20 Animated TV Shows That Are Practically Flawless

Until Archer came along in 2009, you'd have been forgiven for thinking the spy genre had run its course. Adam Reed's witty comedy, which blended workplace sitcom with action-thriller without fault, proved that was far from the case.

Following the exploits of master spy Sterling Archer, an alcoholic womaniser with an uncanny ability to land on his feet, as well as his overbearing mother Mallory and his put-upon colleagues (all of whom are equally messed-up and borderline insane), the comedy took a simple premise and turned it into something truly fresh and new.

Gritty, fantastical, bolstered by its uniquely dry humour (thanks to H. Jon Benjamin, striking again) and hysterically obscure pop culture references, Archer works as a both an entertaining spoof, and a fantastic example of the very thing it's mocking.

There have been plenty of adult comedies on this list, but very few can claim to be as genre-twisting and just plain twisted as Archer, a show that could run forever without running out of new material or boring its audience.