Facebook – Top 50 FAVORITE Animated Programs: 23

23: Space Ghost: Coast to Coast (1994-2004/Cartoon Network)

My love for Space Ghost has only grown this past month, since I picked up every episode of the show on DVD. What a stupid month of laughing at increasingly inane plots, stupid characters, and shitty animation. The show, which debuted and spawned the monster called Adult Swim back in the mid-90’s, reused old animation from Space Ghost’s first cartoon (from back in the 60’s). Although, it did it very poorly, often times using very little actual animation. Mouths moved, eyes blinked, and heads turned. Otherwise, each character had about six stock movements they did on repeat for a decade.

Originally airing as a pseudo-legit talk show, SPC2C eventually devolved into a kind of mash-up of late night ad fever dream, in the best way possible. While the interviews in the early seasons seemed to be the focus, with jokes strewn throughout, by the show’s end, the interviews seemed less and less important, often times ending abruptly when the George Lowe-voiced Space Ghost would blast them to bits (if he wasn’t blasting Zorak and/or Moltar, first) and in the end the show’s out-there narratives to center stage, effectively killing the show a little to late, really.

Classic interviews, straight up comedy, hilarious situations made perfect by static characters, and a snazzy guitar line on the theme song all help to make this show a part of my life, forever. The show spawned two of the other shows on this list, the very famous Aqua Teen Hunger Force and – of course – The Brak Show. It also gave Birdman his first name. But this show holds a special place in my heart for its trio of characters who never change, under any circumstances, and are always-always-always at each other’s throats. Much love, Space Ghost. Much love.

Favorite Episode:
Near the end of the show’s run it aired its greatest episode: “Knifin’ Around” – in this episode, Space Ghost interviews Radiohead’s Thom Yorke which by itself is comical, but the inclusion of Björk as Space Ghost’s bizarre-ass wife provides for 20-minutes of laugh out loud moments. Space Ghost’s insistence that she pees on the couch, for instance, is top notch potty humor at its best.

Favorite Character:
Zorak. Again.

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Added February 20, 2017
This show! My god, this show.
I rewatched “Knifin’ Around” not that long ago and think it still holds up as one of the best episodes of any show, period. The concept for SSGC2C, fully realized.
And, per the comments, I’m right – this spawned Adult Swim. There is no debate.