I haven’t been watching much in terms of actual shows for a good while, then while listening to a podcast a host casually mentioned they had rewatched Chernobyl, how it still holds up, that there’s a reason it got as much acclaim as it did, etc. So I thought I’d give it a go and wow, loved it (still one episode left to watch).
Had me thinking, what else have I missed out on? What are some “absolute cinema” TV shows that still hold up and and are considered must watch?
I always plug Scavenger’s Reign. It’s a a sci fi survival show about a set of people who get stranded on an alien planet animated kind of like a graphic novel. The creators used a bunch of nature documentaries as inspiration to create a truly alien and interdependent ecosystem, but the theme tells you everything you need to know about the tone.
Also, animated sci fi comedy, The Venture Bros
The creator behind Scavenger’s Reign, Joe Bennett, has animated for the FXX series Cake, and he also created Adult Swim’s Common Side Effects, as well as soon to be on Netflix Dealies which is based on one of his Cake shorts.
Everything he does is excellent, even his illustrations for Joe Pera’s bathroom book “A Bathroom Book for People Not Pooping or Peeing but Using the Bathroom as an Escape” are wonderful.
Also the artistic inspiration for Scavenger’s Reign is french graphic novelist Jean Henri Gaston Giraud, also known as Mœbius, if you’re looking for similar artwork.
/infodump
Amazing info. I loved scavengers reign and just started common side effects, but haven’t put the names together as the same creator. Both are mind bending shows, so more from the same creator is a great get.
I had no idea, it just keeps getting better
There’s also a video game that uses a very Moebius style that’s unrelated to all this, it’s called Sable and its a lot of fun.
Loved every minute of Scavengers Reign, still hoping they will make another series of it.
Thanks for the info about Moebius, love this kind of artstyle!
I’d add Pantheon to this list for amazing sci-fi adult animation. I loved both Scavenger’s Reign and Common Side Effects.
I know that Common Side Effects is getting a second season. I really wish Scavenger’s Reign would get another season. That show is amazing.
Edit: Also, not a tv show, but the animated French film Arco was lovely. Beautiful hand drawn animation, set in the far future, and not just another dystopian story. Will also mention another animated French film Mars Express was pretty cool.
Pantheon is dope as living fuck and one of the few scifis about things in the near future that seems hopeful
i loved scavengers rein. that show had some of the best visuals and ideas ive seen in scifi. it really shows the utility of 2d animation for showing fantastical worlds. it would have never worked in 3d, it would have taken forever and billions of dollars to make or it would have been soulless and weightless like most of the stuff studios are churning out these days. i hope we see more quality 2d animation for more mature scifi and fantasy in the future.
The most imaginative show I have seen that displays an alien ecosystem. Beautiful and creepy.
The best show I could only get through one episode of. It was just a bit too gruesome horror for me, but if you have the stomach for it, my single-episode impression was that it’s an excellent work.
Great show and themes but the ending fell flat for me. I’m not going to spoil anything but they had a major missed opportunity in creating better character arcs and tying everything together. It also felt more like the characters were only trying to reach a goal (not spoiling) the whole time instead of spending more time appreciating the planet and the journey.
It wasn’t an amazing show but it was definitely good if you’re into sci-fi, survival, and animation.
Their focus on the destination and not the journey was a plot point for some of the characters.
I thought the ending fell a bit flat as it felt to me like it was kinda vague in case they decided to continue. It made sense, and worked, but didn’t feel like an ending.
Agreed, almost felt like they planned a sequel, a continuation.