FOSTER’S HOME FOR IMAGINARY FRIENDS

by Ali Burden |

Everybody has to grow up sometime, but with Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends, you can wait just a little bit longer. Now all six seasons are available on Hulu for your nostalgic viewing pleasure.

What is Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends? If you grew up in the 2000’s, you know that this quirky, one-of-a-kind animated children’s show is a masterfully crafted ride through the halls of a home specifically for imaginary friends whose creators grew up. If you didn’t, its lighthearted wit and humor will still crack you up, even eight years after the final episode aired. This show was a true innovation, not just in writing, but in art style and creative workings.

The story focuses around a young boy named Mac (voiced by Sean Marquette)—who finds himself in the predicament of having to give up his imaginary friend, Bloo (Keith Ferguson), but also being not quite ready to do so. Mac takes Bloo to Foster’s—a mansion jam-packed full of creatures big and small, run by a tiny old lady, her fiery redheaded granddaughter Frankie (the talented Grey DeLisle) and a human-sized, well-dressed rabbit named Mr. Herriman. Here he strikes up a deal with Madame Foster—as long as Mac comes to visit Bloo every single day, his beloved blue partner-in-crime would not be put up for adoption like the other friends.

And chaos ensues—Mac keeps his promise, returning every day, and every day leads to a new story. One might expect that with a plotline like this, comes the opportunity to introduce an endless variety of wild new characters…and writers do. There’s often no telling what interesting and creative creatures will find their way on screen!

Along with Mr. Herriman comes a cast of endearing new friends at Foster’s—Wilt (Phil LaMarr), CoCo and Eduardo (famed SpongeBob Squarepants actor Tom Kenny) round out the core cast of characters who wind up in all sorts of insane situations that could only come with taking care of hundreds of imaginary friends!

From the ridiculous hijinks to the warm, fuzzy moments between best friends, you’ll love the twists and turns that are day-to-day life at Foster’s.

Unsurprisingly, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends raked in six Primetime Emmys over the years, for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation—which sounds prestigious because it most definitely is.

Creator Craig McCracken is a well-known name in the animated television world—avid cartoon watchers will likely recognize his name as the creator of the wildly popular Powerpuff Girls; he also has been involved in the production of Dexter’s Laboratory and Chowder, as well as countless others. If that’s not a man with a cartoon pedigree, we don’t know what is.

Overall, Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends continues to deliver excellence in story and smiles to the faces of its viewers. If you’re watching just to re-live those Saturday mornings spent on the couch with a bowl of cereal, or passing this remarkable and irreplaceable show onto a younger generation, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends continues to delight at every turn. It’s perfect to watch with your kids, or perhaps “just for old time’s sake.”