Watch These 6 Animated Series With Dysfunctional Families if You Love ‘The Simpsons’

Animated chaos can be even more overwhelming than real, making you feel annoyed or thrilled for everything that is going on. And usually the chaos happens in dysfunctional families, while they try to maintain their routine.

We all know and love The Simpsons for the laughs and cringe and also heart the characters bring to the series, and while there’s always rewatching all the 36 seasons, you got to give a chance to other cartoons, right?

So if you've been craving more animated family dysfunction, these 6 series offer their own unique takes on what made The Simpsons a cultural phenomenon.

1. ‘Bob's Burgers’ (2011-)

IMDb: 8.2/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 87% from audience

My recent obsession, Bob's Burgers, brings a refreshingly optimistic spin to the dysfunctional family genre. The Belcher family runs a struggling burger restaurant, but unlike many animated families, they genuinely care for each other despite their many (oh so many) quirks.

Each episode teaches you a valuable lesson about self-discovery and family relationships. And it doesn’t matter that the lesson is made through some very strange and often embarrassing situations. The Belchers bond remains unshakeable.

2. ‘The Great North’ (2021-)

IMDb: 6.9/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 85% from audience

Set in the Alaskan wilderness, The Great North is some sort of a sister to Bob’s Burgers. It follows single father Beef Tobin and his four children as they navigate life in a small town. The show captures the spirit of family dysfunction through Beef's well-meaning but often misguided parenting and his children's quirky personalities.

3. ‘American Dad’ (2005-)

IMDb: 7.4/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 89% from audience

American Dad takes family dysfunction to satirical extremes through the lens of CIA agent Stan Smith's household. Stan's right-wing paranoia and government conspiracies provide endless material for family conflict, especially when clashing with his liberal daughter Hayley's activism. The show's absurdist humor also shines through Roger, an alien living with the family who adopts countless personas and schemes.

4. ‘Gravity Falls’ (2012-2016)

IMDb: 8.9/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 100% from critics, 97% from audience

Although it ran for only two seasons, Gravity Falls still created a unique take on family dysfunction through the unlikely close relationship between twins Dipper and Mabel and their great-uncle Stan.

The show brilliantly weaves mystery and supernatural elements into family drama, with Stan's secretive nature and questionable business practices creating tension that drives both comedy and plot.

5. ‘King of the Hill’ (1997-2010, present)

IMDb: 7.5/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 79% from audience

King of the Hill offers a more grounded and realistic approach to family dysfunction through the Hill family in fictional Arlen, Texas. Hank Hill's obsession with propane and propane accessories, combined with his struggle to understand his artistic son Bobby, creates genuine family tension wrapped in an unexpectedly gentle humor.

There’s everything in this show – generational differences, marital quirks, parenting challenges. And everything is depicted in an authentic way, without any outrageous scenarios, which makes it real.

6. ‘Family Guy’ (1999-)

IMDb: 8.1/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 65% from audience

Family Guy offers perhaps the most direct parallel to The Simpsons, featuring the Griffin family's outrageous adventures in Quahog, Rhode Island. Peter's childish behavior and poor decision-making, just like Homer’s, drive most family conflicts. While Lois struggles to maintain sanity as the family's anchor, just like Lisa.