01 The one that's been running long enough to become a genuine multi-generational family watch.
10 Best Animated Family Series
By Vlad Zakh · August 25, 2026
Bluey and Avatar: The Last Airbender show how far animated family storytelling can stretch, one built on tiny domestic moments, the other on a full serialised epic, while SpongeBob and Gravity Falls prove pure silliness can still land something real. Pokemon has run long enough to become a multi-generational family watch, Adventure Time grew from silly to ambitious, and Steven Universe was more sincere than anyone expected. The Amazing World of Gumball, DuckTales and Phineas and Ferb round out the list.
01 
02 It started silly and grew into one of the more ambitious animated shows of its era.
03 Emotionally sincere in ways that surprised a lot of viewers who expected standard kids' programming.
04 Visually inventive in a way few animated shows even try to be.
05 A genuinely funny, well-cast reboot that respects the original while modernising the humour.
06 An endlessly inventive premise-of-the-day structure that never got stale across four seasons.
07 Pure, absurdist joy that has stayed in constant rotation for over two decades.
08 Mystery, comedy and real emotional stakes packed into a two-season run.
09 A fantasy epic told in full, serialised form that holds up as great storytelling at any age.
10 Seven-minute episodes that somehow hold more real parenting insight than most live-action dramas.
Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.
You might also like
