Either the CIA is just not that cool and relevant anymore, or Seth Macfarlane and associates are still mining the mother lode of 1970s humour as they develop episodes of "American Dad!" for Sunday nights on Fox. Television historians claim animated series have replaced sit-coms as television's principal source of informed social commentary; and "The Simpsons" have replaced "All in the Family" as the nation's premier satire, the weekly litmus test of American values and expectations. "American Dad!" shows little sign of aspiring to that lofty standing. Most episodes set the standard simply at "amusing." CIA agent and uber-patriot Stan Smith, the "American Dad!" anchors a predictably diverse, dysfunctional just-beyond-the-beltway family. Francine, his wife, appears to atone for her wild youth by remaining vacant, mostly boring in contemporary life. Hayley, Stan's college-aged radical daughter, naturally acts-out all the standard forms of late adolescent rebellion and family insurgency. And Steve, not surprisingly, enters puberty eager to live-up to Dad's expectations but congenitally incapable of coming even close. Holding its own in Fox's Sunday night animated line-up, "American Dad!" has improved in its several seasons on the air. Translation: "American Dad!" has evolved from "mediocre" to "not bad" as it has outgrown its abject dependence on cliches and stereotypes, freshened its subject matter and treatment, and drawn sharper edges on its characters. Still, the premises for "American Dad!" showed promise in 1973; in the new millennium, they seem a little tired.

Drawn in retro-sixties comic book style, rendered irreverent and ironic by exceptionally good writing from "Simpsons" renegade Devin Clark, "Ugly Americans" TV show made its debut on Comedy Central during March, 2010. Matt Oberg lends his vocal stylings to the main character, Mark Lilly, harried social worker at the "Department of Integration," the all-purpose welfare agency for the citizens of a parallel-universe New York liberally populated with demons, zombies, wizards, monsters, and other chimerical creatures. Up-and-coming comedienne Natasha Leggero, one of Chelsea Handler's coterie, gives voice and life to Callie Maggotbone, Mark's immediate supervisor and sometimes lover. Callie claims distinction as the succubus daughter of the Devil and a human mother; not surprisingly, she is prone to extreme mood swings. Newcomer to the big-bad city, Mark, an intrepid optimist and wanna-be do-gooder, remains barbarously untutored in the ways of his city's multi-species immigrants, and his mistakes naturally multiply into comic misadventures. Hardly Saturday-morning kiddie fare, "Ugly Americans" deals as directly and explicitly with characters' bizarre sexual proclivities as with their sociopathy.

"Tom and Jerry in New York" is a new animated TV series created by Warner Bros. Animation. It follows the classic cat-and-mouse duo as they navigate their way through the bustling streets of New York City. The show features a modern and updated take on the characters and their dynamic, while still staying true to the original comedic style.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold, featuring two or more of the super heroes who decide to come together and foil super villains and solve crimes, plays out on television weekly in this animated American series. When Batman teams up with other super heroes life will be safer here on planet Earth. Each show begins with an introduction and the villain and super hero may be introduced for that specific episode. Each episode is split into two parts with an adventure before the theme song is played followed by the main adventure or plot. In this version of the Dark Knight we see a more playful and light hearted hero with occasional reference to the 1960's version of the Batman series thrown in just for fun. Some of the super heroes and villains appearing on episodes of Batman: The Brave and the Bold include Green Lantern, Equinox, Vulture, Elasti-Girl, Wildcat, Riddler, Space Ghost, Crazy Quilt, and the Flash. Vicki Vale makes an occasional appearance as Bruce Wayne's love interest. A light tone for the younger set is common in this series but the subject of death is covered somewhat when the murders of Bruce Wayne's parents, Thomas and Martha Wayne by the evil Joe Chill are retold.

"LankyBox Ultimate Mishmash" is a series on Hulu that features two best friends, Justin and Adam, who create fun and engaging content for their fans. The show is a mix of comedy skits, challenges, and reaction videos, and it's aimed at audiences of all ages.

Batman Beyond is an American animated television series created by Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, and Alan Burnett. The show takes place in the future, where an elderly Bruce Wayne is forced to retire as Batman due to his age. He takes on a new protégé, Terry McGinnis, who becomes the new Batman and fights crime in a high-tech suit.