When people discuss great cartoons, they usually bring up shows that lasted multiple seasons, like Batman: The Animated Series, Rick and Morty, and even Family Guy. But would you believe the best cartoon ever created only lasted a single season and that it featured voice actors from The Lord of the Rings, Back to the Future, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show? Over the Garden Wall is a spooky good time for animation lovers of all ages, and you can now stream this Emmy-winning show on Hulu.
Into the Woods
The premise of Over the Garden Wall is that two half-brothers are trying to find their way home while navigating the Unknown Forest. Unfortunately, they are beset by a number of increasingly bizarre calamities that defy all logic or explanation. And unless they can find the right allies to count on or solve the mysteries of this freaky forest, they may end up becoming pint-sized snacks for the Beast, a nightmarish creature waiting to devour them whole.
The cast of Over the Garden Wall is teeming with talent: of our main duo, the younger brother, Wirt, is played by Collin Dean (a veteran voice actor best known outside this show for the killer Christmas film Krampus). His older brother is played by Elijah Wood, best known for playing Frodo Baggins in Peter Jackson’s iconic Lord of the Rings trilogy. And the recurring Woodsman character (someone both wise and intimidating) is played by Christopher Lloyd, the genre legend best known for the Back to the Future trilogy.
Other big-name stars appear in smaller roles, like John Cleese (best known to comedy nerds for Monty Python and the Holy Grail) as a quirky entrepreneur whose tea empire hasn’t filled the hole in his heart. Noureen DeWulf (best known for the Anger Management show) voices a pumpkin person whose creepy little town will likely make your skin crawl. And Tim Curry (best known to midnight movie fans around the world for The Rocky Horror Picture Show) plays a monstrous-looking auntie who hides more than a few secrets behind her black teeth.
On Rotten Tomatoes, Over the Garden Wall does not have an official critical score. But the show’s audience score is a whopping 98 percent, which is a powerful indicator of how much audiences loved this quirky cartoon full of world-class voice acting. And trust me: it will only take an episode or two for you to realize why so many fans (myself included!) make rewatching this show each Halloween season an important tradition.
Two Brothers, Two Emmys
In addition to impressing general audiences, Over the Garden Wall took home some very prestigious awards. For example, art director Nick Cross (the man who created the show’s inimitably ethereal aesthetic) rightfully took home the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation. And the show as a whole took home the award for Outstanding Animated Program, a major Emmy win that solidified Over the Garden Wall as one of the best cartoons ever created.
It’s easy to overlook Over the Garden Wall: despite almost everyone in my orbit constantly recommending this show, I didn’t watch it until just a few years ago. Once I tuned in, though, I decided that the show easily lived up to the hype as the internet’s favorite cartoon. And for perhaps the first time in my life, I have to say that the internet has good taste!
Over the Generational Wall
Additionally, this is one of those shows that effortlessly appeals to multiple generations; it’s easy for younger viewers to imagine themselves as Gregory, the innocent younger brother who manages to turn every mishap into a new adventure. Watch it when you’re older, though, and you’re likely to sympathize more with Wirt, the neurotic older brother who just can’t stop sticking his foot into his mouth. The juxtaposition of characters so different in both age and temperament provides some serious comedy while also making this the perfect show for parents and children (or older and younger siblings) to watch together.
Will you agree that Over the Garden Wall is a perfectly silly, perfectly spooky comedy to watch this Halloween season, or is this one cartoon you’d rather see chopped up by a mysterious Woodsman? The only way to find out is to pull up Hulu and stream this modern classic for yourself. Come for the all-star voice cast and stay for a twist ending you’ll be thinking about long after the credits have rolled.