The popularity of the long-running animated series “The Simpsons,” “South Park” and “Family Guy” defied the common perception that cartoons are just for kids. In fact, some of the best American animated shows of recent years have featured cultural references and subject matter best appreciated by viewers who’ve lived long enough to get the jokes — and who are mature enough to understand the emotions and experiences the series’ creators are exploring.

Here are 11 sophisticated, hilarious and sometimes even philosophical shows for adults to stream … but only after the youngsters are in bed.

‘Harley Quinn’ (2019-present)

Stream it on DC Universe; buy it on Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.

One of the most recent animated shows “for mature audiences only” is also one of the most gleefully vulgar. Kaley Cuoco (of “The Big Bang Theory” fame) gives a fantastically foul-mouthed voice performance as Harley Quinn, the deluded ex-sidekick of the supervillain the Joker. Made for Batman fans who have a sense of humor — and who have a high tolerance for blood-splatter and profanity — the hilariously irreverent “Harley Quinn” looks like an ordinary superhero cartoon but is spiked with jokes about the twisted psychology of caped crusaders and their maniacal archenemies.

‘Rick and Morty’ (2013-present)

Stream it on Hulu; buy it on Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.

As clever as it is controversial, this freewheeling satire starts with the basic concept of “Back to the Future” — with a mad scientist and his teenage sidekick, hopping through time and space — and then quickly becomes a ferocious and hysterically funny critique of fantasy-adventure stories. As the drunken super-genius Rick and his gung-ho grandson Morty swing through one reality-bending caper after another, they leave massive destruction in their wake, in densely packed stories that are framed by the creators Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon’s knowing and nihilistic take on science fiction. (Read the New York Times review.)