That's right: I'm gonna talk about each and every Nicktoon from 1991 to 2017 (when I stopped watching altogether)! Some of these I haven't ever watched yet so this will be a new experience for me. 

Just like dman's thread, I will only be talking about the first episode of each show. And just like dman's thread, I will be using Wheel Decide to decide for me which show I'll review next. So what do we start with? Will it be the first Nicktoon, Doug? Maybe a popular one like Avatar or Hey Arnold? Hell, maybe it'll give me an easy target like SpongeBob. O Great Wheel, what is your decision?

As I already stated in my Top 10 Best TV Shows of 2025 list, 2025 was such a good year for TV but what about the episodes that stood out to me? Why not give them some love? So here I am, talking about these episodes, stick around for...

WHOBOB'S TOP 5 BEST TV EPISODES OF 2025

But without going to top 5, here are honorable mentions...

TV Show: Polar Opposites

Episode: What Is The Mission Anyway? (S6E10)

I know people thought Solar Opposites was a lot like Rick and Morty except family sitcom but as the show went on, it forged its own identity and wasn't stuck to a more existential dread that's Rick and Morty. We got to see Korvo and Teddy become an iconic gay couple by the end of the show and Yumyulack and Jesse became such close siblings overall. I won't say further other than the show tying up its plotline in such a crafty way and delivering one final surprise that makes the entire premise click hard. Maybe they hit me with sci-fi "Love this alien sitcom show." raygun but this show was such a gem throughout and im glad that even if it got cancelled, they managed to deliver a satisfying conclusion.

TV Show: Smiling Friends

Episode: Curse of the Green Halloween Witch (S3E4)

This is the funniest ep of the season bar none, also the creepiest Halloween episode they have done. They hit you with so many great jokes like "be my flashlight bitch" and "me was born this way" and some incredible scary sequences. Smiling Friends is known for its funny jumpscares but i like that they limited themselves here and allowed the athomsphere of horror breathe through. it was much more effective. The climax was one of the most jawdropping shit in the show and that should tell when the show has so many WTF moments. Never change, Smiling Friends.

TV Show: Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake

Episode: The Worm and His Orchard

Two words: Rebecca Sugar. Her returning back to Adventure Time to storyboard yet another episode, this time being the spin-off Fionna and Cake was great. She still got it after all these years. This whole episode is magical. Best ep of the show yet. The AT franchise is no stranger to worldbuilding but this takes it to a next level. You get a wonderful Rebecca Sugar song. Some heartwrenching moments and revelations. Fionna and Cake develop so much as characters here as well as Huntress Wizard. Surprise appearances you'll find everywhere in this episode. What can i say? Adventure Time is special.

TV Show: Futurama

Episode: The Numberland Gap (S10E4)

Only time you'll find any modern Futurama content in a best list. I'm a sucker for Futurama, I'll be there for it no matter what but Hulu def had some rough patches. Season 10 was still like okay at best but out of all seasons Hulu has made, this is the best one. And The Numberland Gap is the best Hulurama episode yet. I'm always a sucker when Futurama goes nerd sci-fi shit. This time they are focused on math theories (hence the title) but man, they always make them fun. This episode was creative and i had really good laughs. A plot and B plot are wonderfully executed. At first you are a bit confused on where this is all leading but once you get to the end, it all clicks. It had a really emotional moment that i'll remember. Even if i'm not always excited for new Futurama seasons, episodes like this proves that they still have some juice from time to time.

TV Show: Star Wars Visions

Episode: Black (V3E9)

I will not say anything. You just have to see for yourself.

So, let's do this top 5!!!

#5

TV Show: Severance

Episode: Chikhai Bardo (S2E7)

This is the episode that not only gives you missing pieces since the cliffhanger of s1 but also gives a powerful tale about exploitation of women's bodies and mind. It is a thrilling and sad hour of TV. Filled with breathtaking cinematography (no surprise this ep was directed by a cinematographer), iconic music and top notch acting, this episode is the best Severance episode yet. It'll crush you and make you cry.

#4

TV Show: Pluribus

Episode: The Gap (S1E7)

People disliking this episode are crazy man, best episode of the show so far. Vince Gilligan gives you two perspectives in this episode that makes you see how they operate under their rough situation. It's a character study. Filled with nice dark humor and some depressing and scary stuff, this episode will make you invested. Without saying further, it sucks that people in filmmaking these days are incapable of capturing the beauty of the world and this episode will teach you how it's done. This show knows how to use Apple budget so effectively and it pays off well. Need season 2 now.

#3

TV Show: Heated Rivalry

Episode: I'll Believe in Anything (S1E5)

I love when I cry at gay shows and this episode will make you sob hard. It's good to see queer people have a show like this and this episode is the best one yet. It's a compelling romance with amazing acting by Hudson and Connor. You get to be invested in Shane and Ilya opening up to each other more and how their relationship grows in time. It's a feel good episode that doesn't ignore what our characters went through. There are some heavy moments but ultimately, it is a fuzzy feeling and i haven't felt like this about a queer themed tv show in a long time or ever in fact. Cannot praise enough as you witness the final 5 minutes. Revolutionary for sure.

#2

TV Show: Andor

Episode: Who Are You? (S2E8)

The show has been building up to this very moment. Call it Star Wars' Ozymandias or The Rains of Castamere or The View from Halfway Down or whatever. It's fucked up. It's soul crushing. It's reflective of this very monent in human history, I feel appalled to see how timeless it is. That's the scariest part. No matter where this would take place, you can pinpoint it to any tragic events. Star Wars has always been outspoken on its anti-fascist themes but it doesnt hit you more than this one. Disney's Star Wars will never get as high as this one. Diego Luna shows some raw performance as you see his character go through a horrific situation. You will not survive this one, I promise.

and now for NUMBAH 1!!!

#1

TV Show: The Pitt

Episode: 7:00PM (S1E13)

I knew this episode would kill me but it didn't just kill me. It defiled my corpse and tossed my soul to pits of hell. I cry whenever an episode of TV Show gets me but the last moments were the hardest I sobbed. I couldn't go through that level of pain. Calling it fucked up would undermine how it made me feel. What these doctors go through everyday. I doubt I'd handle all that pressure. Noah Wyle's finest hours of acting. You can see how much Robby is suffering here and how he let everybody down, including himself. There is a reason why The Pitt is one of the best TV shows currently running because they will hit you at the right time.

Thanks for reading, now I gotta go to sleep.

As you guys know, I read comic books, watch superhero tv shows and movies. So it's no brainer I'd have bunch of favorites. I haven't done a huge list in a while, my last one was Top 50 Best TV Shows of All-Time but I can't deny a King Neptune request. So I'm gonna do my very best to explain why I love these superheroes so much. One thing I'll point out is that some of these heroes have done villainy or anti-heroic stuff before but the point of the list is to point out these characters' growth or them skewing more into a heroic side. So I hope I explain this well.

This is gonna be a long list and I love to ramble (sorry), so I'm gonna split this list into three parts. Part Two and Three are coming tomorrow and the day after. Consider this as an Eid celebration, even though I'm the only active member on SBC who celebrates it afaik lol. Anyways Eid Mubarak and let's get into it.

WhoBob's Top 25 Superheroes of All-Time List

(Part One)

#25: Doctor Fate (Khalid Nassour)

As you guys know, I'm a muslim. I may not be a religious person but I was raised in a islamic society, so characters like Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel or Monet/Penance will mean so much to me. The obvious pick would be Kamala Khan but I haven't read her original material to have a huge opinion on her, though I plan on changing that. However I read Khalid Nassour's comics. 2015 Doctor Fate run by Paul Levitz and Sonny Liew. And the character has stuck with me ever since. He has similarities with Kamala, a young muslim american doing superheroics. Although in Khalid's case, he's much more magic based, he's Egyptian and he's not like a superhero fanatic like Kamala is and he's an physician. He's one of the late legacy superheroes introduced, one of the many people holding Doctor Fate title. And it's so entralling to see him trying to learn to be a hero without someone to guide him. And as you read his journey more and more, he proves himself to be the person earning Doctor Fate title. Although eventually he'll learn that he's grandson of the original Doctor Fate, Nelson Kent and learns a few things from him, becomes a member of Justice League Dark (magic based superheroes) and Justice Society of America. And he's great because of proving himself to be worthy of being a superhero.

#24: Monica Rambeau

Monica has had many codenames over the years. Captain Marvel, Spectrum, Photon. But no matter what title she picks, she'll always be one of the greatest. She was the main character of Avengers in 80s (Roger Stern's run) and unfortunately she lost her recognition in 90s and 00s (with the exception of appearing in Nextwave) up until Al Ewing decided to put her in his titles and make her a standout. I love Monica cuz she's a character that has been screwed over in her history but she always comes back up and is one of the most powerful characters ever. Throughout 10s, it's cool to see Monica become an immortal being and how that means to her overall. And how that eats her up which was an interesting theme to tackle with her give she is a living light. I like her defying the circumstances that made her miserable and become such an important character in the end. And I always hate that MCU reduced her to Carol's niece cuz that does not serve the character at all. She's much more badass, self assured and interesting in comics.

#23: Roy Harper

The first sidekick to Green Arrow/Oliver Queen. Being Speedy as a teen, eventually growing into Arsenal, then becoming Red Arrow and becoming Arsenal again, the character had multiple names over the years. What I love about him is that he's a character that Oliver let down so hard. In his absence, Roy decided to take on heroin which resulted in him lashing out to him. And he had to find a way to get sober thru help of Black Canary but he was still a mess overall. He had a child at a young age with villainous Chesire, so he had to learn how to be a single father but he eventually proved himself and he went from being a Titans member to being a Justice League member. Right now he's back to being a Titan but Roy will always have a special place in my heart for how much he overcame his trauma and struggles.

#22: Black Panther

T'Challa is one of the first black characters in Marvel Comics and one of the most popular superhero characters ever. My first exposure to him was MCU's Civil War followed by Black Panther movie, played magnificently by the late Chadwick Boseman and I came to love the character but I didn't know much about the comics version until I read Jonathan Hickman's Avengers saga and I became a fan of the character from comics. And I eventually read Ta-Nehisi Coates' Black Panther run, Don McGregor's Jungle Action, Eve Ewing's Black Panther and I'm currently reading Christopher Priest's Black Panther. Each have their own unique take on T'Challa. He became the king of Wakanda (a well advanced African country) as a kid after his father's death, he's a calculating superspy who is ten steps ahead of everything, he's the protector of Wakandans, he eventually grapples with how to be a king and what monarcy means to him, he later stops being a king and becomes the vigilante of Wakanda. Some of the reasons why he's a favorite of mine and why he means so much to many people.

#21: Hawkeye (Clint Barton)

Clint Barton is a regular guy learning to be a standout hero amongst some of the most powerful people ever. He's a cool character that MCU did dirty. He was once a leader of Avengers and later Thunderbolts, proving himself as an important figure. And I came to love the character thru Matt Fraction and David Aja's Hawkeye run where we look into him being just a normal person, doing stuff outside of superheroics. And he's such a mess. Can't carry a relationship, struggles being a mentor to Kate Bishop, second Hawkeye, life punches him over and over. But he always cleans his shit together and that's why he's so cool.

#20: Quake

I'm gonna talk specifically about MCU version and not the comic version cuz I never read her important story in Jonathan Hickman's Secret Warriors, although I plan on doing it one day. But I couldn't leave out her cuz I think she is one of the best characters in that show and deserves a recognition. Idk If anyone wants to watch it atp but I'll lay out the twist of s2 which is that she was a hacker character named Skye that got recruited by SHIELD but eventually she realizes that he real name is Daisy Johnson and she is an inhuman who posesses the power of vibration. She goes from being a cool hacker to being one of the most ass kicking characters ever. I really like her compelling narrative with her finding out who her parents here, her trying to grapple with her new powers, eventually becoming addicted to a higher being and then sobering up and beating the obstacles every step of the turn.

#19: Batman

Perhaps the most popular superhero in the entire history but why is he low on the list? Well cuz when written badly, I find the character to be a bit insufferable or that I find him to be overexposured. That being said there's a reason why he's so beloved and why I love him so much. He has some of the best superhero adaptations. Batman: the Animated Series, Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, Matt Reeves' The Batman and some others like Batman: the Brave and the Bold, Tim Burton's Batman movies, 00s Batman series and some more I never watched. But he also has some of the best comic books of all-time. You cannot go wrong with Batman: Year One, Batman: The Long Halloween, Batman: The Man Who Laughs, The Dark Knight Returns etc etc. But perhaps my favorite Batman stuff is in Grant Morrison's Batman saga where he becomes larger than life figure, overcoming death of his parents, becoming a father to Damian Wayne, overcoming every obstacle on the way and cheating death. And all of it was gone masterfully until it all clashes down spectacularly. And he's an inspiration to many heroes and has impressive rogues gallery (Joker, Two-Face, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, Ra's Al Ghul, Bane, Scarecrow, Mr. Freeze, The Penguin), a really cool batfamily (Nightwing, Batgirls, Robins, Batwoman, Oracle, Red Hood, Signal, Huntress, Alfred Pennyworth, Catwoman etc) and some of the best supporting cast you can imagine (James Gordon, Lucius Fox, Harvey Bullock, Renee Montaya/The Question, Leslie Thompkins). He's a man dressed as a bat to fight crime, so no one has to go through same tragedy as he did when he was young. And that's why he's the greatest considered by many people.

#18: Batgirl (Cassandra Cain)

Cass Cain is a character that debuted in 00s but I have never had exposure to her deeply until last year when I read Batgirl by Kelley Puckett and Damion Scott and I became a fan of the character. She is a character that was raised to be an assassin by her father. Only using body language and never speaking, she became one of the most powerful martial artists in superhero comics. And she was quite a killer until she came across to Batman, becoming adopted by him and mentored by Barbara Gordon, once was a Batgirl and now a hacker named Oracle. Thanks to them, she became a superhero and took the codename Batgirl. She's important because of her disabilty to speak minimally or in broken language. She shows her emotions through her body and facial expressions and she's able to read people thru their bodies. And she's a kickass fighter, going toe to toe with a deadly assassin named Lady Shiva who is her mother and surviving their deadly battle. She was an important character to Batman lore until because of continuity reboot, she had been erased from history until a few years later she came back as Orphan which is a silly codename for her and then becoming Batgirl once again and sharing the codename with Stephanie Brown, formerly known as Spoiler. And now she has her own title again by Tate Brombal and Takeshi Miyazawa and it has been great so far. She is a great character because she managed to escape her abusive father, learned to be a hero without killing anyone ever again and defied her mother's cruel tactics.

Part 2 (#17-9): March 31st

Part 3 (#8-1): April 1st

WHOBOB’S TOP 10 BEST TV SHOWS OF 2025

#10: Star Wars: Visions

This is a gem that keeps on giving. With complete creative freedom, this show is a great way of reimagining Star Wars as a whole. I don’t know how they keep making gems like this. I’m awed. Vol. 3 of this show was just as brilliant as the first two. Some brilliant follow ups to beloved stories from Vol. 1 like The Duel while some others are completely new and bold stories like The Bird of the Paradise and Black. My only issue with this volume is that there are a few episodes that feel just a set up for a new story and not all of them hit as much as I wanted to. But overall, this is a strong series for Star Wars and I cannot wait for the upcoming The Ninth Jedi tv show.

#9: Peacemaker

I think the criticism that went to the second season of the show is perfectly valid since it pretty much ended with setting up James Gunn’s Man of Tomorrow and the runtime was shorter than usual cuz Gunn was also doing Superman at the same time, so this season could have been polished better. Is it still a damn good TV? Well, I still had tons of fun. This season put Christopher Smith and his cast into a really unique journey. Making them confront their toxicity and flaws as well as their friendships. It was an especially impressive season for Chris who had to deal with who he was, where he came from and how he was comfortable living on a lie. I won’t say further than that but bless James Gunn for making me care about this messy team, making me laugh and also feel emotional towards them. And for good songs once more. Can’t wait to see where these characters’ journeys go from here.

#8: Long Story Short

I am sad that this show didn’t make waves like Raphael Bob-Waksberg’s other show BoJack Horseman did but I guess it’s because it looked like yet another animated family sitcom (and Netflix didn’t promote it well) but this show is absolutely worth it. It’s about a jewish family in different time periods and how life shaped their history. You get to see characters in their youth and in their old selves. It’s quite an experimental show dealing with non-linear storytelling and I just dug so much of it. Jokes hit, animation is pretty (different art style than BoJack but still quintessential Waksberg), emotional beats wreck you hard etc. I highly recommend this to anyone who is looking for something different in a typical family sitcom setting because it’s gonna be special and I can’t wait to see what season 2 has in store (hopefully it won’t be the last)

#7: Smiling Friends

Smiling Friends enter the top 10 tv list!!! This show boomed like hell and there is no stopping it. The show has become this generation’s The Simpsons, South Park, Bob’s Burgers etc. A high quality animated show with non-stop laughter and smiles! Something always catches people’s attention if it’s Creed as Mr. Frog’s dad, Mr. Boss and Allan cookie yaoi, Pim on a rampage and killing his friends, Glep’s insane backstory and the return of Squim. Smiling Friends is one of those shows that held SBC as a community together and I’m happy for its existence because of it. Here’s to more wacky seasons to this show.

#6: Severance

Praise Kier. Season 2 of this show hasn’t been holding it back at all. I’m a sucker for good sci-fi stories and this show is impressive in its way for being an intriguing sci-fi show that has something to say. Whether it’s the way cults operate in real life, capitalism making the working class’ lives a living hell, racism in the work environment, women’s bodies being used for experimentation without their consent and so on. A thought provoking show with great character development, intense thrills, chilling music and beautiful cinematography. AppleTV is rising up the ranks as the best streaming service with shows like this and I’m glad it has enough budget and creative freedom to be special. I don’t know when season 3 is gonna arrive but once it does, I’ll be seated.

#5: Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake

As many movie/tv show franchises have gone to nostalgia fest and slop for sake of it, Adventure Time is one of those exceptions that actually grows up with you as time goes on. It’s a franchise with fan service that actually drives the story and character arcs instead of being there for the sake of it, characters having issues without losing their character development and maturing as a process and expansion of the lore that doesn’t feel out of place. The second season of the show was an interesting and controversial time because many viewers felt Fionna was so unlikeable this season and it had pointless storylines and such until the last two eps supposedly saving the show and dare I say…

People are so critical of flawed women characters without understanding what the character goes through, Fionna in this case. Missing the point that she is NOT Finn and that’s why she is so messy this season and I can’t lie, Fionna’s journey this season was very relatable for me because we set expectations on ourselves that ultimately disappoint us, make us hate ourselves and cause us to make more mistakes. That’s what Fionna dealt with which is why this season is among the best Adventure Time material and I ain’t being hyperbole and how this season ended for Fionna and her world, I was more than satisfied. I don’t know if we are gonna get a s3 but I’m glad Adventure Time is this rare franchise that still has juice.

#4: Heated Rivalry

No one could have seen it coming that a Canadian gay hockey show would be one of the biggest hits of 2025. It grew a fanbase even before the show premiered and once it was out to the world, it was all over social media with bunch of fanarts and edits, it’s insane. And it was so well deserved. Bless Rachel Reid and Jacob Tierney for giving us an impressive hockey show that dealt with queer masculinity. Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov are THE TV couple of 2025 and definitely one of the best in this decade so far. They have great chemistry with each other and their sex scenes are hot and moving. As you get to see this pair go from fucking each other from time to time to committing an actual meaningful relationship, it’s beautiful. And giving us Scott Hunter and Kip Grady on top of it with their just as moving story. The show will make you horny but also make you cry and laugh. When so much media has become sexless and devoid of chemistry, Heated Rivalry comes and shows how it’s done. It was about time we had a popular queer media that isn’t making us suffer but instead celebrating queer joy. Of course it isn’t easy with this show as characters deal with homophobia and toxic masculinity in the sports industry but it pretty much rewards you at the end. I’m glad it is such a hit with season 2 on the horizon and made a huge impact on people’s lives. Go see it.

#3: Andor

We will never have a Star Wars story like Andor ever. Star Wars franchise has had ups and downs since Disney took over with the SW fanbase becoming more and more hostile as it went on. As a result, Lucasfilm leans more and more into memberberries, nowadays leaning into Clone Wars/Rebels nostalgia of it with mixed results but Andor is the best Star Wars media since the original trilogy. Tony Gilroy and his crew put heart and soul into a show about an underground movement. It’s mature, thought provoking and soul crushing. One of the bleakest looks at fascism. Cassian’s journey started from surviving in his life to being part of a revolutionary movement. Him alongside countless ordinary citizens in the galaxy far far away making a change and standing up for freedom and liberty, it’s inspiring in these current times with the ruling class oppressing us. Many franchises downplay the politics of the world and play a more centrist/liberal angle and Andor isn’t like that. At least by western media standards. I’m sure I said this in 2022 when I put Andor in my best TV of 2022 list but I’ll say it again. Never in my life I would have predicted a prequel show of a prequel movie about Cassian fucking Andor being one of my all-time favorite shows ever made. Thank you Diego Luna for your amazing performance and your well-written character and rest of the cast for being just as fabulous. Thank you Tony Gilroy and the crew for making me feel hopeful in these hopeless times. You guys played a gamble with the show and it paid off so well and it ended on a high note. Star Wars can still make great stories after all this but Andor is one in a lifetime experience that will never be recreated and I’ll never forget it.

#2: The Pitt

Yeah, I’m a predictable gay person. I saw raves about the show and I almost considered it but I felt that body close ups in hospitals would disturb me and gross me out, so I pretty much chickened out. When I saw a gay fanart of The Pitt, I was like “UGHHHH fine, I’ll watch this.” and I am glad to make that decision. Noah Wyle is a hot man, who can deny that but above all, this is a damn impressive show about Trauma Center. I’m a sucker for ensemble casts and The Pitt has some amazing characters. All of them, you get to know their experiences and their personalities and how they put so much of them into their work by saving people. The show can make you laugh with these characters’ interactions with each other but make no mistake, this show will crush you. I cried multiple times in season 1 and I was at my breaking point in episode 13 which was nervewrecking. Noah Wyle is one hell of an actor and he was so good in this show, I could praise him all day. While I get that over 10 episodes per season is too much to ask these days, getting a show with 15 episodes per season annually is nice to see. With so many stories we get out of larger than life characters these days, it’s good that we have stories about mundane people getting through every single day and The Pitt is exactly that. Not just doctors in the show but also patients we see here. You get to feel for them. It is something special and I can’t wait to see what’s more in store.

#1: Pluribus

Vince Gilligan said he doesn’t wanna be one trick pony and man, he proved himself right. Here’s a show completely different from Breaking Bad and yet still so Vince Gilligan at the core. Body invasion and hivemind concepts have been done in many movies and tv shows before but what makes Pluribus stand out is that it actually asks harder questions about individuality, culture and loneliness. What happens when the world is united under one mind and only a few people have their individuality left? What happens to people’s culture and practices when they are one? The show challenges its audience by making it seem normal and acceptable underneath all that gruesome facts. When the world we live in has become so desensitized to atrocities, it only makes sense that the show would make the joining feel so normal and uplifting when in reality, it’s a bleak situation. Stories often take a more black and white and less nuanced approach to the state of the world but in Pluribus’ case, it delves deeper into the core issues without being so in your face. This was the breakout role Rhea Seehorn needed after her brilliant performance in Better Call Saul and I’m glad this show has become a hit that she’ll be recognized by people further.

Apple TV is doing something right by giving original shows a chance and Pluribus truly is this generation’s prestige tv show. Discussing the show weekly was great which is why more companies should take lessons from it. Engagement in stories matters. If people do not pay attention to the story, then you are doing something wrong. This show made me put so much thought, therefore engaging with it and hopefully it’s only gonna go bolder from here. With so much colorless and lifeless TV slop, Pluribus has beautiful colors and gorgeously shot cinematography. This show was the biggest reason why TV has become important to me this year. Do not sleep on it.

And that's all. Thank you all for reading my rambling of these great shows throughout (almost) each year and hopefully 2026 will be even better. Take care.

And with that, my journey to talk about a bunch of cartoons that are insignificant in the grand scheme of things will not continue, but restart completely. So sad.  (but not really)

Same game rules as last time. I will talk about all 57 CN originals that have ever aired as of 2018, all by their first episode (and if I actually watched the show sometime in my childhood, I may go a little more in-depth). And once again, I will use Wheel Decide as a decision maker. Last time it started me off with the 2016 reboot of Ben 10. *shudders* What will you give me this time, oh great Wheel?

Stay tuned for dman's first talk-about.

SHOW LIST:

Top 10 Worst [12/27/25]

Top 10 Best [1/3/26]

Now, you'd expect I'd be talking about the first episode of every Disney Channel original animated series to complete the trifecta of cable TV networks most of us here grew up with, but for now, you will be sorely disappointed. (I'm not against the idea, actually, but it turns out a lot of the original animated series produced by Disney didn't even originally air on Disney Channel, but on ABC and other forms of syndication on network television, and that includes stuff like Darkwing Duck, Gargoyles, and even the freaking Weekenders, none of which make any sense to exclude in a retrospective like this, but I digress.)

Instead, I'm gonna be talking about the filmography of the one Japanese animation studio that even non-weebs can name, which is of course, Studio Ghibli (whose works were, ironically enough, distributed by Disney itself when I was growing up). Unlike the other two "talking about" topics here, though, I am actually unfamiliar with most Ghibli movies and wanted to undertake watching all 24 of their major productions to date (and one production that actually predates the studio itself, but has since been re-released under the Studio Ghibli name) just to see what I've been missing out on. Some of you here may remember that I tried to have some of us SBCers binge watch these movies over Discord as a group, which unfortunately didn't pan out due to our varying personal circumstances. In other words, I'll be going it alone and will be creating this thread instead to gather my feelings on each of their films.

Like with Dman's topic, I will be choosing each Ghibli movie at random using a decider wheel. What are we gonna get this time, O Wheel of Chance?

Stay tuned for Izzy's first talk-about.

LIST OF MOVIES:

ok let's get to the reason i made this thread, who is your favourite smiling friends character? uou know the drill, vote and if you wish tell us in the replies why!

So a while back, back when I actually posted here, I reviewed a few episodes of Futurama. Since then, the topic has disappeared into the netherworld and I honestly don't remember the episodes too well anyway and my opinions may have changed anyway so we're starting all over. This is Wumbo Reviews Futurama Redux: Bite My Shiny Metal Behind. Hoping that gets past what I'm sure are staunch SBC censors nowadays. Now, when and how often will these reviews be coming out? I don't know! I have many responsibilities to cater to before this, so I'm just going to say "whenever I have time and the mood strikes me". That should be sure to please everyone! Now say, what's a dog

Enjoy, everyone!

August 15
6:00am-1:00pm Disney Junior
1:00pm Elena of Avalor
1:30pm Bunk'd
2:00pm Jessie
2:30pm Jessie
3:00pm Best Friends Whenever
3:30pm Girl Meets World
4:00pm Bizaardvark
4:30pm Austin & Ally
5:00pm Austin & Ally
5:30pm Walk the Prank
6:00pm K.C. Undercover - "Tightrope of Doom"
7:00pm Bunk'd
7:30pm Bunk'd
8:00pm Adventures in Babysitting (2016)
9:45pm Girl Meets World
10:10pm Girl Meets World
10:35pm K.C. Undercover
11:05pm Bizaardvark
11:30pm Bunk'd

August 16
6:00am-1:00pm Disney Junior
1:00pm Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures
1:30pm Bunk'd
2:00pm Jessie
2:30pm Jessie
3:00pm Best Friends Whenever
3:30pm Girl Meets World
4:00pm Bizaardvark
4:25pm Austin & Ally
4:50pm Girl Meets World
5:15pm Adventures in Babysitting (2016)
7:00pm Bunk'd
7:30pm Bunk'd
8:00pm Bizaardvark
8:30pm K.C. Undercover
9:00pm Girl Meets World
9:30pm Stuck in the Middle
10:00pm Liv and Maddie
10:30pm K.C. Undercover
11:00pm Bizaardvark
11:30pm Bunk'd

August 17
6:00am-1:00pm Disney Junior
1:00pm Stuck in the Middle
1:30pm Bunk'd
2:00pm Lego Elves
2:30pm Elena of Avalor
3:00pm Best Friends Whenever
3:30pm Girl Meets World
4:00pm Bizaardvark
4:30pm Austin & Ally
5:00pm Austin & Ally
5:30pm Walk the Prank
6:00pm Liv and Maddie
6:30pm K.C. Undercover
7:00pm Bunk'd
7:30pm Bunk'd
8:00pm Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
9:50pm Stuck in the Middle
10:15pm Liv and Maddie
10:40pm K.C. Undercover
11:05pm Bizaardvark
11:30pm Bunk'd

August 18
6:00am-1:00pm Disney Junior
1:00pm Stuck in the Middle
1:30pm Bunk'd
2:00pm Jessie
2:30pm Jessie
3:00pm Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
4:50pm Austin & Ally
5:15pm Austin & Ally
5:40pm Liv and Maddie
6:05pm Liv and Maddie
6:30pm K.C. Undercover
7:00pm Bunk'd
7:30pm Bunk'd
8:00pm Brave
9:40pm Descendants: Wicked World
10:10pm Liv and Maddie
10:35pm K.C. Undercover
11:00pm Bizaardvark
11:30pm Bunk'd

August 19
6:00am-1:00pm Disney Junior
1:00pm Friends of Heartlake City
1:30pm Elena of Avalor
2:00pm Jessie
2:30pm Jessie
3:00pm Best Friends Whenever
3:30pm Girl Meets World
4:00pm Bizaardvark
4:30pm Austin & Ally
5:00pm Austin & Ally
5:25pm Liv and Maddie
5:50pm Brave
7:30pm Elena of Avalor
8:00pm Stuck in the Middle
8:30pm Girl Meets World
9:00pm Bizaardvark
9:30pm K.C. Undercover
10:00pm Star vs. the Forces of Evil
10:30pm Star vs. the Forces of Evil
11:00pm Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures
11:30pm Bizaardvark

In theaters: Last movie I saw was Valentine's Day.

Not in theaters: Last movie I saw was Donnie Darko.

WhoBob's Top 10 Best The Simpsons Episodes

10. Summer of 4 Ft. 2: This will always be the best Lisa centric episode to date. Lisa throughout the show doesn't have a lot of friends, so giving her a cast of her own really works here. I like that they love Lisa just the way she is rather than her creating a persona for these kids to like. It's a nice episode of acceptance and belonging to people. No other season finale of this show has ever topped this masterpiece (not even the glorious Who Shot Mr. Burns Part 1)

9. Treehouse of Horror V: Classic Simpsons era has given us such amazing THOH episodes but this one always takes the cake. The first two segments never stop being funny. First segment is a hilarious The Shining parody with jokes like "no beer and no TV makes Homer something something...". Homer is so great as a character driven insane here. Second segment is a bombastic time travel segment (If you know me, you know how much I love time travel) with Flanders dystopia or Homer's actual utopia wiith well behaved kids, being rich and dead sisters in law (and raining donuts Homer just missed). It's fun. And third segment is the creepiest and the most disturbing segment THOH will ever do with cannibalistic teachers. I love that each segment has a running gag with Groundskeeper Willie dying with an axe, it's a nice way to connect these segment with a hilarious punchline. And ofc the finale musical number with Bart being eaten by Santa's Little Helper. All-timer stuff.

8. The Springfield Files: Maybe I should check out X-Files cuz this episode was built for me. It was such a compelling mystery of the alien surrounding Springfield with Scully and Mulder making a crossover appearance and being a charismatic duo as usual. Not too much to say other than I love the vibes this episode has. And ofc the final twist at the end which was well done.

7. Mother Simpson: This will always be the best episode about Homer's mother. It was a really sad episode delving into Homer's mother and why she was absent from Homer's life all this time. It's a deeply touching story and a cool one being about how much of a badass Homer's mother can be. The final scene is just tearjerking. It gives you so much feels. That's what s7 is great at. So yeah, it's such a strong episode.

6. Cape Feare: This is honestly what I call it Chocolate With Nuts, The Simpsons edition. There is a reason why this episode is considered to be the funniest episode of all-time. Bunch of great gags after gags like "Die Bart Die" or "Hello, Mr. Thompson" or the iconic rake scene or Homer jumpscares with knife and chainsaw. But what really makes this episode an all-timer is that it's Bart and Sideshow Bob's rivalry at its finest. They never get better than Bart tricking Sideshow Bob to sing for him until cops catch him. It's a kickass and gripping cat and mouse chase game with hilarious jokes. What else can you ask for?

5. 22 Short Films About Springfield: This episode is one of the most ambitious and creative episodes of TV. Focusing entirely on side characters of this show and there is a reason why Simpsons' extended cast is rich and lively. This is their episode and they shine so much here. And how they each connect is so well done. And you can't talk about this episode without bringing up Steamed Hams segment. It's one of the most hilarious memes of the show that never overstay it's welcome. Dare I say this episode is an unforgettable luncheon.

4. And Maggie Makes Three: You know I had to include this episode on this list. This episode is one of the most tearjerking episodes of the show. It's a really sad story about how capitalism affects Homer's life and why there being a third child on the way concerns him. But this episode reminds us that despite all the issues, Homer's a great father and the minute he sees Maggie, he loves her to the fullest and him being stuck in this shitty joke is cuz he's doing it all for Maggie, so she can have a bright future. He's willing to endure cruelity for his kids, that's why he's one of the most beloved fathers of TV, no matter how many times he can be a mess.

3. Bart Sells His Soul: This episode is extremely powerful. It's a compelling narrative on whether a person has a soul or not. And Bart selling his soul to Millhouse, even if it's just a word on a piece of paper, crushes himself. It's a depressing narrative on how Bart no longer feels anything after this act and it's so fucked up. It's a great story about belief and spirituality. The dream sequence is so eerie and nightmarish that you can tell Bart isn't happy with the decision he made. And by the end, Bart coming to realize that he fucked up and begs Millhouse to give the paper back and then eventually eating it was such a great arc for Bart overall. This isn't even my favorite Bart centric episode but it's perhaps the most personal Bart story to date.

2. Marge Be Not Proud: I remember that I wasn't the most fan of this episode cuz I thought Marge was being cruel to Bart. I still loved it ofc but it was never one of my favorites. But over the years, I have been thinking and there is something about this episode that always makes you feel gut punched. The idea of crossing a line and disappointing your parents. I think every child one way or another feels that they let down their parents when they do something bad. In this case, Bart stealing a video game which makes Marge be so disappointed in him which causes a drift between them and makes Bart feel alienated. Even If you can argue Marge alienating Bart isn't right, I think you can see where she is coming from here. Her own son actually doing something really bad that It might actually affect his whole future. But in classical Simpsons fashion, Bart makes up for the damage he has done and Marge forgives him which ends the episode on a sweet note. It never stops to make me cry. Episodes like this is why Bart is my favorite character cuz despite all his mischives, he cares about people and when he fucks something up, he's willing to fix his mess. And why s7 is my favorite season because it's the most emotional and character focused season of all-time for me.

And without waiting no further, here's my number one!

1. Lisa's First Word: Bart is my favorite character, so no shock this episode takes the cake for me but it's deeper than that. I'm such a sucker for sibling episodes. My favorite Futurama episode is The Luck of The Fryish which is all about Fry's relationship with his brother. I have a twin and I love him so much, no matter how many times we fight or argue. So this episode was made for me. It is a great example of why Bart loves Lisa so much. The first time he sees her is him feeling jealous of her cuz he feels all the attention goes to her for being the new baby. All the way Bart tries to get rid of her is so funny but you also feel sad for Bart cuz he feels like people no longer love him as much as they love Lisa. And then it all ends with Lisa actually saying her first word which is "Bart". No matter what Bart does to Lisa throughout this episode, Lisa loves him very much. And them bonding over calling Homer by his own name instead of dad is both funny and sweet. And even though this episode ends with them fighting, it doesn't matter cuz siblings fight and what matters is that they care for each other and love each other. And this episode ending with Maggie saying her first word "dad" makes me wanna cry even harder.

And there we go. I hope you guys enjoyed this top 10. No matter how The Simpsons gets more and more stale, these classic episodes will be a reminder why I fell in love with it in the first place.

this is going to be true cinema

Society.

Why the fuck is this happening when 2024 is about to close in the next 3 months?

Well, I wanted to make this list for quite sometime due to my annual tradition of best tv lists but this year and the last year, I was slacking hard on certain shows to make it feel complete. Now that I caught up on a few, I can finally keep up with this project. Without further ado, here it is!

WHOBOB'S TOP 10 BEST TV SHOWS OF 2023

Now before I get to my top 10, I wanna start with some honorable mentions:

Now let's do the TOP 10.

#10: The Patrick Star Show (Nickelodeon)

A NICKELODEON SHOW FINALLY CRACKING THIS LIST? I'll be damned. Yes I have been championing this show early on and I'm very happy to include this on my list. The show became one of my new favorite shows and the best SpongeBob content (besides Cosmic Shake game) in years and I'm not shitting. Somehow Patrick and his colorful family have lots of stories to tell and I'm in love with it 100%. The season this got a bump on the list is because they changed the show from script driven to storyboard driven and my god, there is such a significant improvement here. Also the fact that the show has new people working on it that makes it feel refreshing in a way the main show cannot be anymore. Animation is stellar, the show's wackiness and cartoony vibes are a whole different league, the humor makes me laugh throughout and they make such imaginative episodes like parodying dumb youtube media critics and shows being overmerchandized in real life. Patrick for a long time was my least favorite character because of how writers dumbed him down to extreme in the main show but his own show did an excellent job making him as loveable as he was in those first three seasons and giving him a family he can bounce off with who are their own unique characters and not Patrick clones. Please give this show another chance, I was very pleased with how this turned out overall.

#9: Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake (Max)

Here I thought i was done with Adventure Time franchise but they just keep rolling me back in. This show was a pleasant surprise given it had two concepts that have outgrown their welcome: Fionna & Cake and multiverse. But despite all, the show gave its own unique twist on both of those concepts. Expanding on the lore and making me give crap about the duo for the first time since the first episode. I love that this franchise gives wonderful DLCs with Distant Lands and now this, especially with how much it developed Simon as a character in ways I did not expect. The first season was a great time with incredible visuals and worlds, exciting action and an intriguing story. And I love that this franchise growing with its audience is shown even clearer with making this show mature without making it feel edgy. Please just give us more Adventure Time franchise stories, I'll eat it up and it only gets better and better as opposed to growing stale.

#8: Loki (Disney+)

I wasn't gonna give another season of this show a chance, despite loving the first season because I have gotten tired of MCU but enough convincing, i gave it a go and my god, It's even better. If we cannot include Agents of SHIELD as a canon MCU show (which is fine by me), this show takes the cake for being the best MCU show ever made. I love that despite this being a different version of Loki, they ended up giving him an excellent redemption arc like the main universe Loki got. Only this time, it was even more impactful. I love this show fleshing out its cast even further, giving characters like Mobius and Hunter B-15 more to do as well as giving us new additions like OB. I only have a small issue that I wish Sylvie did more this season but I think it was good to see where her character ended up after the effects of s1 finale. I hope this is the end for Loki cuz this season ended Loki's arc on a high note that I cannot see revisiting him and it's clear Tom Hiddelston wants to move onto other projects which is reasonable. So yeah, thanks for giving us this stellar show.

#7: Doom Patrol (Max)

I'm so fucking glad Zaslav did not write off the second half of the final season of this show cuz the wait at the time was painful to sit through and we weren't sure we'd see the end of it but here we are. One of the best superhero shows of all-time reaching its excellent conclusion. I can see some people not being into the big bad of this season but i thought they were a great antagonist for the character to deal with while they had to deal with their own mortality throughout the season. I can safely say that I'm satisfied with how these characters' arcs ended. It really fit with them overcoming their traumas and improving as human beings. And I love that the show got to keep being just as insane and mindblowing as it was before. The humor was on point all the way to the end as well. I'm sad that the standalone live-action dc era is coming to an end soon with gunnverse is approaching soon (with only superman & lois is left in chopping block) but at least I'm thankful to DC for giving us this wonderful show.

#6: The Last of Us (HBO)

Adding this show to the list is tough now given what comes next for it is the inevitable pro-zionist messages because TLOU part 2 featuring them and Druckmann being zionist himself as well. So I really don't know If I'm gonna watch next seasons with the current genocide to Palestinians going on. But I decided I'll keep this show on my 2023 list because at the time, It really was a show I loved watching. With first season adapting the first game, they did a great job with it. I loved the journey Joel and Ellie took in the first season and what obstacles they had to deal with. It's such a cool show with scary monsters and violent action sequences. And I'll always be grateful for giving us an excellent Old Man Yaoi story in episode 3 which is perhaps one of my favorite episodes of any TV and It made me cry so much. And how this season ends is so satisfying that I really do not need to see what comes next for these characters even though I think Part 2 game gets too much heat for wrong reasons imo. So I'm good with my endpoint being here.

#5: Doctor Who (BBC One/Disney+)

I can't believe I'm putting this show on my list again! I really really disliked Chris Chibnall era of Doctor Who and i think it wasted Jodie Whittaker's Doctor and her companions hard here. I was worried for the inevitable Chibnall writing the 60th anniversary special but surprise, Russel T. Davies came back to the show with giving us not just one 60th year anniversary special but THREE. And each are wonderful on their own merit. As someone whose favorite companion is Donna Noble, these specials gave me not just great fanservice of her and David Tennant returning to play the Doctor again but also further recontextualizing these characters' chemistry and further developint them without making it feel like a nostalgia bait. It really felt like it was carrying on Steven Moffat era Who's themes and making something gold out of Chibnall's shit concepts. As a fan, I was furfilled for the first time since the end of Moffat's run. And without spoiling much, 2023 of Doctor Who gave us incredible Ncuti Gatwa as The Doctor and his performance was so lovely in his introduction as well as his first episode which was a cute xmas story wiith the new companion Ruby Sunday. Unfortunately Ncuti's first season, despite having great standalone episodes, did not live up to my full expectations because of how RTD made a mess out of the season finale and not developing Ncuti Doctor and Ruby's dynamic enough because of just 8 episodes. So don't expect it to make the 2024 list but 2023 Doctor Who? Stellar baby.

#4: Succession (HBO):

Having finally finished the show this year, the rumors are true, It really DID live up the hype. I wish I got into it sooner because my god, what a stellar TV. I have a soft spot for characters who are truly the worst and the show gave us an entire cast of shitbags who are trying to backstab each other on more than one occassion. Don't be scared by this show being entirely about a corporation drama of Logan Roy's children trying to take the mantle the become the next CEO. It's much more fun that it looks. We have 4 seasons of characters saying and doing truly wild shit that keeps you entertained while being on the edge of what moves they do next. I just love the mess of the Roy family empire. Kendall Roy is the face of depression, Roman Roy is a total disgusting nutjob, Shiv Roy is manipulative and degrading . Logan Roy is the most hateable CEO and father to his kids. So on and so on. Their antics never get old. You love to despise them. And the final season of this show was particularly strong for giving us an excellent foil for the kids to deal with. And it had one of the best episodes of any TV ever, Connor's Wedding which deserves every bit of praise it can get. And I was so satisfied with how the show concluded with a stellar 1.5 hour finale. I'm gonna cherish the final moments of this excellent job as long as I can.

#3: Barry (HBO):

HBO cannot stop giving brilliant shows, can it? Final season of Barry went into directions I couldn't expect at all. Truly blowing my mind with every decision it could get while being arguably the darkest season the show had without losing its sense of humor. I love that this show was a great companion piece to Succession, both running their final seasons on the same day of the week and even having their finales back to back, further complimenting each other. Like Succession, this show had an excellent finale and even more surprising twists you could come up for the ending of these characters. Bill Hader came a long way from being one of the core writers or actors of SNL to delivering a beautiful show that tackles trauma, morality and the cycle of violence. And I'm excited to follow him wherever he goes, especially now developing another comedy show to HBO. Please give this show a shot, its an easy binge and every single thing it goes is rock solid.

#2: The Owl House (Disney Channel):

Fuck It has been more than a year since the show ended? Thats crazy. Despite airing two episodes in 2023 (and both being final episodes of the show), I'm putting it high on the list cuz the finale was one of the best experiences I have had with this community ever. It was truly an eventful hour of TV (yep, 55 minutes!) that gave satisfying conclusion to these characters despite the crew having their biggest challenge yet because of Disney shortening the final season to 3 oversized episodes which is insane. Kickass action scenes, marvelous animation, beautiful voice acting, humor stilll being on point, being such a heartfelt story? What else to be said that hasn't been said? Luz is one of the greatest characters of TV ever and I'm happy to see how her journey concluded here. As well as her weirdo cast. So that's it. Thank you Dana Terrace and co. for this beautiful show.

and now the moment you have been waiting for...

#1: Fellow Travelers (Showtime):

It took me a while to finish this show but when I finished it, I realized this had to be the #1. This miniseries is perfect. Just perfect. A heartwrenching period story about two gay men that tackles McCarthyism, segregation, war and AIDS crisis alongside. It's a heavy show as you can tell, so it wasn't easy to digest it all but my god, the journey was worth it in the end. You root so much for these characters despite fucking up their relationship and themselves in ways more than one because their relationship is so strong and unbreakle no matter how the world tells otherwise. Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey deliver brilliant performances and have so much chemistry with each other. Despite the show being heavy, it's also a very hot and sensational queer tale to watch. I'm in the mindset that the shows and the movies should be allowed to be horny because it adds so much to the characters' emotional state and the chemistry they bring. And I don't just say that because this is a queer show made for a queer person like me. This was one of the best and the most emotional shows I have ever seen in my life. It impacted me so much.

And there you go, 2023 was such a strong year for TV and I can't wait to see you guys on my 2024 list!

Bender is one of my favorite Futurama characters ever. His assholish behavior creates some really funny jokes and I enjoy whenever writers delve into his existential crisis and him wanting to matter to people. Also helps by the fact that the legendary John DiMaggio voices the character, I can't see anyone other than him voicing the character. So today I'm gonna make a Top 10 Bender Moments List, therefore you can see why I love this character so much. I'm not gonna explain much about why I love these moments cuz I think the humor should speak for itself (I'm also bad at explaining humor)

#10

#9

#8

#7

#6

#5

#4

#3

#2

and the best moment is!!!

#1

I hope you enjoyed this list.