10 Best Fox Animated Shows Of All Time, Ranked

More so than any other major broadcast television network, Fox has always prided itself in championing animation in its primetime slots. This strategy has produced shows that should rank among the best sitcoms ever made, so let’s go through the network’s history and rank the best Fox animated shows of all time. 

Of course, Fox’s history with animation starts with “The Simpsons,” which began as a series of vignettes on “The Tracey Ullman Show” before spinning off into their own series. After that massive success, Fox invested heavily in more animated shows over the ensuing years, leading to the likes of “King of the Hill” and “Family Guy.” In 2005, Fox launched a dedicated cartoon block on Sunday nights known as Animation Domination to include several hours of animated programming.

Not every cartoon has knocked it out of the park; the less said about “Allen Gregory,” the better. But we’re not here to focus on the times Fox stumbles. We’re here to talk about the best of the best. These are the greatest Fox animated shows the network has ever put out, from the ones canceled far too soon to the ones still rolling to this day. 

10. Lucas Bros. Moving Co.

“Lucas Bros. Moving Co.” is probably the closest Fox will get to having an Adult Swim-esque series. It’s a delightfully absurd romp created by comedians Kenny and Keith Lucas. They play slightly fictionalized versions of themselves getting into various misadventures, which seem to revolve around everything except actually moving anything.

“Lucas Bros. Moving Co.” is a hangout show in every sense of the term. It’s best to go in releasing all inhibitions, as you never know if you might get the brothers buying a pager or discovering the mythical Freedom Town, where all fathers who want to get away from their families travel. No matter what’s happening, viewers will be treated to the brothers’ eclectic sensibilities and passion for all things ’90s, often referencing films and TV shows from the era.

The series is so offbeat that perhaps it’s understandable why it only lasted six episodes on Fox before moving to its more eccentric sister channel, FXX. It got 11 more episodes, but was canceled shortly after the move. It was just too weird for its own good, but it remains a short-lived highlight within Fox’s animation lineup.

9. Golan the Insatiable

“Golan the Insatiable” aired on the same day as “Lucas Bros. Moving Co.” — November 23, 2013. They were both part of Animation Domination High-Def, which aired late on Saturday nights as opposed to Sunday at primetime. This block was designed to offer more off-the-wall cartoons that maybe wouldn’t sit with traditional sitcoms people tend to watch at 8 p.m. But whereas “Lucas Bros.” got kicked to the curb after only a few episodes, “Golan the Insatiable” managed to stick on Fox for the entirety of its two-season run.

The series follows an interdimensional warlord, Golan the Insatiable (Josh Miller, later Rob Riggle), who gets summoned to Earth by goth girl Dylan (Mary Mack, later Aubrey Plaza). The two enjoy causing mischief and mayhem, and by Season 2, Golan’s already plotting a way to take over Oak Grove.

What makes “Golan the Insatiable” so funny is its macabre take on a Calvin and Hobbes dynamic. Golan might be a demon, but he often acts more like a petulant teenager. And the residents of Oak Grove typically treat him as a nuisance rather than a foreboding demon. The show also boasts a murderer’s row of comedic talent behind the mic, including Maria Bamford, Ken Marino, and “Drawn Together” co-creator Matt Silverstein. 

8. The Great North

It’s easy to view “The Great North” as a simple “Bob’s Burgers” rip-off. It has the same animation style and was created by Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin and Wendy Molyneux, who were executive producers on “Bob’s Burgers.” There’s even a character whose silhouette is defined by animal ears. But if you give “The Great North” a chance, you’ll see that it’s easily the most wholesome program Fox has ever come up with.

“Bob’s Burgers” transformed from raunchy to wholesome, but “The Great North” maintained that sensibility from the beginning. It follows a single father, Beef (Nick Offerman), doing his best to raise his family in the Alaskan wilderness. Beef is a welcome reprieve from most animated sitcom dads, like Homer Simpson (Dan Castellaneta) or Peter Griffin (Seth MacFarlane). He’s not selfish or stupid; he genuinely loves his family. Sometimes, that love will cause him to be a tad smothering, but you can always tell his heart is in the right place. 

While other Fox animated shows are prone to make the occasional joke at the expense of minority groups, “The Great North” is all-inclusive. One of Beef’s sons, Ham (Paul Rust), comes out as gay, and everyone accepts him without a mean joke to be seen. Maybe “The Great North” was just too pure for this world, as Fox canceled it after five seasons, a far cry from the legacy of “Bob’s Burgers.” But thanks to its positive messaging, it’s aged incredibly well and is still worth watching today. 

7. Axe Cop

If the idea of an axe-wielding cop fighting everything from dinosaurs to evil doctors inventing guns that make people defecate themselves sounds like it came from the mind of a child, you’d be right. “Axe Cop” began as a web comic where Ethan Nicolle would take the incoherent stories of his then-5-year-old brother, Malachai, and turn them into comics. This led to a comic series with Dark Horse and eventually a TV show on Fox that maintained that delightfully chaotic spirit. 

“Axe Cop” was part of Fox’s Animation Domination HD lineup and perfectly settled into the more offbeat programming block. Each episode only ran for 11 minutes, so it never overstayed its welcome. And Nick Offerman perfectly brought the titular Axe Cop to life. Offerman has an incredible deadpan delivery where he says the most ridiculous things (like, “I just want to rent a dinosaur horn.”) without a hint of irony.

“Axe Cop” was too weird for Fox, as it moved to FXX for its second and final season. In a way, it felt like Fox’s ADHD was just an excuse to try out weird shows before eventually pushing them to a more obscure channel. But we can at least look back fondly at a time where Fox started getting really weird and greenlit a bunch of cool, absurd shows. 

6. American Dad

“American Dad” easily could’ve been a 2000s-era relic. When the show began, it was very much entrenched within the politics of the time, with Stan Smith (Seth MacFarlane) being a hardcore, George W. Bush-loving Republican. It was like “Family Guy” if it were more political and didn’t have as many cutaway gags. But after a few seasons when the Bush administration ended, the show made the wise decision of pivoting into far more surreal territory, allowing it to truly thrive and continue being on the air for the last couple of decades.

“American Dad” has arguably become the most versatile show in Fox’s lineup, and, yes, it’s returned to the network after a brief detour to TBS. The series can have straightforward, grounded episodes that dive more into the characters. It can also push the boundaries of absurdity and offer something completely fantastical. And with Roger (MacFarlane) around, the opportunity to incorporate sci-fi into a story is always readily accessible. 

The great thing about “American Dad” is that you truly don’t know what you’re going to get from one episode to the next. And while there are certainly some “American Dad” episodes you can skip on rewatch, it’s maintained a consistent quality throughout its run. 

5. Family Guy

“The Simpsons” has always been the crown jewel of Fox’s animated programming, but if there were ever a show to give it a run for its money, it was “Family Guy” during its golden era. “Family Guy” entered the picture in 1999 as a slightly more subversive take on what “The Simpsons” was doing. You have a dysfunctional family led by a dim-witted patriarch who doesn’t always do the right thing but deep down loves his family.

The main thing separating “Family Guy” from other shows of its ilk is its utilization of cutaway gags. You’ll have the main plot, but every so often, a character will offer a joke, leading to a quick scene further expounding upon the joke. These cutaway gags are sometimes the most memorable part of a given episode simply for how weird and nonsensical they can be. 

But “Family Guy” has persisted this long for having such strong characters who can be put into almost any situation and thrive. Of course, Peter ranks among the funniest “Family Guy” characters ever, but the likes of Stewie (Seth MacFarlane), Meg (Mila Kunis), and Brian (MacFarlane) help flesh out the cast, with everyone having such a well-defined perspective on the world. “Family Guy” has pushed plenty of buttons over the years, and it doesn’t show any signs of mellowing out anytime soon. 

4. King of the Hill

Animation naturally lends itself to larger-than-life scenarios. It would be difficult to have talking animals or characters flying into space within a live-action project, but it’s fairly simple with a cartoon. However, “King of the Hill” bucks that tradition by being the most grounded animated series to ever air on Fox while never losing its comedic sensibilities.

Hank Hill (Mike Judge) is a no-nonsense guy from Texas who likes his beer cold and his son, Bobby (Pamela Adlon), to not be such a nuisance most of the time. But Hank’s also a good guy; unlike other cartoon fathers, he’s not incompetent. He knows what he’s doing, and much of the comedy stems from his attempts to understand a world that’s largely moved on without him. He has difficulty understanding new technology or current pop culture trends, which can put him at odds with Bobby, who’s not exactly the quarterback he’d been hoping for. 

“King of the Hill” ended after 13 seasons on Fox, but returned for a Hulu revival. And while there were plenty of opportunities for the revival to feel forced or hacky, it’s surprisingly good. It’s probably one of the best TV revivals of all time, and that’s thanks to these characters feeling real rather than like caricatures who solely exist to tell jokes. 

3. Futurama

Matt Groening obviously racked up a ton of goodwill by creating “The Simpsons,” so he was able to give Fox another animated gem with “Futurama.” This was a far cry from Springfield, as it’s set in the 31st century. Delivery boy Fry (Billy West) travels 1,000 years into the future and winds up working with a ragtag group that get into all kinds of misadventures throughout the cosmos. “Futurama,” particularly the early seasons on Fox, knows how to perfectly thread the needle between relatable sitcom antics and high-concept sci-fi plots. 

“Futurama” maintains a will they/won’t they romance subplot between Fry and Leela (Katey Sagal) for fans to latch onto. However, the Planet Express crew also get involved in time travel and the multiverse on regular occasions. But even when the show has absurd plots, it knows how to ground its characters in real emotions. 

Some of the best “Futurama” episodes are the most emotional, like the infamous “Jurassic Bark,” where Fry learns to say goodbye to his fossilized dog. “Futurama” knows how to craft emotional beats that don’t take away from any underlying jokes. At its best, it’s a superbly written show, and you actually feel smarter for watching it. 

2. Bob’s Burgers

“Bob’s Burgers” is another Fox animated show that’s gone through quite a few changes. The very first episode sees the Belcher family accused of serving human meat in their restaurant. Other episodes around this era are just as crude, but over time, the Belchers gradually grew more wholesome. Bob (H. Jon Benjamin) is no longer talking about how his kids were disappointments, and instead, everyone feels like they actually enjoy being part of this family.

Even with the overall tone changing, the humor remains consistent. Bob is always the voice of reason whenever his kids have wacky ideas, and though he may not want to do something because it’s embarrassing, he’ll still step up to the plate. The show also does a great job of portraying the Belchers as a genuine working-class family. Many shows will depict a family struggling to pay the bills, but they can still afford to go on all sorts of wacky adventures. With “Bob’s Burgers,” they’re struggling and find ways to make it work. 

“Bob’s Burgers” is a great example of how an animated series can maintain longevity. It should evolve with the times, and while it started as one thing, it grew into something recognizable but distinct from everything else in Fox’s Animation Domination. With so much dysfunction in our own lives day in and day out, it’s nice to turn on the TV and see a family who don’t mind sacrificing some things for one another. 

1. The Simpsons

People have a lot to say about how “The Simpsons” has gone on for too long, but without it, the other shows on this list may not exist. “The Simpsons” was the first animated sitcom in primetime in over a decade, spawning a slew of imitators even beyond Fox, with CBS greenlighting “Family Dog” and “Fish Police.” Not every animated sitcom that followed was great, but this yellow family proved that there was space on networks for smart animated shows geared toward adults.

“The Simpsons” was a historic show, but more importantly, it was downright hilarious during its golden era. There’s no shortage of classic episodes you can turn on and still laugh yourself silly, including “Cape Feare,” Marge vs. the Monorail,” and “22 Short Films About Springfield.” “The Simpsons” perfectly blends highbrow and lowbrow humor, so no matter what you’re into, there’s bound to be a joke that speaks to you.

Late-stage “Simpsons” tends to get a bad rap, but there are still plenty of gems to be found. The characters may not age, but the show has evolved in a really fascinating way. And since there’s a contingent of kids who will inevitably watch it, they can readily check out the newer episodes and go back and enjoy decades’ worth of comedy. “The Simpsons” is more than just the best Fox animated comedy ever; it’s responsible for the past 30 years of adult-centric cartoons that were inspired by its rebellious spirit.