For nearly two decades, the nighttime Adult Swim block on Cartoon Network has entertained late-night viewers with its unique brand of experimental and surreal humor. Whether it's their own original programming or syndicated shows from other networks, if there's one thing that can be said about the block, it's that it's certainly never boring.
While most known for being the hub of their original animated shows, like Robot Chicken, Rick and Morty, and even the revival of Toonami, they've also had quite a few live-action hits as well. Some are still running and continue to evoke laughter from the masses, while others may have been canceled far too soon, but which ones have managed to leave a longer-lasting impact?
Off The Air (2011 - Present)
Unlike most of Adult Swim's programming, Off the Air isn't so much a TV show as it is an ongoing experiment. There's no plot to be found and no recurring characters in sight, but instead a series of random psychedelic imagery and bizarre short films, usually based around a chosen theme.
Despite remaining mostly unknown to casual viewers due to its much later time slot, it continues to be one of the block's longest-running shows and has developed a cult following over the last decade. For any viewers looking for a TV-induced acid trip in the graveyard slot of 4:00 am, Off the Air and its 11-minute runtime will certainly do the trick.
Loiter Squad (2012 - 2014)
If Chappelle's Show and MTV's Jackass were tossed together in a blender, the resulting mixture would be Loiter Squad. Starring the hip hop group Odd Future, the show features each of the members in a variety of comedy sketches and pranks, featuring notable celebrity guests as well as original music made by the group.
They may not be as well known for comedy, but the wild antics and sense of humor of Odd Future were a perfect fit for the aesthetic of Adult Swim. While the show was a success in the ratings during its initial run, group member Tyler the Creator announced in 2015 that the squad would unfortunately not be back for a fourth season, as the group wishes to pursue independent projects.
NTSF:SD:SUV:: (2011 - 2013)
From the mind of Paul Scheer, NTSF:SD:SUV tackles the cliches of some of the best (and worst) procedural crime shows, as well as action movies, in this hilariously absurd spoof series. As members of an anti-terrorist organization, Agents Trent Hauser, Piper Ferguson, and Alphonse Inuit, undergo ludicrous and violent missions in the name of peace.
Compared to most of Adult Swim's other scripted live-action shows, the comedy NTSF:SD:SUV somehow manages to be even more rapid-fire and off-the-wall bonkers. According to Scheer, the show hasn't been officially canceled but is instead on an indefinite hiatus with no current plans to return. It's a real shame too because this beautifully stupid and fun satire is one for ages and one that is certainly missed by fans.
Black Jesus (2014 - 2019)
Despite not returning as showrunner for the fourth and final season of his hit animated series, The Boondocks, Aaron McGruder still managed to maintain a good working relationship with Adult Swim when he created his sitcom, Black Jesus. Set in modern-day Compton, California, Jesus Christ attempts to spread love, harmony, and the good word of God throughout its troubled and occasionally violent community.
Black Jesus doesn't go the typical route of religious satire one might expect from this kind of premise but instead keeps its focus on its characters and their ongoing situations. Because of this, its comedy comes across as relatively harmless and surprisingly tamer than the controversial satire of The Boondocks, but the hilarity of McGruder's writing still shines just as bright as it ever has.
Check It Out! With Dr. Steve Brule (2010 - 2016)
The comedy duo known as "Tim and Eric" have contributed six different shows to Adult Swim over the last 18 years, but Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule is arguably their most successful, considering that it's also their longest-running one. John C. Reilly stars as the show's titular character, the socially awkward and naive host of a public access show covering human interest stories.
Almost all of Reilly's dialogue is improvised and the reactions from his interviewees are completely genuine, resulting in some of the most hilariously uncomfortable moments of any Tim and Eric series. The character of Dr. Steve Brule is equal parts hilarious and even tragic (as revealed throughout the series' progression) and is among some of Reilly's best characters.
Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell (2013 - Present)
As a workplace comedy set in the fiery depths of the underworld, Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell is just as outlandish as its premise sounds. From long-time Adult Swim collaborator Casper Kelly, along with co-creator of Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Dave Willis, the show follows Gary, a cubicle-dwelling demon who aspires to move up Hell's corporate ladder, despite his kind-heart, laziness, and stupidity preventing him from doing so.
Under the creative control of Dave Willis, the show carries a similar comedic tone and spirit to Aqua Teen Hunger Force and it's an exceptional placeholder for anyone who still isn't over the show's ending 7 years ago. It stands as definitive proof that when it comes to comedy, Hell hath no fury like an Adult Swim original series.
The Heart, She Holler (2011 - 2014)
Combing dark comedy and horror with the aesthetic of low-budget soap operas, The Heart, She Holler leaves viewers simultaneously cringing and howling with laughter. Patton Oswalt headlines his Southern Gothic fever dream as Hurlan Heartshe, the dim-witted heir to Heartshe family dynasty, who gets tangled in sibling rivalry with his sisters, Hershe and Hambrosia, after being appointed leader of the small town of Heartshe Holler by his deceased father.
The Heart, She Holler is perhaps one of the most uncomfortable live-action comedies to ever air on Adult Swim; being unafraid to get gross and weird (even creepy, sometimes), and completely unapologetic in its execution of doing so. For anyone who's able to stomach its darker tone and grotesque immaturity, it's a real scream of a fun time for anyone in need of a laugh.
Joe Pera Talks With You (2018 - Present)
The soft-spoken and disarming comedy of comedian Joe Pera may seem out of place amongst the usually bizarre and subversive humor of Adult Swim, but that itself seems to be part of the joke with Joe Pera Talks with You. The show features a fictionalized version of Pera, living in Michigan as a Middle School choir teacher, who, in a similar fashion to Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, addresses the audience with mundane topics and activities like chair building and hiking.
Where most of the other shows of Adult Swim's lineup feel more like the fast consumption of an energy drink, Joe Pera Talks With You, is a surprisingly cozy change of pace that, just as Pera intended, feels more like sipping on warm apple cider. It's unlike anything on TV, simultaneously funny and relaxing, and one of the most wholesome shows that's sure to lift people's spirits.
Childrens Hospital (2010 - 2016)
What NTSF:SD: SUV was for crime procedurals, Childrens Hospital was for medical dramas. Created by and starring Rob Corddry, the series follows the bizarre staff of the titular children's hospital and the absurdity of their day-to-day lives at the workplace; think "Scrubs on acid."
With the genius of Corddry and crew's satire, along with an impressive cast featuring Henry Winkler and Lake Bell to carry it all through, Childrens Hospital is one of those shows that could've lasted a bit longer had the creators and the network really wanted it to. It's one of Adult Swim's most fondly remembered series, and brilliant lampooning of any and all of the famous cliches that medical dramas suffer from.
The Eric Andre Show (2012 - Present)
If there's one live-action show that truly captures the chaotic essence of Adult Swim, it would no doubt be The Eric Andre Show. With his sidekick, Hannibal Buress, comedian Eric Andre plays an incredibly heightened version of himself, as he interviews and tortures his celebrity guests, and in-between pulls off various public pranks much to the shock and surprise of New York City bystanders.
Much like Check It Out!, all of the reactions from Andre's guests are genuine, and more often than not, their reactions are even funnier than his questions and behaviors that bring them all out. With its endless amount of absurd non-sequiturs and surreal high energy, The Eric Andre Show is everything that viewers look and hope for in an Adult Swim show, and the perfect one to introduce uninitiated newcomers to the block's style of comedy.