Animation is a limitless medium when done right. Creators can conjure up magical, experimental, ambitious worlds on screen without worrying about the constraints of live action. That creative freedom has given audiences some of the greatest stories of all time. However, the same idea can also backfire pretty badly when storytellers are given more playing room than they know what to do with. Taking risks does not automatically make something good, and these forgotten animated shows prove exactly that, because boy, have they aged like milk.
Ren & Stimpy "Adult Party Cartoon" (2003)
Ren & Stimpy never needed an adults-only version, and Ren & Stimpy "Adult Party Cartoon" is a pretty convincing argument for why. The original Nickelodeon series was already one of the strangest cartoons on television. It follows the unstable chihuahua Ren (John Kricfalusi and Billy West) and the painfully dim-witted Stimpy (Billy West and Eric Bauza) through stories filled with gross-out humor, surreal imagery, and jokes that should never have aired on a children's network. This controversy surrounding the cartoon was a huge reason why it became part of mainstream pop culture conversations back then. Then, in 2003, creator John Kricfalusi returned with a revival specifically designed for an older audience as part of the network's new adult-animation lineup.
Ren and Stimpy were still getting themselves into ridiculous situations, but now the show could be far more explicit with its violence, sexuality, bodily humor, and whatnot. The network ordered several episodes, but only three episodes actually aired during the original television run, and thank goodness for that. Now, the issue wasn't that the series was going too far. In fact, that was the entire identity of the original cartoon, too. The difference was that the original actually had some creativity behind all the grotesque humor. The revival seemed to believe that stretching those same ideas beyond their endpoint was the way to go. With time, Adult Party Cartoon has only gotten grosser with its violence and need to make every joke as uncomfortable as possible.
Stripperella (2003–2004)
Stripperella might just be one of the strangest things comic-book legend Stan Lee has ever created. The animated series follows Erotica Jones, voiced by Pamela Anderson, an exotic dancer who secretly works as the superhero Stripperella. She fights crime for an organization called T.H.U.G.G. and takes on villains with names like Cheapo and Pushy Galore while using an arsenal of increasingly ridiculous abilities and gadgets, one of them being a lie detector built into her chest. Now, on paper, there is actually something fun about the idea. Stripperella is confident and far more competent than everyone around her. The problem is that the series wants credit for making her powerful while simultaneously turning practically every part of that power into another sexual joke.
Even the villains and storylines revolve around breast implants, beauty standards, sex, and increasingly desperate innuendos. After a few episodes, it becomes obvious that the show has exactly one joke and is going to keep finding different ways to tell it. That pretty much "strips" the otherwise intriguing premise of all meaning, no pun intended. The series ran for just 13 episodes, and with time, its cancellation has only made more sense. The show's idea of being provocative now feels less rebellious than stereotypical. Its constant objectification and obsession with turning every female character into a punchline make the humor feel painfully dated, especially because the series rarely has anything else to say underneath all that shock value.
Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling (1985–1986)
Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling arrived at the height of Hulkamania, when the WWF was aggressively moving professional wrestling into mainstream pop culture. However, for a show about the iconic Hulk Hogan, the series barely features any wrestling. The show follows an animated Hogan, who leads the good guys alongside cartoon versions of André the Giant, Junkyard Dog, Wendi Richter, and Hillbilly Jim, while Roddy Piper heads a group of villains that includes Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff, and Big John Studd. Instead of settling their problems in a ring as one would expect, the wrestlers spend most episodes getting involved in goofy adventures that have nothing to do with the sport. There is something fascinating about watching the show now because it’s easy to understand that it was little more than a marketing ploy for the WWF.
Every wrestler is reduced to the broadest stereotype of their in-ring persona. Wrestling already relied heavily on exaggerated characters during this era, but turning those gimmicks into cartoons somehow makes them feel even more ridiculous. The strangest part is that the wrestlers did not even voice their animated counterparts because their touring schedules made recording together impractical. Instead, the actual wrestlers appeared in occasional live-action comedy segments between the cartoons. That disconnect was always hard to ignore. The cartoon itself was simplistic and boring after the first few episodes. It's interesting to revisit as a piece of wrestling history, but there's nothing that would make fans want more of it.
Father of the Pride (2004–2005)
Father of the Pride is less of a cartoon and more of an animation identity crisis. DreamWorks tried to bring feature-quality CGI to network television with this primetime sitcom based around the animals from Siegfried & Roy's Las Vegas show. The series follows Larry (John Goodman), a white lion who performs at the Mirage and lives behind the scenes with his wife Kate (Cheryl Hines), their two children, and Kate’s overbearing father Sarmoti (Carl Reiner). Imagine a family sitcom, but with lions, and you get the idea. The show tried to blend the visual polish of a DreamWorks movie with the edgy, adult-oriented humor of shows like Family Guy, but the result was a tonal mess. It couldn't decide if it wanted to be a kids' cartoon or a raunchy adult comedy, and it ended up failing at both.
The show was also plagued by controversy before it even aired, thanks to its association with Siegfried & Roy, whose real-life tiger attack in 2003 made the show's premise feel awkward and insensitive. The network pulled it after just 13 episodes, and it's rarely been seen since. Watching it now, the humor feels forced and dated, relying on tired stereotypes and pop culture references that have long since lost their relevance. It's a prime example of a show that tried to be too many things at once and ended up being nothing at all. For a deeper dive into other forgotten shows that haven't aged well, check out our list of forgotten 2000s shows that haven't aged well.
These shows are a reminder that not every animated experiment stands the test of time. While some forgotten gems deserve a second look, these are better left in the past. If you're in the mood for something that actually holds up, consider exploring some animated series for Dungeons & Dragons fans or rediscovering forgotten sci-fi gems that are worth your time.
