Television series
Beetlejuice
Other titles called Beetlejuice: the 1988 film.
- Portal fantasy
- Comedy
- Dip in and out
A Saturday-morning cartoon that takes Tim Burton's ghoulish energy and runs with it sideways. Lydia Deetz, a goth girl too cool for the living world, teams with a manic bio-exorcist ghost to cause beautiful chaos in the Neitherworld—a dimension of monsters, demons, and absurdist danger. Funny, weird, gorgeously animated, and genuinely inventive.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you love the playful, macabre humour of the Burton films and want a cheerful, gag-filled afterlife romp where the spooky stuff is mostly a joke.
Skip it if you want the film's offbeat, sinister edge, since this cartoon sands it down into slapstick and a fairly constant stream of jokes for young viewers.
What it asks of you: Half-hour episodes, one after another, that run on bright gags and quick reversals rather than slow mood, so it rewards short sittings and a willingness to be silly.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
The Simpsons1989
Both emerged from Fox's animation boom with anarchic humor, brilliant voice acting, and willingness to weird out. The Simpsons shares Beetlejuice's gift for character comedy wrapped around surreal premises.
But The Simpsons will demand 30+ seasons of your life; Beetlejuice is a quicker commitment, which is good or bad depending on your patience.
Gargoyles1994
Same era, same animation studio sensibility, same hunger to make a cartoon that respects its audience's intelligence. Gargoyles balances comedy and genuine darkness—exactly what Beetlejuice does.
But Gargoyles is grittier and more serialized; if you want that consistent goofiness, it can feel heavy-handed.
Pee-Wee's Playhouse1986
Lunatic host energy, deranged set design, and comedy that works on multiple levels. Both shows treat their weird worlds as genuinely inhabitable, not just backdrops for jokes.
But Pee-wee is more anarchic and less plot-driven; the episode structure is looser and less narrative-focused.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Beetlejuice
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Over the Garden Wall2014
Both center misfit kids navigating supernatural landscapes with gorgeous production design, but where Beetlejuice is a carnival, Garden Wall is a funeral.
A 10-episode miniseries that captures Beetlejuice's gothic Americana weirdness but pitches it toward genuine mystery and dread. Goth kids lost in a creepy woods, stunning animation, folk-horror atmosphere—it's what happens when the Neitherworld gets lonely and serious.
But It's brief, beautiful, and utterly bleak; if you want comedic irreverence, this trades laughs for atmosphere. Also, the ending will stay with you in ways you might not enjoy.
More like this (7)
Animaniacs1993
Smart gag writing, excellent voice performances, and genuine affection for classic animation grammar. Animaniacs shares Beetlejuice's playfulness with form and pop-culture riffing.
But Animaniacs ditches the spooky aesthetic for zany wholesome energy; if you love Beetlejuice's macabre tone, this will feel lighter than expected.
Batman: The Animated Series1992
Dark Deco visual style, Danny Elfman's scoring sensibility, and animation that proves cartoons can be genuinely sophisticated. Both show how beautifully hand-drawn animation can render shadows and silhouettes.
But Batman is moody where Beetlejuice is frenetic; the tone is noir rather than comedy, which fundamentally changes the vibe.
Freakazoid!1995
Comedic chaos in the same register—absurdist plots, breakneck pacing, willingness to derail mid-episode for a joke. Both feel like they're barely containing their own energy.
But Freakazoid drops the supernatural setting entirely; if you're watching for the Neitherworld specifically, this might feel disappointingly grounded.
Tiny Toon Adventures1990
Same Amblin animation DNA, similar humor frequency, and visual gags that build on classic cartoon vocabulary. Both understand that animation is permission to be beautifully, specifically weird.
But Tiny Toons is more straightforwardly silly and less committed to atmosphere; the darker undertones Beetlejuice carries aren't really here.
DuckTales2017
Adventure-comedy structure, ensemble voice work, and episodes that manage tone-shifts from comedy to genuine stakes. Both prove that half-hour cartoons can hold more than you'd expect.
But DuckTales is adventure-forward and light-toned; if you're coming for gothic strangeness, the tone will feel fundamentally cheerier.
Spirited Away2001
Both feature young women as anchors in realms of spiritual chaos, but Ghibli builds mythology and melancholy where Beetlejuice builds punchlines.
Studio Ghibli animation that's equally comfortable with comedy and dread, built on a girl navigating a world of ghosts and spirits with an otherworldly companion. The art direction rivals anything in Western animation—sumptuous, strange, and genuinely alive.
But It's a 125-minute film, not a series; it requires sustained focus and doesn't pause for joke beats. The pacing is deliberate and meditative, very different from Beetlejuice's rush.
Berserk1997
Both are obsessed with rendering the grotesque as beautiful; both treat monsters as characters rather than threats. Berserk is what happens when you ask 'what if Beetlejuice took its darkness seriously.'
A 25-episode anime series that looks like Beetlejuice's evil cousin—gorgeous, grotesque, operatic in scope. If you want Gothic atmosphere, stunning character animation, and a genuine willingness to go dark, this is the opposite-direction version of the same impulse.
But This is brutally violent, sexually graphic, and deeply nihilistic; if you loved Beetlejuice's irreverent humor, this swaps jokes for existential suffering. The first anime is unfinished, which will frustrate you.
