Television series

Our Cartoon President

Name: Our Cartoon President
Genre: Comedy
Released: 2018
Cast: Jeff Bergman, Gabe Gundacker, Emily Lynne, John Viener, James Adomian

Satire
Light-hearted

Stephen Colbert's animated workplace satire follows Trump's presidency as cartoon farce. Rapid-fire gags about politics, media, and power, with the speed and texture of early-2000s Adult Swim. For people who liked seeing the news filtered through comedy, who want their politics served absurdist rather than earnest. Ends before the presidency does.

TVMaze rating

2.1

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy sharp, topical political satire that gets its laughs from the gap between public bluster and private pettiness, and you don't mind it being cartoonish about real people.

Skip it if you're worn out on this political era, since the jokes lean on the news cycle you already know and rarely go deeper than the headlines.

What it asks of you: Forty-five half-hour episodes across three seasons make a short, easy commitment, and it moves briskly, so you can dip in without much setup.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

The Daily Show with Trevor Noah2015

Sharp, topical comedy that mines the same Trump years for material. Fast-paced segments that share Our Cartoon President's appetite for deflating authority through humor and absurdity.

But Relies on you tracking current events to land jokes. Can feel repetitive if you watch multiple episodes back-to-back.

Alpha House2013

Workplace comedy set in a congressional house-share, built on the same premise: put real political figures through sitcom situations and watch the friction. Sharp writing about power and ego.

But Only ran two seasons and got cancelled before finding its rhythm. Less zippy than OCP's animation allows.

Veep2012

Vicious fictional political comedy with the same interest in chaos, incompetence, and the gap between appearance and reality. Language-driven, fast jokes, endless scheming.

But Fictional, so lacks the specific sting of satirizing actual people. Very profane if that's not your speed.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Our Cartoon President

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Brickleberry2012

Both are fast-cut ensemble comedies that use animation to speed up jokes and lower the bar for what can happen. Same comedic metabolism, different targets.

Adult animated workplace comedy with the same 30-minute structure and rapid-fire sensibility. Absurdist humor, ensemble cast dynamics, no plot you need to follow. Pure tone over narrative.

But Completely divorced from politics—it's about park rangers. If you need the bite of topical satire, this is just silly.

The Opposition with Jordan Klepper2017

Comedy news show that aired during Trump's presidency. Plays with genre conventions the way Our Cartoon President does—treating the absurd as comedy material rather than tragedy.

But Cancelled after one season. Uneven when the real news is already funnier than the jokes.

The Opposition with Jordan Klepper poster

Full Frontal with Samantha Bee2016

Political comedy that mines the Trump administration for material with personality and bite. Investigative segments mixed with studio-based riffs and rants.

But More outrage-fuelled than absurdist. If you want jokes rather than political argument, this tilts the wrong way.

Broad City2014

Comedy that shares OCP's Adult Swim DNA: fast, weird, digressive, unafraid of looking foolish. Different subject matter but identical comedic velocity.

But New York indie comedy; if workplace satire is what drew you in, you'll need to adjust expectations entirely.

Late Night with Seth Meyers2014

Monologue-based political comedy mining the Trump years. 'A Closer Look' segments do sustained bits on a single story, scratching the same itch.

But Sketch-free and monologue-heavy. Better in clips than as full episodes. Less visual invention than animation offers.

NewsRadio1995

Workplace comedy set at a news station with the same energy: fast dialogue, ego clashes, absurd situations treated as workplace drama. Template for a lot of what came after.

But Predates the Trump era entirely. Jokes land differently when the stakes feel lower and the target's not real.

The Colbert Report2005

The DNA of Our Cartoon President lives here. Colbert as a character performing a version of news commentary. Political satire through assumed persona and deadpan character work.

But Ended in 2014, before most of what OCP satirizes. Feels archival now. The format is talk-show rather than narrative.

The Boondocks2005

Both understand that animation lets you say unsayable things faster and stranger. Both use exaggeration and visual comedy to puncture authority. Animated satire as a form, not just a delivery method.

Animated satire that uses cartoon form to comment on politics, media, and American culture. Sharper and funnier than most of its era, willing to be angry and absurd in the same breath.

But Predates Trump; the politics feel dated. More interested in race than in presidential comedy specifically. Takes itself seriously in ways OCP doesn't.