We are living in what is considered a golden age for television.

With the advent of services such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime, there is fierce competition between the major networks and cable channels and the ability to watch shows on almost every device.

More and more quality shows have been developed with production values and quality on the same level as film. Shows like “Game of Thrones,” “True Detectives” and “The Walking Dead” have come and enthralled viewers with well-developed characters, intriguing plots and fascinating outlooks on issues and topics we face every day.

Television has given viewers some of the most radical ideas to grace the public’s eyes however, I believe that the most influential programs on television are found in an unexpected area – cartoons.

This is understandably strange sounding when we have shows like “Breaking Bad,” considered one of the greatest programs ever produced for television with the fascinating perspectives of Suburbia, the drug world and the American dream, and comparing it to shows like “Adventure Time,” a show revolving around a weird kid and dog going on adventures while making fart noises.

It seems like cartoons are nothing more than a juvenile imagery only meant to distract our children with pretty images, crude jokes and shallow morals thrown in at the end. Though I will argue that under the childish exteriors are some of the most profound, radical, brilliant ideas in our media.

For those who don’t believe me, here are three of the best animated programs that I cannot recommend enough:

“Over the Garden Wall” (Cartoon Network): This is an easy recommendation because this show is a ten episode miniseries.

It centers around Wirt and Greg, two brothers trying to find their way home out of a mysterious forest called “the unknown.”

The show employs a unique look akin to something out of a Brothers Grimm fairy tale, with a Southern Gothic motif and a great amount of characterization from both the brothers and all of the fascinating creatures they encounter.

If I were to compare it to a show, I would say it closely resembles a combination of “American Horror Story” and the movie “Spirited Away,” with a great sense of humor to complement its terrifying imagery.

If you are interested in taking a journey into the unknown, the first episode is on Cartoon Network’s YouTube page for free.

“Gravity Falls” (Disney): If any readers have checked into the Disney Channel recently, you will have probably found some abysmal shows on the network.

Seriously? “Dog with a Blog?”

If you are fortunate enough to find “Gravity Falls,” you will be treated to a dark show rife with conspiracies and mystery.

The show centers around the Pines twins, Mabel and Dipper, who are spending the summer with their “Grunkle” Stan in the town of Gravity Falls.

The twins discover the secrets of this town full of monsters, secret societies and a mystery surrounding a journal.

The show is much more lighthearted than “Over the Garden Wall” with its quick-paced humor and the quirky Mabel (character spoiler: a lot of glitter gets involved).

The mysterious nature of the town leads to some brilliantly written episodes with a mystery worthy of “The Twilight Zone” and “The X Files.”

“Steven Universe” (Cartoon Network): This is perhaps one of the most lighthearted, emotional and amazing shows I have ever seen – animated or not.

“Steven Universe” is the first show on Cartoon Network created by a woman, Rebecca Sugar.

The series displays so much care and thought put into it that it shows how passionately Sugar felt for this project.

It greatly pays off by being a great balance between light-hearted fun, action packed fight scenes and emotional character development.

The show premise is one of the most unique on television.

A young boy named Steven fights alongside the Crystal Gems, a group of intergalactic warriors who protect the world with their magic crystals.

It becomes more interesting when viewers realize that all of the Crystal Gems are confirmed gender fluid beings.

The reason why this show is more radical than other television shows is that it represents the LGBTQ community in a way we have never really seen before.

The Crystal Gems all act like mother figures for Steven, and the rest of the characters seem accepting that Steven is being raised by three Moms.

Not only does the show bring representation to groups previously unseen, it develops all of these characters in ways to show that even the most seemingly one-dimensional characters become surprisingly human characters.

A show that is marketed and aimed to children is able to produce complex characters and is able to openly represent people who would be censored on other television networks.

It allows children to learn valuable lessons about people while defying expectations set by other shows that even adults watch.

“Steven Universe” is not only one of the best animated TV shows to come out recently, it is one of the best TV shows on air right now.

If you are able to watch this show, you won’t be disappointed.