^{Credit: King of the Hill (Hulu), Common Side Effects (Adult Swim), South Park (Comedy Central), Long Story Short (Netflix)}

Cartoon Contender already went through the ten best animated movies of 2025. Now it’s time for the best in show. This year’s standout small-screen offerings include a mix of new shows, returning favorites, and revivals that demonstrate why animated characters never age (even when they technically do).

^{Credit: Win or Lose (Pixar Animation Studios, Disney+)}

10. Win or Lose: It’s been argued in recent years that Disney “trained” audiences to stream Pixar’s movies rather than see them in theaters. Win or Lose is one project that was meant to be viewed at home, however. The studio’s first completely original TV series, Win or Lose certainly has the Pixar touch, featuring a group of adolescent characters dealing with growing pains and anxiety that are cleverly visualized. Unlike Turning Red or Inside Out 2, though, this miniseries isn’t exclusively told from one young person’s perspective. Taking a Rashomon approach, each episode shifts the focus to a different character. Not just the kids who make up the central softball team, but also their parents, teachers, and coach. As the title suggests, it doesn’t matter whether they win or lose the big game. It’s how they play the game of life. Carrie Hobson and Michael Yates have created a winner, even if there won’t be a second season.

^{Credit: Haunted Hotel (Netflix)}

9. Haunted Hotel - Season 1: Haunted Hotel plays like Ghosts meets Rick and Morty. Makes sense, as creator Matt Roller was a writer and story editor on Rick and Morty’s second season. Harmonious Claptrap is also one of the show’s production companies. As for the Ghosts comparison, Roller’s show similarly centers on ordinary people managing a hotel that just so happens to be a supernatural hotspot. The witty comedy and creepy imagery also draw parallels to Gravity Falls, although Haunted Hotel can go further than the latter, being on Netflix rather than Disney. It may seem familiar, but by the season finale, the series comes into its own, giving me hope there’s still plenty of life left in this haunted hotel.

^{Credit: Hazbin Hotel (Amazon Prime Video)}

8. Hazbin Hotel - Season 2: From one hotel show to another, Hazbin Hotel maintains the same energy as its predecessor without a slump. Season 2 provides timely commentary on a media landscape where the truth no longer matters. Most audiences already have preconceived notions, which some news networks eagerly feed into with conspiracy theories, one-sided interviews, and opinions presented as facts. The truth is whatever people choose to believe, but there are a few irrefutable facts about this season: the songs are infectious, the animation is some of the best you’ll see on the small or big screen, and the themes have only become more urgent as we endure Hell on Earth.

^{Credit: Long Story Short (Netflix)}

7. Long Story Short - Season 1: Like BoJack Horseman, Raphael Bob-Waksberg’s latest series walks a fine line between comedy and drama. Compared to the first season of BoJack, Long Story Short doesn’t have as many laugh-out-loud moments. Dramatically, there isn’t an episode quite on par with “Downer Ending,” a turning point that presented BoJack in an entirely new light. Yet, the season lives up to Bob-Waksberg’s past work while remaining a unique, personal entity. It’s cleverly written, passionately performed, and identifiable for anyone who comes from a boisterous family, Jewish or not. Where BoJack found relatability in absurdity, this show is simply relatable. Long story short, it’s a slice of life lived to the fullest.

^{Credit: Invincible (Amazon Prime Video)}

6. Invincible - Season 3: Invincible is far from the first show to explore the morally grey territory that comes with being a superhero. Few have done it as well as Robert Kirkman’s creation, however. Part of that’s because we identify with several characters with conflicting points of view. Of course, we root for Mark Grayson, who has a clear moral code. Preserving that code might not always be practical in a world of supervillains, though. As such, we may find ourselves agreeing with Cecil’s big brother approach and little brother Oliver’s kill first, ask questions never methods, even if they’re ethically wrong. We empathize with Scott Duvall, who seeks revenge against Invincible after this family becomes collateral damage. In doing so, Scott becomes the very thing he hates in easily the show’s most tragic episode to date (which is saying something). Mark hasn’t strayed from what truly makes him “Invincible,” although through his variants, we see how easily he could go down that path.

^{Credit: Phineas and Ferb (Disney Television Animation)}

5. Phineas and Ferb - Season 5: Phineas and Ferb ended on such a fitting note almost a decade ago that I wasn’t sure if a fifth season was necessary. Whatever qualms I had dissipated within the first minutes of the season opener, which picks up as if these characters never left. In a way, we didn’t, as they popped up on Milo Murphy’s Law, not to mention the feature Candace Against the Universe. Unlike some other shows that returned this year, Phineas and Ferb doesn’t shake up the status quo. It doesn’t have to, as the formula still offers limitless possibilities. At the same time, Season 5 does expand upon a few ideas that initially felt like missed opportunities, like Stacy learning Perry’s secret identity. Plus, they finally got around to making "Meap Me in St. Louis.” From voyages in a submarine sub sandwich to a running gag involving a bread bowl hot tub, Phineas and Ferb remains a feast for the eyes, ears, and summer of soul.

^{Credit: Smiling Friends (Adult Swim)}

4. Smiling Friends - Season 3: If The Amazing/Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball is a fever dream, then Smiling Friends is one on ketamine. While there isn’t a more dementedly hilarious cartoon currently on TV, Smiling Friends is also one of the modern landscape’s best animation showcases. Beyond the simple designs of the central characters, there’s a wide assortment of Easter eggs for animation fans. Season 3 included nods to Tex Avery with the chaotic Squim, a twisted take on the Smurfs called Shmaloogles, and a Rankin/Bass-esque narrator in the only Christmas special I can think of that somehow incorporates the Black Death. With the addition of characters like Silly Samuel and Mole Man, not to mention the return of Mr. Frog, it’s still a show that’ll make you smile as much as your jaw hits the floor.

^{Credit: Common Side Effects (Adult Swim)}

3. Common Side Effects - Season 1: This Adult Swim series from Joseph Bennett and Steve Hely explores timely themes concerning Big Pharma, conspiracy theories, and the moral responsibilities people abandon the higher climb the corporate ladder. Despite the heavy subject matter, the humor calls to mind the Coen brothers meets King of the Hill, which isn’t surprising since Greg Daniels and Mike Judge are among the executive producers. Judge even voices a bumbling pharmaceutical CEO who sounds suspiciously like Hank Hill. The stars of the show are Marshall (Dave King) and Frances (Emily Pendergast), who are reunited years after attending high school together. Marshall is an intelligent slacker who never grew up. Frances did grow up, only to realize her life is empty. They attempt to make the world a better place with a mysterious mushroom that can seemingly cure anything. Unfortunately, there’s no cure for greed.

^{Credit: King of the Hill (Hulu)}

2. King of the Hill - Season 14: Speaking of King of the Hill, Season 14 marked one of the best continuations of a nostalgic TV show we’ve yet to see. Season 14 is different in inspired ways, but this is still the King of the Hill we know and love. The writing finds humor in everyday scenarios, managing to score big laughs with subtle observations and line deliveries. In a political climate where the right and left are both pushed to extremes, King of the Hill is about as balanced as a show set in Texas can be. The season is the equivalent of catching up with old friends at a barbecue. You see how they’ve changed over the years. Yet, you have no trouble picking up where you left off.

^{Credit: South Park (Comedy Central)}

1. South Park - Seasons 27 & 28: While South Park has maintained a massive fan base, those who stopped watching years ago likely weren’t interested in the latest seasons. That was until images of Donald Trump in bed with a dissatisfied Satan went viral. Even if you hadn’t watched or thought about South Park in some time, this was the episode that pulled you back in. This was reflected in the ratings, showing the highest viewership since the late 90s. Seasons 27 and 28 call to mind another show from Parker and Stone: the short-lived That's My Bush!. Where that show’s version of George W. Bush was a lovable doofus, South Park’s Trump is more like Basil Fawlty, an ass who we nonetheless enjoy watching. Where Basil just ran a hotel, though, Trump is given the keys to the White House, which he runs into the ground in more ways than one. Beyond Trump’s White House, South Park took shots at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Americans (supposedly even Paramount) selling out to Saudi Arabia. The presence of Jesus in public schools also took on a literal meaning, as South Park’s most well-mannered resident tries to figure out where he fits into modern Christianity. Jesus sees the light by the season finale, as does Satan, who finally works up the strength to leave Trump. While Trump is still president, at least South Park will still be here to say that the emperor isn’t wearing any clothes… and his penis is (allegedly) tiny.

Nick Spake is the Author of Bright & Shiny: A History of Animation at Award Shows Volumes 1 and 2. Available Now!