Netflix Shows: 10 Adult Animated Shows to Watch While You’re Quarantined

With huge swaths of the population now in self-quarantine in their homes, having a good TV show to binge is more important than ever. While there are plenty of great prestige programs waiting to be watched, sometimes these stressful times call for a more irreverent tone. Thankfully, Netflix has lots of cartoons to fill the hours.

Netflix has found a strong niche in the genre of zany cartoons made for adults. Following in the footsteps of shows like The Simpsons, South Park and Family Guy, the platform has advanced the genre with some of its Netflix original series. There are more on the way as well, with some of Netflix’s most highly-anticipated shows being outlandish cartoons from beloved creators.

These kinds of shows are often dismissed by serious critics and commentators, but they can carry as serious a message as any live-action show. Even when they don’t, however, there are plenty of times where viewers just want to kick back and enjoy a clever spectacle.

This is undoubtedly one of those times, with the coronavirus pandemic driving people indoors for months to come. Thankfully, Netflix is offering an extended 30-day free trial for customers, and providing some much-needed distractions from the news of the day.

Here are 10 animated shows on Netflix to take your mind off of the worries of the world during quarantine.

BoJack Horseman

If you haven’t already, now is the perfect time to catch up on BoJack Horseman. The series came to an end this year with the last batch of episodes in its sixth season, providing an emotional yet hilarious ending to one of the most bizarre shows of its era.

Paradise PD

Paradise PD is a Netflix original series still catching up with its own popularity. It first premiered in August of 2018, and now, nearly two years later, the second season is finally here. It follows a small-town police department through a day in the life — the good, the bad and the ugly.

Big Mouth

Big Mouth is a show animation fans will want to be caught up on, as it is not going anywhere anytime soon. Season 3 of the series premiered in October, but it is already renewed for three more seasons after that. The show stars Nick Kroll, John Mulaney, Jessi Klein, Jenny Slate and Jordan Peele, among others.

Tuca & Bertie

If you’re looking for a binge watch with low commitment, Tuca & Bertie is it. The show was tragically canceled after just one season, but that must means it is easy for new fans to get into and for old fans to revisit. The show stars Tiffany Haddish and Ali Wong as two anthropomorphic birds in their 30s, finding their way through life, love and work.

Shaun the Sheep: Adventures From Mossy Bottom

Shaun the Sheep has come a long way from its roots as a spin-off of the Wallace and Gromit franchise. The stop motion show just recently migrated from the BBC to Netflix for its latest season, so now is the perfect time to jump on board.

The Dragon Prince

Ostensibly, The Dragon Prince is meant for children, but any millennial can see that it has them in mind as well. The show was created by Aaron Ehasz, who was previously a writer on Avatar: The Last Airbender. Any Avatar fan can see the resemblance in the story structure, the style and even the voice acting. With three breathtaking seasons available, it is worth the watch for anyone who loved Ehasz’s work on Nickelodeon.

F is for Family

Perhaps Netflix’s most obvious answer to cartoons for adults on other platforms, F is for Family is a a pretty straightforward sitcom about a dysfunctional suburban family in the 1970s. It was co-created by stand-up comedian Bill Burr, who provides the voice of the family patriarch, Frank Murphy. Other A-list cast members include Laura Dern, Justin Long and Sam Rockwell. The fourth season is expected sometime this year.

Disenchantment

Fans of The Simpsons and Futurama need to check out Disenchantment, the latest venture from Matt Groening. The show is set in a classic high fantasy world of elves, dragons, swords and sorcery. There are 20 episodes available so far, with 20 more to be released in batches between this year and next.

The Midnight Gospel

Finally, for those that need something to look forward to, Netflix’s latest adult cartoon, The Midnight Gospel premieres next month. The show is co-created by Pendelton Ward, the creator of Adventure Time, and Duncan Trussell, stand-up comedian and host of the Duncan Trussell Family hour podcast.

The show stars Trussell as Clancy, a “spacecaster” with the ability to cross the multiverse and see worlds beyond imagining, meeting creatures we can hardly conceive of. His plan is to use this technology to cash in, posting the interviews online to “make a bunch of money.”

The Midnight Gospel premieres on Friday, April 20 on Netflix.