20 Animated TV Shows That Are Practically Flawless

18. SpongeBob SquarePants

X-Men Animated Series
Nickelodeon

With its unmistakable opening theme, wacky characters and surreal humour, SpongeBob SqaurePants helped shape an entire generation of TV audiences, and did so with charm and speedy dialogue to spare.

Set in the underwater town of Bikini Bottom, the series follows the strange misadventures of fry cook SpongeBob and his many friends and enemies -- including his dim-witted neighbour Patrick Star, his frequent foil Squidward, his capitalist boss Mr Krabs, and the supervillain Plankton -- without pausing to take a breath.

Silly, colourful, and hiding countless jokes that are sure to fly right over the heads of younger viewers, SpongeBob is one of the most imaginative and unusual children's comedies ever made, and also one of the most surprisingly smart and touching.

It's got burgers, inexplicable physics, superheroes, and gut-bustlingly outrageous characters -- what's not to love?

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