an imaginary friend, this was the next best thing. It helped that Craig McCracken took what worked from The Powerpuff Girls and made it even better. It also helps that the show is arguably the best cartoon series ever completely animated in Flash. But the show's strongest selling point was always the characters. Bloo, Mac, Wilt, Coco, Eduardo, and Frankie. No matter what they were up to, they always seemed to delight and entertain. You could argue the show peaked because the rest of Cartoon Network originals at the time were just average or worse. But you could also argue that CN could be in worse shape now than it actually is if it didn't have Foster's to prop up '04, '05, and '06. The show was that important, and that good. In relation to the countdown, though, this is one spot too high - I have Foster's pegged as my #3 of the 00s.
- Avatar: The Last Airbender: When the first two episodes debuted, I had to do a double, and even a triple take. This is airing on Nickelodeon? Really? Truly? Is the world gonna end tomorrow? But in all seriousness, for the first time this decade, Nick had given me a show to watch. A show that I couldn't instantly write off because it had low-brow kids' humor. For three seasons, I was immersed in the visually stunning world of the series. The writers found the perfect balance between comedy and action. And the characters... wow, the characters. Where do I start? Aang, who's happy-go-lucky, yet like past Avatars, is potentially the most powerful person in the world... and is also saddled with stopping what's essentially a World War. Sokka, who was the 'man of the tribe,' but lovingly bumbled around while trying to show everyone he was a great strategist. Katara, the last Waterbender of her tribe, shared Aang's plight in not having a master to help advance her skills (at the beginning, anyway), was the show's strong female heroine, and also ended up the motherly voice of reason. And Zuko, shunned by his father, he struggled to win back his respect over the course of the series, determined to accomplish his goals no matter who stood in his way. And although those four carried the show from start to end, there were also others that helped shaped the series. From good guys (Toph, Suki, Jet - to a degree), to one in the middle (Iroh), to bad guys (Zhao, Azula, Firelord Ozai), and even a few so inconsequential yet we'll remember them forever (King Bumi, Meng, The Boulder, Chit Sang, The Cabbage Merchant, and, yes, even Foaming Mouth Guy). But the biggest thing 'Avatar' had going for it? The storyline. For three seasons, 61 episodes, many twists and turns (more bad for our heroes, it seems), fans wanted to know. Would Aang be able to master all four elements? Would he be able to take down the Firelord? Would he be able to bring peace and balance to the world? The answer to all three questions... is yes. But as many people would tell you... it's not the destination, but the journey to it that makes it all worthwhile. It was a great journey, from the South Pole to the Fire Nation's capital city. I wholeheartedly agree... 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' is the #1 show of the decade.
After looking through the list, the biggest snub from the list in my opinion is 'Death Note.' To me, that was a thrilling show every week, from start to finish. Even with the small drop-off two-thirds of the way through, 'Note' not only should've been in this list... in my opinion, it should've been #2!
Speaking of shows that had surprises nearly every week and didn't make the Top 25 list. 'Code Geass' and 'Total Drama Island/Action'. 'Geass' arguably lost its way in the second season, but you couldn't blame it on some crazy comedy sequences and outrageous cliffhangers. As for 'Drama,' if you got past the stereotypes and character designs, you saw a series that lampooned the reality genre and gave us characters you could root for.
A few other notables that didn't make the list (not saying they should necessarily be on it, but each has its arguments for it):
- Naruto: Very popular, but probably doomed by the filler episodes?
- Pokemon: The Johto seasons turned off people, but the show has stabilized in recent years.
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Best 4Kids series ever arguably, until Fast Forward, that is.
- American Dad: Turned out funnier than Family Guy - at least until this season.
- The Fairly OddParents: Nick's 2nd most popular cartoon of the decade, but may have overstayed its welcome.
- Batman Beyond: Best cartoon-first spin-off of a classic comic book icon... ever?