NAVIGATING YOUNG ADULTHOOD FROM THE SCREEN: A COMPARISON OF MTVs ANIMATED SHOWS, DOWNTOWN AND UNDERGRADS.

Image source: 

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/undergrads

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0208616/mediaviewer/rm1198008577/

A Snapshot of 90s Adult Animation

In the late 90s and early 2000s, MTV became a significant hub for animated shows targeting older teens and young adults, often exploring themes of rebellion, confusion, and the awkwardness of adulthood. 

Two shows that epitomize this era are "Undergrads" (2001) and "Downtown" (1999). Though both series were short-lived, they remain beloved by fans for their unique takes on life’s messier, more complex moments.

Both shows explore the intersection of youthful exuberance and the harsh reality of early adulthood, but in very different settings. 

While Undergrads examines the chaos and camaraderie of college life, Downtown offers a more grounded, urban take on navigating post-college life and the challenges of making meaningful connections.

Check out Downtown's pilot episode and first episode below, and if interested check out the full episodes as well. From animators perspective, what is so amazing is how you can still see the rough drawing lines from animating in the pilot episode. Definitely gives, that raw feeling of the 90s still being dominated by the hand drawn animation.

https://youtu.be/HpJjQfiPljY?si=O6PWkBGMliq5_fr5 (Pilot episode)

https://youtu.be/IXEjOdKryyE?si=JTv5hH1TayIWvKnn (First episode)

https://youtu.be/Fe26oWFNfrw?si=0l54u7vfyunQgW5M (Full episodes)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXEjOdKryyE&list=PLjLt9Ko9Xnsicvt79T6plaoDguyPpzbuM (Alternative link to full episodes)

Check out the premiere advert for Undergrads and a link to a full run of the episodes below.

https://youtu.be/oqE4tUzijms?si=7lsdDFCmBV1SmLf6 (Premiere advert)

https://youtu.be/j4XAY3gWQoE?si=rXcWJJZRRjy0cfUU (Full episodes)

In regards to how they portray young adulthood, the central themes, and how they reflect and critique the world of the 90s, we have one question. 

What do these animated shows say about our generation? And what can we learn from them today?

Undergrads: College Life and the Struggles of Transition

Undergrads follows a group of college freshmen as they try to make the transition from high school into adulthood. It’s a show that is both funny and raw, filled with the anxiety and uncertainty that accompanies those early years of college.

1. Themes of Friendship and Change

• The central theme of Undergrads is the transition from high school to adulthood, especially in the context of college life. It explores the emotional tension of leaving behind childhood friends and forging new relationships while adjusting to new environments.
• The characters, who include, Nitz, Rocko, Cal, and Gimpy, each represent different facets of that transition. Nitz, the central character, struggles with a loss of identity as he tries to fit into the world of college. He’s a smart but socially awkward kid trying to find his place in a new social ecosystem, while his friends are dealing with similar but sometimes contrasting issues of growth and self-actualization.

2. Humor and Exaggeration in College Stereotypes

• The humor in Undergrads is largely based on exaggerated portrayals of college life, such as, drinking, hook-ups, dorm-room drama, and the hilarious yet uncomfortable interactions between roommates. These stereotypical scenarios, while sometimes over-the-top, reflect a generation’s anxieties about the pressures of academic life, social status, and self-identity.

3. The Uncertainty of Youth

• Undergrads captures the disorientation of young adulthood. College is both a space for independence and a place that demands conformity. Students are expected to find themselves while being constantly shaped by external forces (the social scene, grades, professors and much more). The show mirrors this tension, with characters frequently questioning who they are and who they want to be.

Downtown: The Realities of Post-College Urban Life

While Undergrads is steeped in the college experience, Downtown takes a different approach by focusing on post-college life in the heart of New York City. The characters in Downtown are a mix of creatives, dreamers, and workers all trying to make sense of their adult lives and relationships.

1. The Struggle for Connection in an Overwhelming City

• Downtown is about navigating relationships, which range from friendships, love, and loneliness, happening all in an urban setting where connection often feels fleeting and superficial. The characters live in the fast-paced, chaotic environment of New York, which serves as a metaphor for the challenges of early adulthood.
• The show reflects on how difficult it is to build lasting friendships and meaningful relationships in a city that constantly demands more from you. The characters’ lives are complex and messy, much like the realities of adult life. They struggle with unrequited love, unemployment, relationship breakdowns, and self-doubt, which are all things that accompany the transition into adulthood.

2. Deeper Emotional Realism

• While Undergrads is comedic with a more slapstick edge, Downtown leans into emotional realism. The characters are often introspective, dealing with personal demons like loneliness, anxiety, and the pursuit of artistic success. This emotional depth, coupled with its slice-of-life storytelling, gives Downtown a sense of authenticity that speaks to anyone trying to navigate the post-college blues.

3. An Urban, Existential Exploration

• Downtown also takes a more existential approach to young adulthood, questioning the meaning of life, love, and work in the context of a city that never sleeps. The show deals with identity struggles, lack of direction, and the crushing sense that no one truly has it together, even if they seem to on the surface.
• The show’s characters are creatives, mostly involved in the arts or in dead-end jobs, constantly questioning what their purpose is in the world. It’s a raw, honest portrayal of the uncertainty that comes after school, where the dream of becoming something bigger clashes with the reality of mundane, everyday life.

Themes Comparison: Two Sides of the Same Coin

Both Undergrads and Downtown tackle the themes of identity, growth, and relationships in the context of adulthood, but they do so in very different ways:

• Setting & Environment: Undergrads is rooted in the highly energetic, chaotic world of college life, where the stakes feel lower but the identity crises just as strong. In contrast, Downtown is set in New York City, a place where the quest for meaning and connection feels more urgent and, at times, overwhelming.
• Emotional Tone: Undergrads is light-hearted, fun, and often exaggerated, but it never loses sight of the genuine emotional core of growing up. On the other hand, Downtown is much darker, dealing with the emotional isolation of young adulthood in a big city. While both shows are about figuring out who you are, Undergrads is about the transition and learning who you are, while Downtown is about trying to survive as an adult, dealing with real struggles.
• Humor vs. Realism: While Undergrads uses humor to portray the absurdities of college life, Downtown is often more grounded in emotional realism, tackling difficult issues like unfulfilled dreams and unrequited love.

Cultural Impact and Lasting Relevance

Both shows reflect the anxieties and desires of a generation trying to find its footing in an uncertain world. Undergrads speaks to those just starting out in adulthood, while Downtown reflects the struggles of navigating post-college life—a period that many young adults find equally confusing.

While both shows were short-lived, they contributed to the landscape of adult animation by giving voice to the generation coming of age in the late 90s and early 2000s. They spoke to an audience that felt overlooked by mainstream culture—those who didn’t quite fit into the corporate or consumer-driven ideal of adulthood but also couldn’t fully embrace the carefree attitudes of their youth.

Conclusion: What These Shows Say About Us

The lasting appeal of Undergrads and Downtown is in their honest depiction of young adulthood. 

These shows understood that this period of life wasn’t just about partying or romantic drama, it was about figuring out who you are and what you want out of life, all while navigating a world that seemed to expect you to have it all together.

Both series spoke to the struggles of identity, loneliness, and growth, making them resonate deeply with a generation that saw adulthood as both an exciting new beginning and a daunting, ambiguous journey. 

Today, these shows still hold up as cultural time capsules of the 90s, reflecting the unique blend of humor, confusion, and rebellion that defined the era.

Closing Thought: What Can We Learn Today?

As we reflect on Undergrads and Downtown, it’s clear that adult animation has a unique ability to portray life’s complexities with humor, absurdity, and emotional depth. In the next post, we’ll take a broader look at how adult animation has evolved, and the role cultural shifts have played in shaping the genre.