The good, the bad, and the Fish Hooks. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’ll be looking at 5 animated Disney series we loved and 5 we couldn’t stand.
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00:00 Phineas, I don't care if it's a Ferris wheel to Jupiter or a bionic meatloaf.
00:03 I'm going to relax.
00:04 Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we'll be looking at five animated Disney series we loved and five
00:10 we couldn't stand. For this list, we'll stick to cartoons that were originally made by Disney,
00:16 so nothing that was originally made for another network and later acquired by Disney. Sorry,
00:21 Bluey.
00:22 Oh, not fair!
00:26 It's fairly fair.
00:28 Number five, Worst, The Buzz on Maggie.
00:32 While Disney Channel produces a lot of cringe-worthy content,
00:35 the network has very few objectively bad cartoons, mainly because animation allows
00:41 us to suspend our disbelief more easily. With that said, some worse-for-wear cartoons
00:46 did make their way into the vault.
00:48 I don't know how this could get any worse.
00:50 Ahoy, lassies!
00:51 My eyes!
00:54 The Buzz on Maggie received a number of positive evaluations from viewers and critics alike,
01:00 but there's also some loud hate for the show,
01:03 which follows a tween fly and the drama of her tween fly life.
01:07 Uncle Morty's House of Dioramas, specializing in pre-made dioramas for the very busy student
01:12 who, let's face it, has better things to do.
01:14 That's me!
01:15 That's cheating.
01:16 You can't!
01:17 The animation and character designs are rather subpar, what are supposed to be deeper meaning
01:22 stay relatively surface level, and a good deal of humor feels like it skews younger
01:27 than the intended audience. Overall, many considered it a little more than annoying.
01:32 And now he won't leave!
01:33 So much for your get-out-of-work-free plan!
01:39 Number 5. Best.
01:43 Amphibia
01:44 There was a time when Disney greenlit several big linear shows.
01:48 The shift from episodic to linear came following the massive success of Gravity Falls.
01:53 Mysteries were all the rage in cartoons, and creator Matt Brawley had an idea for a fish-out-of-water
01:59 story, with several of them sprinkled throughout.
02:02 "Oh, a mystery! I love it!"
02:05 This doesn't really come as a surprise, seeing as Brawley worked heavily on the aforementioned
02:09 series. Amphibia follows Anne Boonchoy, as she ends up lost in a world of amphibians.
02:15 Everyone's favorite found-family trope is a major theme in this show, as are doing the
02:20 right thing and change brings growth. Plus, the show's humor really doesn't get enough credit.
02:26 "You saved me! You're not a beast at all! You're a hero! An ugly, ugly, ugly hero!"
02:32 Number 4. Worst.
02:34 Fish Hooks
02:35 "Let's meet up at, say, seven?"
02:37 "Perfect. Totally gives me time for a disco nap."
02:42 If your cartoon is about water-dwelling creatures, it's going to be compared to SpongeBob,
02:47 a show that's practically impossible to live up to. Plus, instead of focusing on underwater
02:52 adventures, Fish Hooks incorporates the woes of puberty.
02:56 "We are girls, and we are here for a girls' night!"
02:59 The characters stick close to stereotypes, which doesn't make them especially likable.
03:06 The use of live-action elements is off-putting and overdone,
03:09 and the stakes never really feel high enough to make us care about anything.
03:13 Also, since they're a trio of friends, you just know two of them are going to end up together,
03:19 and that is a long, tiresome storyline of its own. Though the show does have some
03:24 redeeming qualities - cleverly named characters, endearing friendship moments,
03:28 and some nuanced interactions - it's certainly not one of Disney's most memorable feats.
03:34 "Let me help you out with a little pearl of wisdom."
03:37 "Sure."
03:38 "Oh, um, thanks?"
03:45 "I'm a clam!"
03:47 Number 4. Best. Kim Possible
03:50 Beyond the whole ordinary girl-saving-the-world thing, people tend to forget just how well-written
03:56 this show is. Each episode is a tightly-wound plot with nicely choreographed fight scenes,
04:01 creative traps, and inspired motives. The dialogue is punchy, not to mention a real
04:06 product of its time. "Sorry I'm late. This elephant totally copped a tude with me."
04:11 And few animated shows have yet to match the simultaneous menace and comedy of the Kim
04:16 Possible villains. The true high point of the show has to be the relationship between Kim and Ron,
04:22 whose dynamic never fails to instill a warm, fuzzy feeling.
04:25 "Think, Kim. How are we gonna make that work from different continents?"
04:28 "Well, it'll be tricky, but doable."
04:32 "You really think so?"
04:33 "Ron, I couldn't save the world without you."
04:35 Also, it has to be mentioned, in a world full of same-outfit cartoon characters,
04:40 Kim served some major looks.
04:43 "I can't wait for Latin class. The salsa dancing, the salsa eating.
04:47 I already know my research project, the down low on J-Lo."
04:51 Number 3. Worst. Future Worm
04:54 We've seen silly, we've even seen wacky, we've even seen zany, but this show is on a whole
05:01 other level. "No way! I'm not afraid of some bottom-feeding viral scum!"
05:06 "You hear me?"
05:07 It's about a 13-year-old who is apparently the greatest genius known to man, as he's managed
05:12 to create a time machine. The time machine is a lunchbox, though, so yeah, his age is still showing.
05:19 "First, we scour the 18th century for buried treasure.
05:23 Scaly pan visits to the gorillas of gold.
05:25 And then we stock up the wheat before it's sold out so you can finally crunch that crunchity
05:30 crunch crunch!"
05:31 Accompanying him on his time travel shenanigans is a worm from the future, Future Worm,
05:37 who has a photoreceptor visor, titanium-reinforced abs, and a bullet-proof beard.
05:43 It's somewhat reminiscent of kid-friendly Rick and Morty,
05:46 but the execution is nowhere as competent.
05:49 "They can drive too!"
05:54 "And they've already established a police force?"
05:56 With just one season under its belt, it's clear many viewers felt the same.
06:00 Number 3. Best. The Owl House
06:04 "Skieses! Yes! A milestone of malfeasance in my new life of crime.
06:08 This is just a trick to get me to wear clothes!"
06:11 In some parallel universes out there, The Owl House wasn't cut short,
06:15 and Dana Terrace got to tell its story the way she wanted to. In this universe, we grieve.
06:21 For the time the series was allotted, it did beautifully.
06:24 "So what do you say? Plus, who can say no to this cute face?"
06:29 It excels on all fronts — character, animation, voice acting, overarching intrigue,
06:35 and most importantly, vibes. It centers 14-year-old Luce Nusetta as she accidentally
06:41 crosses over into Demon Realm, a world full of witches and monsters. Full of magic,
06:46 and not just the witchy kind, The Owl House gave us laughs, tears, and inclusivity for days.
06:53 "I'm gonna take you out when this is all over, Amity, I promise.
06:56 No monsters, no mysteries, no deadly duels. It's going to be the most mundane slice of life date
07:01 ever. And it'll be awesome." "I know."
07:05 Number 2. Worst. Pickle and Peanut. Ah, yes. Disney XD. The place where shows go to die.
07:16 "Uh, excuse me, miss. Are you still taking a nap, or can we help you?"
07:20 "Nope, too rangy dangly!" It was probably not a good sign, then,
07:24 that Pickle and Peanut called this sister channel home. Chronicling a pickle and a peanut? Good
07:30 start. This show is chock full of gross-out humor. Heavy emphasis on the gross.
07:35 "Wait a minute, that zit wasn't on my butt this morning! Whoa!"
07:39 "Oh, hey little buddy, what's your name?" "Greg."
07:43 "I'm a mom!" Once more, we're met with that disconcerting
07:47 blend of live-action and animation meshed together. Not to mention storylines that take us
07:53 everywhere and yet nowhere. "Hold it right there!"
07:56 "Mercy me!" "Are you working with Bloodbeard? Come back
07:59 here, gangster granny!" While there's certainly an audience for this sort of rebellious,
08:03 rowdy cartoon, its place is likely not with Disney. Number 2. Best. Phineas and Ferb.
08:11 "What are you doing to Mom's car?" "You tricked it out!"
08:14 "You don't even know how to drive!" How the creators managed to make such a
08:18 complex premise work so well, we have no idea. "Whatcha doin?"
08:23 "Building a rollercoaster!" "In your backyard?"
08:25 "Some of it." "Wow, isn't that kind of impossible?"
08:28 "Some might say." A pair of stepbrothers who can build literally
08:32 anything in their backyard before their mom gets home, and have a pet platypus who fights
08:36 an evil pharmacist, I mean scientist. Oh yeah, we're sure that pitch meeting was smooth sailing.
08:42 Nevertheless, Dan Pauvenmire and Jeff Swampy Marsh had a vision, and we're so happy it came
08:48 to fruition. Where Phineas and Ferb shines is mostly in how funny it is for all ages,
08:54 though the animation is really stellar too. "Welcome to Mr. Slashy Burger, may I take your
08:58 order?" "Anyone want fries?"
09:00 With quick wit abound and some special slower moments too, this is a series that's 100%
09:06 earned its spot in the Cartoon Hall of Fame. Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to
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09:23 Number 1. Worst. Shorty makes short shorts. Despite featuring voice icons like Tom Kenny
09:31 and Grey Delisle in a few episodes, Shorty makes short shorts failed pretty miserably
09:36 with audiences. "Welcome 'em, with gift bags, eh?"
09:40 "I'm here live at the border where five young men are being welcomed into Canada."
09:44 It was very likely the anthology format. There were no recurring characters to care about
09:50 except for the host, Shorty makes short shorts himself, who's not actually in any of the
09:54 stories. Worst still, much of the episodes were really just not that great.
10:00 "Hopping hoof disease, kids, I forgot to tell you.
10:02 Your father and I are chaperoning the school dance tonight."
10:09 One unreleased short would actually go on to become Fish Hooks, so that should tell
10:14 you everything you need to know. Disney must've caught on too, because only 13 episodes were
10:19 aired before the show was axed.
10:21 Number 1. Best. Gravity Falls. "Alright, let's make it eeny, meeny, miny,
10:34 you." "Oh, what?"
10:36 This show stays goaded. Dipper and Mabel spend the summer with their great-uncle in his rundown
10:41 shack stationed in what has to be the sleepiest town known to the Pacific Northwest. It's
10:47 immediately clear the town is harboring all sorts of unnatural phenomena, and the mysteries
10:52 only deepen as the series progresses. Gravity Falls was the first Disney cartoon to include
10:58 an overarching linear narrative to its otherwise episodic story, and in many ways, it paved
11:04 the road for future cartoons to do the same. "Hats off to you!"
11:07 "You again!" "Did you miss me? Admit it, you missed me."
11:15 Beyond that, it didn't talk down to its audience. Secret messages and hidden codes
11:20 were constantly being deciphered by fans, turning us all into conspiracy theorists and
11:25 lore fanatics. In addition to that, its lovable characters, phenomenal humor, and high stakes
11:31 made it so that we're all still gushing over it so many years later. "Just a warning,
11:36 people's eyes will get wet, 'cause they'll be crying from laughing from how tragic it is."
11:42 What are your picks for best and worst Disney show, cartoon, or otherwise?
11:46 Let us know in the comments. "Stop right there, young man! What is the meaning of this?"
11:51 "Uh, I'm not sure I understand your question."
11:54 Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo.
11:57 And be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.
12:02 [Music]