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Mind-bending shows like The Shivering Truth you need to see

If you appreciate the unique, often unsettling, and deeply philosophical adult animation of The Shivering Truth, you're not alone. This list explores other shows that push the boundaries of surrealism and dark comedy.

Wonder Showzen
The Heart, She Holler
Off the Air

Stepping into the world of shows like The Shivering Truth means embracing the utterly bizarre. This particular niche, largely championed by Adult Swim, is defined by its unapologetic surrealism, dark and often uncomfortable humor, and experimental animation styles that range from stop-motion and puppetry to abstract digital art.

These series often abandon traditional narrative structures, favoring instead a stream of consciousness, sketch-like format that delves into themes of existential dread, societal absurdity, and the sheer weirdness of human existence. Many shows on this list share creative DNA, with producers and writers like Vernon Chatman (involved in The Shivering Truth, Xavier: Renegade Angel, Wonder Showzen, and Mary Shelley's Frankenhole) or the distinct comedic universe of Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim (Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, Tom Goes to the Mayor, Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule, The Eric Andre Show) frequently overlapping.

They are not always easy watches, often deliberately unsettling or grotesque, but they offer a unique and often profound artistic experience for viewers willing to look past the conventional. If you're tired of predictable television and crave something that will genuinely surprise, disturb, and make you question reality, this style is exactly what you're looking for.

14. Neon Joe, Werewolf Hunter (2015)

Another creation starring Jon Glaser, Neon Joe, Werewolf Hunter is an absurdist comedy mini-series. Joe, a man who dresses in neon and claims to be a werewolf hunter, arrives in a small town plagued by mysterious deaths. The show leans into genre parody, small-town quirks, and Glaser's signature deadpan delivery and bizarre character work. While less abstractly surreal than The Shivering Truth, it shares a commitment to a completely ridiculous premise played straight.

Neon Joe, Werewolf Hunter

13. Delocated (2009)

This live-action comedy follows 'Jon Glaser' (playing a fictionalized version of himself), a man in the witness protection program who agrees to star in a reality show about his life, provided his face is always blurred or he wears a ski mask. The premise leads to inherently awkward and surreal situations as he navigates mundane life while trying to remain hidden. It's a masterclass in deadpan humor and finding absurdity in everyday constraints.

Delocated

12. The Jellies (2017)

Created by Tyler the Creator and Lionel Boyce, The Jellies is an animated sitcom about a family of jellyfish who adopt a human son. After the son discovers he's adopted, he goes through an identity crisis, leading to surreal adventures and musical numbers. The show blends quirky animation, absurdist humor, social commentary, and original music, offering a unique take on the animated family comedy genre with a distinct, off-kilter sensibility.

The Jellies

11. The Eric Andre Show (2012)

Eric Andre takes the talk show format and completely demolishes it in this chaotic, unpredictable series. Featuring surreal celebrity interviews where guests are often bewildered or pranked, interspersed with bizarre street bits and gross-out humor, the show is a relentless assault on conventional television. While live-action and different in format from The Shivering Truth, it shares a spirit of radical absurdity, uncomfortable humor, and a complete disregard for typical structure or logic.

The Eric Andre Show

10. Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule (2010)

A spin-off character from Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, Check It Out! stars John C. Reilly as Dr. Steve Brule, a simple-minded, middle-aged man hosting a low-budget public access show where he reviews various things in his town. The show leans heavily into cringe humor, observational comedy, and character-driven surrealism, documenting Brule's naive and often disturbing interactions with the world. It shares the low-fi aesthetic and awkward sensibility of other Tim & Eric projects.

Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule

9. Tom Goes to the Mayor (2004)

An earlier collaboration between Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, Tom Goes to the Mayor utilizes a unique, limited animation style created by Photoshopping still photos. The show follows Tom Peters, a well-meaning but naive man who constantly pitches terrible ideas to the indifferent and often cruel Mayor of Jefferton. It's a masterclass in awkward dialogue, mundane surrealism, and cringe humor, setting the stage for Tim & Eric's later, more elaborate projects.

Tom Goes to the Mayor

8. Mary Shelley's Frankenhole (2010)

Created by Dino Stamatopoulos (Moral Orel), Mary Shelley's Frankenhole is a stop-motion animated series centered around Dr. Victor Frankenstein, who has discovered how to open portals to other dimensions and eras. He uses his monster and Igor to bring historical and fictional figures back to life in his castle, leading to darkly comedic and often absurd situations. It combines historical parody, dark humor, and a charmingly macabre stop-motion style that fans of unique animation will appreciate.

Mary Shelley's Frankenhole

7. Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! (2007)

Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim are pillars of the absurd and cringe-comedy scene that heavily influenced the Adult Swim landscape. Awesome Show is a sketch comedy series parodying low-budget public access television, featuring deliberately awkward performances, surreal animation, bizarre songs, and often grotesque visuals. While its humor is more rooted in cringe and awkwardness than abstract dread, it shares The Shivering Truth's commitment to a distinct, often unsettling aesthetic and a reality where anything can happen, no matter how strange.

Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!

6. Superjail! (2008)

If The Shivering Truth is a controlled nightmare, Superjail! is an explosion of pure, unrestrained chaos. Set in a bizarre, interdimensional prison that constantly shifts and mutates, the show is known for its hyper-violent, psychedelic, and incredibly detailed animation. Each episode descends into a frenzy of bizarre experiments, massacres, and surreal events orchestrated by the eccentric and insane Warden. While less focused on abstract existentialism, it shares the commitment to unique animation styles, dark humor, and a reality that operates on its own deeply weird rules.

Superjail!

5. Off the Air (2011)

Off the Air is less a traditional show and more a curated experience. Airing in the dead of night, each episode is a non-narrative anthology of animated shorts, music videos, and experimental films centered around a specific theme (like 'Animals', 'Color', 'Dreams'). While not exclusively featuring the surreal stop-motion of The Shivering Truth, it often showcases works that share a similar aesthetic and thematic interest in the abstract, the unsettling, and the visually experimental. It's a fantastic showcase for diverse animation and a perfect late-night rabbit hole.

Off the Air

4. The Heart, She Holler (2011)

PFFR strikes again with The Heart, She Holler, a live-action Southern gothic fever dream. This series is a grotesque and surreal tale set in a secluded, inbred community in the American South. Starring stellar actors like Patton Oswalt, Kristen Schaal, and Joe Lo Truglio, it's a story of inherited madness, bizarre family dynamics, and unsettling rituals. While not animated like The Shivering Truth or Xavier, it shares the same DNA of dark humor, disturbing visuals, and a completely warped sense of reality. It's challenging, hilarious, and deeply weird.

The Heart, She Holler

3. Wonder Showzen (2005)

Another gem from the PFFR collective, Wonder Showzen masterfully subverts the format of a children's educational show to deliver scathing social satire and dark humor. Using puppets, animation, stock footage, and interactions with unsuspecting real people, the show tackles complex and often disturbing themes like war, religion, poverty, and prejudice with a deeply cynical and absurdist lens. It's hilariously offensive and thought-provoking, creating a jarring but effective juxtaposition between innocent aesthetics and deeply unsettling content. A true masterpiece of dark comedy and subversive television.

Wonder Showzen

2. Xavier: Renegade Angel (2007)

From the twisted minds of PFFR, the creators behind The Shivering Truth, comes Xavier: Renegade Angel. This show is a mind-bending journey starring a bizarre, pseudo-spiritual satyr-like creature named Xavier. Rendered in unsettling early CGI, Xavier wanders a warped version of America, spouting nonsensical, pseudo-philosophical ramblings while getting into increasingly surreal and disturbing situations. It's a satirical, philosophical, and deeply weird exploration of modern spirituality and culture, delivered with a unique visual and narrative chaos that is truly one-of-a-kind. A cult classic for those who crave television that's truly off the beaten path.

Xavier: Renegade Angel

1. The Shivering Truth (2018)

Prepare yourself for a descent into beautifully rendered nightmares. The Shivering Truth is a stop-motion anthology series that feels less like watching TV and more like experiencing a series of abstract, unsettling dreams. Created by Vernon Chatman (who also voices almost every character), the show strings together surreal, often disturbing vignettes with a stream-of-consciousness logic that defies easy explanation. It's dark, funny, and deeply strange, exploring existential anxieties and bizarre scenarios with a unique, handcrafted aesthetic. If you appreciate animation that pushes boundaries and lingers in your mind long after it's over, this is an absolute must-watch.

The Shivering Truth

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