A Cartoon Network show that's been one of their pet shows for the last god knows how long. It stars a kid named Ben Tennyson who finds this watch-like device that allows him to transform into ten different alien species. He uses these powers to battle various villain of the day characters while traveling in an RV with his cousin and grandfather.

I can't say I liked the show very much. The biggest roadblock between me and enjoying this show is the main characters. They're kids, but that doesn't mean I have to like them when they're so insufferable. Grandpa Max is pretty cool but he's not the star so...

Through and Through the show is fairly comedic, with a common running gag being that the device that grants Ben his tremendous power, constantly screws him over. The watch constantly changes him into the wrong alien, frequently powers down without warning, locks up when he tries to use it, you name it.

Then... Cartoon Network changed everything. They created Ben 10 Alien Force, a sequel starring a much more mature and likable teenage Ben and Gwen, alongside Ben's former nemesis Kevin. 

This season was much less "Villain of the day" than the original, with a more serious plot involving the near constant threat of a race of alien nazi-comparisons known as the Highbreed. As their name may imply they believe themselves to be the purest race and seek to wipe out all races they feel are beneath them. So basically every race that's not their own.

And the watch doesn't screw Ben over at all.

This season is a heavy base breaker among fans of the first season for defying a lot of the things established in the first season. Magic was a prominent feature in the original with Gwen learning spells and incantations, whereas in Alien Force all traces of magic have since been retconned to alien genetic powers.

Kevin is another source of controversy due to losing much of his hostility toward Ben, and developing a rather sudden crush on Gwen. It's hard to believe this is even a thing, but people are upset about this because they feel it was created in order to destroy any chances of shipping Ben with Gwen, who I remind you is his cousin. And this isn't a Japanese work of fiction where that sort of thing is no big deal.

Then, after a mind-blowingly amazing second season finale, Alien Force attempted to put it all back. Ben's personality becomes much more cocky after letting saving the universe go to his head, he tries to hack the omnitrix and it backfires, causing it to go back to screwing him over as it did all those years ago.

All of the villains from the previous series started showing up again, going back to more nonsensical villain of the week plots, and I dropped off at that point.

There are two more seasons after this, the first being called Ben 10 Ultimate Alien. The only thing I know about that one is that Ben can now Mega Evolve his aliens into "Ultimate" forms.

The current season, Ben 10 Omniverse is becoming rather infamous for several reasons, particularly making Ben's teenage AND child forms far more obnoxious, (This show deals with both the current age Ben and the Ben of the past) and having a new, very cartoony art style. It also removed Gwen and Kevin as main characters, in favor of some new guy who is all Zen and Rules and such.

Apparently the show frequently changed writers, leading to the above complications. So yea.

I like the idea of Ben 10. He's basically a male magical girl who transforms to kick butt. Sadly I could never get into it. I tried really hard too. Ben's and Gwen's constant fighting became old fast and Ben was too cocky for a 10 year old boy. Then alien force came out and I watched a bit of it. I prefer it over the original Ben 10, but I didn't fall in love with it. Basically it's one of shows you end up watching because there isn't anything else on TV. I haven't seen any of the new installments. It puzzles me why they let this show go on when other shows deserved to go on. *cough* Teen Titans *cough*