Last Updated on 29 November 2023

I searched the Internet for lists of the best cartoon shows of all time. Criteria included the shows being ranked, not just listed; covering all time, not just a decade; and generally created by groups, whether teams or committees or based on general public voting (like Ranker.com).

I was able to find 21 lists. I took the 21 lists and added all their content into a spreadsheet, noting the rank of every cartoon. I ended up averaging the rankings each one got (there were 167 that were on at least 2 lists) and dividing that average by a factor of the number of lists that cartoon was on. The lowest score meant a high ranking average on many lists. The complete spreadsheet is attached at the bottom.

The cartoons that were on the most lists (out of 21) were:

  • The Simpsons (1989-present) – 19 lists
  • SpongeBob SquarePants (1999-present) – 18 lists
  • South Park (1997-present) – 18 lists
  • Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995) – 17 lists
  • Looney Tunes (1930-1969) – 16 lists
  • Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005-2008) – 16 lists
  • Futurama (1999-2003, 2008-present) – 14 lists
  • Family Guy (1999-present) – 14 lists
  • Samurai Jack (2001-2004, 2017) – 14 lists

Here are links to the lists I used along with dates the lists were created:

Best-Cartoon-Shows-of-All-TimeDownload

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