Cow and Chicken (1997)

Cow and Chicken is a fast-paced, offbeat animated comedy about the absurd misadventures of two unlikely siblings: an oversized, sweet-natured 7-year-old cow and her thin, put-upon 11-year-old brother, Chicken. Born to human parents in a suburban setting, the pair navigate homework, schoolyard rivalries and everyday family life—only to have those ordinary situations explode into surreal, slapstick chaos. Watching an episode, you’ll get quick, punchy stories built around sight gags, gross-out humor, and surreal twists. The recurring antagonist, the Red Guy, turns up in a variety of disguises and schemes to make life miserable for Cow and Chicken, providing a running, surreal foil to the siblings’ antics. The show blends childlike scenarios with irreverent, sometimes edgy comedy, so jokes land for both kids and older viewers who appreciate subversive cartoon humor. Expect bold, expressive character designs, exaggerated physical comedy and a tendency to push the rules of logic for the sake of a joke—traits that recall creator David Feiss’s earlier work on The Ren & Stimpy Show. Episodes are short, punchy and episodic rather than serialized, making the series an energetic, slapstick-heavy ride with a streak of weirdness. Overall, viewers will experience a wildly imaginative, anarchic cartoon that trades on surreal situations and sharp visual gags. It’s a good fit if you enjoy irreverent, slightly madcap animation that aims more for laughs and outrageous setups than for conventional morals or realism.

Actors: Charlie Adler, Candi Milo, Dee Bradley Baker

Genres: Adventure, Animation, Comedy

6.5 /10 6.5 /10