We Pick Five Episodes of Harvey Birdman That Are Still Relevant Today

“Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law” is one of Adult Swim’s most beloved classic shows for a reason, and the recent special shows there is still a demand to make further use of this cast. When that might come is hard to say, but hopefully this list shows that the topics covered still hit close to home even now and may still further into the future. And, if nothing else, maybe this will give you a reason to binge a great show.

Everybody get in here! Since it signed off one final time in 2007, Adult Swim’s “Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law” helped bridge the gap between the iconic characters of Hanna-Barbera and the audience that had grown up watching them in the earlier years of Cartoon Network, but had gained a taste for more mature comedy. For 39 episodes, Harvey Birdman took cases for or against many of the HB cast, like Jabber Jaw and Speed Buggy to Grape Ape and Droopy Dog. And while the show went with a Law & Order “ripped from the headlines” approach to its storytelling, some of the episodes have managed to avoid feeling dated, mainly due to the issues covered still retaining importance today. So, we’ll be looking back at five examples of the original run that do just that.

And before people ask, I’m not counting “Attorney General” because that’s from last year so of course it’s still relevant.

1) Season 1, Episode 3: “Shaggy Busted”

What this was about:
Besides the obvious “hah, Shaggy and Scooby act like they’re high” gag that the episode runs into the ground, the crux of that joke mainly plays on how much profiling goes into drug charges like that. It’s even more evident when it’s made clear numerous times that the two of them aren’t high, they’re just stupid which, intentionally or not, points to how quick to persecute and harshly punish even those who might SEEM in possession of it. Obviously there are plenty of arguments for and against marijuana legalization, but this episode sidesteps that by, perhaps inadvertently, making it about the motives of the judgment as opposed to the actual crime.

How it relates now:
Since 2002, when this episode first aired, marijuana laws have changed quite a bit. While a third of U.S. states still haven’t decriminalized it, the conversation around its uses has expanded exponentially, from medicinal uses to recreational. Whether you use it or don’t, approve it or not, it’s become a much bigger presence in a lot of fields. However, while some have been overturned, many who were charged for crimes before this are still imprisoned, showing that previous conviction to convict still remained. Obviously, this is not at all what a 10-minute cartoon about Scooby Doo characters was ever trying to convey, but that’s where we seem to be now.

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