Most modern children’s cartoons primarily or only star children or teenagers, not adults. One major reason for this, of course, is wanting to aim at the target audience: kids want to see characters their own age in media. This trend might date as far back as the 1970s (the boom of “Scooby-Doo”/”Josie and the Pussycats” clones starring teens) or 1980s (the “kid versions of adult characters” craze). Still, the animation boom of the 90s and 2000s definitely cemented the idea of kids being the stars of kids cartoons, and less so adults.
Unfortunately, this tends to leave older animated franchises that star adults in a tough spot, though they might have a few options. Some older animated series have kids among the cast, so increasing focus on those characters can help. One example is the various “Flintstones” spin-offs focused on Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm. There’s also “Jellystone!” on Max; while “The Yogi Bear Show” starred adults (save Yakky Doodle), Yakky and Hanna-Barbera’s other kid characters are often used in “Jellystone!.” From the DC Universe, Robin’s been a children’s TV mainstay over the past few decades between “Teen Titans” and “Teen Titans Go.” These days, however, Robin’s mentor Batman mainly stars in cartoons aimed at adults; “Batman: Caped Crusader” is rated TV-14.
That said, I thought I’d look at which children’s cartoons currently airing star adults, and not kids or teens.
Criteria
- Sources pulled from include Wikipedia, TV Tropes, IMDB, and TV schedules online.
- I’m sticking with Western animation, as I’m not knowledgeable enough about anime to gauge how that fares.
- The main stars (i.e. who’s in the opening credits or clearly billed as the lead protagonists) must be adults (i.e. 18 and over), even if there’s a mixed cast with kids. If the characters’ ages or star status seem ambiguous, I left the show out.
- The TV shows must be aimed mainly at children, so no “Simpsons” (usually rated TV-PG or TV-14) or Adult Swim.
- The show must as of this writing be either currently running or canceled within the past year.
- Main outlets I’m going with: Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Paramount+, Peacock, Cartoon Network, Disney Channel/XD/Junior, Nickelodeon, and PBS Kids.
Disney
Chip ‘n Dale: Park Life (Disney+)
This series features the antics of chipmunks Chip and Dale, as they survive daily life in their tree in a city park. It’s the classic theatrical shorts versions here, not the “Rescue Rangers” incarnations.
Mickey Mouse Funhouse (Disney Jr.)
Airing since 2021, “Funhouse” is a successor to the popular series “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” (which is getting a revival in 2025). In this series, Mickey and the gang engage in hijinks in a talking sentient house.
Minnie’s Bow-Toons (Disney Jr.)
Running since 2011, this “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” spin-off focuses on Minnie Mouse running a hairbow boutique. It’s gone through several incarnations and renamings.
Warner Bros.
Bugs Bunny Builders (Cartoonito/Max)
“Bugs Bunny Builders” debuted on Cartoon Network’s Cartoonito preschool block (and HBO Max) in 2022. The series features preschooler friendly versions of the Looney Tunes (Bugs, Daffy, Porky, Lola, and Tweety) as construction workers, helping various townsfolk (i.e. the other Looney Tunes stars) with their construction problems.
Jellystone! (Cartoon Network/Max)
“Jellystone!” ran on Cartoon Network and Max from 2021 to 2025, for three seasons totaling 77 episodes. The series is a modernized take on the classic Hanna-Barbera roster of characters, as they’re shown living and having misadventures in the dysfunctional town of Jellystone. The show’s the first TV series Yogi Bear and most of the others have received since the 1990s. As such, it’s meant to focus on the Hanna-Barbera characters that aren’t Scooby-Doo, who’s the de facto modern face of Hanna-Barbera and gets plenty of exposure to this day (though Scooby does guest star).
As I said above, the kid characters get plenty of focus, particularly: Shag Rugg (from “The Hillbilly Bears” segments of “The Atom Ant Show”), Yakky Doodle (from “The Yogi Bear Show”), and Augie Doggie (from “The Quick Draw McGraw Show”). However, most of the main cast are still adults, with Yogi Bear still the presumed main star (given the show’s name).
Paramount
The Patrick Star Show (Nickelodeon/Paramount+)
A spin-off of “SpongeBob SquarePants,” Patrick received his own series in 2021. Here, Patrick hosts a makeshift talk show from his family’s house.
Rock Paper Scissors (Nickelodeon/Paramount+)
“Rock Paper Scissors” debuted in 2024. The series features a trio of friends and roommates, who’re an anthropomorphic rock, paper, and scissors. Among the supporting cast includes their cranky landlord, an anthropomorphic wastepaper basket.
SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon/Paramount+)
It’s no surprise that SpongeBob is Nickelodeon’s flagship franchise, as well as the animated face of Paramount+ and Paramount itself as a conglomerate. Running since 1999, the series shows no sign of slowing down.
For that matter, SpongeBob has proved to be the one modern animated series that feels like a throwback to older cartoons like “Looney Tunes” or “Yogi Bear.” The entire main cast (save for the teenage Pearl) are adults; the series’ main joke is that SpongeBob himself is an adult, but a childish one. SpongeBob’s childish nature is a central plot point of the first theatrical film.
Other
Frog and Toad (Apple TV+)
“Frog and Toad” is an animated series that debuted on Apple TV+ in 2023. The series is based on the classic “Frog and Toad” children’s books by Arnold Lobel, about the two amphibian best friends.
Megamind Rules! (Peacock)
A spin-off of the 2010 DreamWorks film “Megamind,” about a supervillain-turned-hero.
Wild Kratts (PBS Kids)
“Wild Kratts” is one of the older shows airing on PBS Kids, having been on the air since 2011. The series focuses on animated versions of the real-life Kratt brothers (Martin and Chris), as they explore the world of animals. As it’s an animated series, the brothers use sci-fi technology (“creature power suits”) to gain the animal of the day’s “creature powers.”
Conclusion
I notice most of the characters above aren’t original ones. They’re either revivals of older cartoons or based on a book or movie. Some of the shows are also aimed at preschoolers, instead of older kids or all ages audiences. Still, all of these cartoons show kids are still willing to watch adult cartoon characters in starring roles, not just as kid protagonists’ dim-witted or overbearing parents and teachers.
“Spongebob character figures” by pieterspix is licensed under CC PDM 1.0 (Flickr / cropped from original)
