diff --git a/examples/api/collections_demo.py b/examples/api/collections_demo.py
index 90873f886d9b..beab1edb2981 100644
--- a/examples/api/collections_demo.py
+++ b/examples/api/collections_demo.py
@@ -38,9 +38,9 @@
 yo = rs.randn(npts)
 xyo = list(zip(xo, yo))
 
-# Make a list of colors cycling through the rgbcmyk series.
+# Make a list of colors cycling through the default series.
 colors = [colorConverter.to_rgba(c)
-          for c in ('r', 'g', 'b', 'c', 'y', 'm', 'k')]
+          for c in plt.rcParams['axes.prop_cycle'].by_key()['color']]
 
 fig, axes = plt.subplots(2, 2)
 ((ax1, ax2), (ax3, ax4)) = axes  # unpack the axes
diff --git a/examples/api/filled_step.py b/examples/api/filled_step.py
index 98dbd3282c08..7778512bddf5 100644
--- a/examples/api/filled_step.py
+++ b/examples/api/filled_step.py
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ def stack_hist(ax, stacked_data, sty_cycle, bottoms=None,
 hist_func = partial(np.histogram, bins=edges)
 
 # set up style cycles
-color_cycle = cycler('facecolor', 'rgbm')
+color_cycle = cycler(facecolor=plt.rcParams['axes.prop_cycle'][:4])
 label_cycle = cycler('label', ['set {n}'.format(n=n) for n in range(4)])
 hatch_cycle = cycler('hatch', ['/', '*', '+', '|'])
 
diff --git a/examples/pie_and_polar_charts/polar_bar_demo.py b/examples/pie_and_polar_charts/polar_bar_demo.py
index 7cdde5f9cb35..32e3831b2bad 100644
--- a/examples/pie_and_polar_charts/polar_bar_demo.py
+++ b/examples/pie_and_polar_charts/polar_bar_demo.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 
 # Use custom colors and opacity
 for r, bar in zip(radii, bars):
-    bar.set_facecolor(plt.cm.jet(r / 10.))
+    bar.set_facecolor(plt.cm.viridis(r / 10.))
     bar.set_alpha(0.5)
 
 plt.show()
diff --git a/examples/pylab_examples/anchored_artists.py b/examples/pylab_examples/anchored_artists.py
index af4585f819fe..08104ffc383a 100644
--- a/examples/pylab_examples/anchored_artists.py
+++ b/examples/pylab_examples/anchored_artists.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ def __init__(self, transform, size, label, loc,
         sep in points.
         """
         self.size_bar = AuxTransformBox(transform)
-        self.size_bar.add_artist(Rectangle((0, 0), size, 0, fc="none"))
+        self.size_bar.add_artist(Rectangle((0, 0), size, 0, fc="none", lw=1.0))
 
         self.txt_label = TextArea(label, minimumdescent=False)
 
diff --git a/examples/pylab_examples/axes_props.py b/examples/pylab_examples/axes_props.py
index dff7c762d295..bc6de460a500 100644
--- a/examples/pylab_examples/axes_props.py
+++ b/examples/pylab_examples/axes_props.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
     line.set_linewidth(3)
 
 for line in gridlines:
-    line.set_linestyle('-')
+    line.set_linestyle('-.')
 
 for label in ticklabels:
     label.set_color('r')
diff --git a/examples/pylab_examples/axhspan_demo.py b/examples/pylab_examples/axhspan_demo.py
index c7c05a5fa39f..13a91188166f 100644
--- a/examples/pylab_examples/axhspan_demo.py
+++ b/examples/pylab_examples/axhspan_demo.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 plt.plot(t, s)
 # draw a thick red hline at y=0 that spans the xrange
-l = plt.axhline(linewidth=4, color='r')
+l = plt.axhline(linewidth=8, color='#d62728')
 
 # draw a default hline at y=1 that spans the xrange
 l = plt.axhline(y=1)
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 
 # draw a thick blue vline at x=0 that spans the upper quadrant of
 # the yrange
-l = plt.axvline(x=0, ymin=0.75, linewidth=4, color='b')
+l = plt.axvline(x=0, ymin=0.75, linewidth=8, color='#1f77b4')
 
 # draw a default hline at y=.5 that spans the middle half of
 # the axes
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 
 p = plt.axhspan(0.25, 0.75, facecolor='0.5', alpha=0.5)
 
-p = plt.axvspan(1.25, 1.55, facecolor='g', alpha=0.5)
+p = plt.axvspan(1.25, 1.55, facecolor='#2ca02c', alpha=0.5)
 
 plt.axis([-1, 2, -1, 2])
 
diff --git a/examples/pylab_examples/bar_stacked.py b/examples/pylab_examples/bar_stacked.py
index 5ce47fb8daba..daa84345fea4 100755
--- a/examples/pylab_examples/bar_stacked.py
+++ b/examples/pylab_examples/bar_stacked.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 ind = np.arange(N)    # the x locations for the groups
 width = 0.35       # the width of the bars: can also be len(x) sequence
 
-p1 = plt.bar(ind, menMeans, width, yerr=menStd)
+p1 = plt.bar(ind, menMeans, width, color='#d62728', yerr=menStd)
 p2 = plt.bar(ind, womenMeans, width,
              bottom=menMeans, yerr=womenStd)
 
diff --git a/examples/pylab_examples/cohere_demo.py b/examples/pylab_examples/cohere_demo.py
index 564daab75ddd..b7a39a18ceba 100644
--- a/examples/pylab_examples/cohere_demo.py
+++ b/examples/pylab_examples/cohere_demo.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 s2 = 0.01*np.sin(2*np.pi*10*t) + cnse2
 
 plt.subplot(211)
-plt.plot(t, s1, 'b-', t, s2, 'g-')
+plt.plot(t, s1, t, s2)
 plt.xlim(0, 5)
 plt.xlabel('time')
 plt.ylabel('s1 and s2')
diff --git a/examples/pylab_examples/color_by_yvalue.py b/examples/pylab_examples/color_by_yvalue.py
index f706a5e8f8c4..59825a1a9a3c 100644
--- a/examples/pylab_examples/color_by_yvalue.py
+++ b/examples/pylab_examples/color_by_yvalue.py
@@ -13,5 +13,5 @@
 slower = np.ma.masked_where(s > lower, s)
 smiddle = np.ma.masked_where(np.logical_or(s < lower, s > upper), s)
 
-plt.plot(t, slower, 'r', t, smiddle, 'b', t, supper, 'g')
+plt.plot(t, smiddle, t, slower, t, supper)
 plt.show()
diff --git a/examples/pylab_examples/csd_demo.py b/examples/pylab_examples/csd_demo.py
index 7eaeb850ecad..c988e2c1aa69 100644
--- a/examples/pylab_examples/csd_demo.py
+++ b/examples/pylab_examples/csd_demo.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 s2 = 0.01*np.sin(2*np.pi*10*t) + cnse2
 
 plt.subplot(211)
-plt.plot(t, s1, 'b-', t, s2, 'g-')
+plt.plot(t, s1, t, s2)
 plt.xlim(0, 5)
 plt.xlabel('time')
 plt.ylabel('s1 and s2')
diff --git a/examples/pylab_examples/figimage_demo.py b/examples/pylab_examples/figimage_demo.py
index 07383ee04bdf..56c78d3bdbf1 100644
--- a/examples/pylab_examples/figimage_demo.py
+++ b/examples/pylab_examples/figimage_demo.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 Z.shape = 100, 100
 Z[:, 50:] = 1.
 
-im1 = plt.figimage(Z, xo=50, yo=0, cmap=cm.jet, origin='lower')
-im2 = plt.figimage(Z, xo=100, yo=100, alpha=.8, cmap=cm.jet, origin='lower')
+im1 = plt.figimage(Z, xo=50, yo=0, origin='lower')
+im2 = plt.figimage(Z, xo=100, yo=100, alpha=.8, origin='lower')
 
 plt.show()
diff --git a/examples/pylab_examples/hist_colormapped.py b/examples/pylab_examples/hist_colormapped.py
index e3aa1fb59b62..3af198e2d09f 100644
--- a/examples/pylab_examples/hist_colormapped.py
+++ b/examples/pylab_examples/hist_colormapped.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 norm = colors.Normalize(fracs.min(), fracs.max())
 
 for thisfrac, thispatch in zip(fracs, patches):
-    color = cm.jet(norm(thisfrac))
+    color = cm.viridis(norm(thisfrac))
     thispatch.set_facecolor(color)
 
 
diff --git a/examples/pylab_examples/image_origin.py b/examples/pylab_examples/image_origin.py
index 4effdd66bbee..b00d39c4e8df 100755
--- a/examples/pylab_examples/image_origin.py
+++ b/examples/pylab_examples/image_origin.py
@@ -15,11 +15,11 @@
 lim = -2, 11, -2, 6
 plt.subplot(211, facecolor='g')
 plt.title('blue should be up')
-plt.imshow(x, origin='upper', interpolation=interp, cmap='jet')
+plt.imshow(x, origin='upper', interpolation=interp)
 #plt.axis(lim)
 
 plt.subplot(212, facecolor='y')
 plt.title('blue should be down')
-plt.imshow(x, origin='lower', interpolation=interp, cmap='jet')
+plt.imshow(x, origin='lower', interpolation=interp)
 #plt.axis(lim)
 plt.show()
diff --git a/examples/pylab_examples/interp_demo.py b/examples/pylab_examples/interp_demo.py
index 978afa4cc5bd..9b7c4639eee8 100644
--- a/examples/pylab_examples/interp_demo.py
+++ b/examples/pylab_examples/interp_demo.py
@@ -9,5 +9,5 @@
 yi = stineman_interp(xi, x, y, yp)
 
 fig, ax = plt.subplots()
-ax.plot(x, y, 'ro', xi, yi, '-b.')
+ax.plot(x, y, 'o', xi, yi, '.')
 plt.show()
diff --git a/examples/pylab_examples/layer_images.py b/examples/pylab_examples/layer_images.py
index 3756324b3271..a862ac045163 100644
--- a/examples/pylab_examples/layer_images.py
+++ b/examples/pylab_examples/layer_images.py
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ def func3(x, y):
 
 Z2 = func3(X, Y)
 
-im2 = plt.imshow(Z2, cmap=plt.cm.jet, alpha=.9, interpolation='bilinear',
+im2 = plt.imshow(Z2, cmap=plt.cm.viridis, alpha=.9, interpolation='bilinear',
                  extent=extent)
 
 plt.show()
diff --git a/examples/pylab_examples/leftventricle_bulleye.py b/examples/pylab_examples/leftventricle_bulleye.py
index 889d7d1e9658..35a1f88ee15d 100644
--- a/examples/pylab_examples/leftventricle_bulleye.py
+++ b/examples/pylab_examples/leftventricle_bulleye.py
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ def bullseye_plot(ax, data, segBold=None, cmap=None, norm=None):
     data = np.array(data).ravel()
 
     if cmap is None:
-        cmap = plt.cm.jet
+        cmap = plt.cm.viridis
 
     if norm is None:
         norm = mpl.colors.Normalize(vmin=data.min(), vmax=data.max())
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ def bullseye_plot(ax, data, segBold=None, cmap=None, norm=None):
 
 # Set the colormap and norm to correspond to the data for which
 # the colorbar will be used.
-cmap = mpl.cm.jet
+cmap = mpl.cm.viridis
 norm = mpl.colors.Normalize(vmin=1, vmax=17)
 
 # ColorbarBase derives from ScalarMappable and puts a colorbar
diff --git a/examples/pylab_examples/legend_demo5.py b/examples/pylab_examples/legend_demo5.py
index 56689660735b..1294cfce4b7a 100644
--- a/examples/pylab_examples/legend_demo5.py
+++ b/examples/pylab_examples/legend_demo5.py
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ def create_artists(self, legend, orig_handle,
 x = np.linspace(0, 5, 100)
 
 plt.figure()
-colors = ['red', 'orange', 'yellow', 'green', 'blue']
+colors = plt.rcParams['axes.prop_cycle'].by_key()['color'][:5]
 styles = ['solid', 'dashed', 'dashed', 'dashed', 'solid']
 lines = []
 for i, color, style in zip(range(5), colors, styles):
diff --git a/examples/pylab_examples/line_collection.py b/examples/pylab_examples/line_collection.py
index 2e404559c25b..aefa7d0fe389 100644
--- a/examples/pylab_examples/line_collection.py
+++ b/examples/pylab_examples/line_collection.py
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@
 #          where onoffseq is an even length tuple of on and off ink in points.
 #          If linestyle is omitted, 'solid' is used
 # See matplotlib.collections.LineCollection for more information
-colors = [colorConverter.to_rgba(i) for i in 'bgrcmyk']
+colors = [colorConverter.to_rgba(c)
+          for c in plt.rcParams['axes.prop_cycle'].by_key()['color']]
 
 line_segments = LineCollection(segs, linewidths=(0.5, 1, 1.5, 2),
                                colors=colors, linestyle='solid')
diff --git a/examples/pylab_examples/masked_demo.py b/examples/pylab_examples/masked_demo.py
index e11963ad51e1..f349aadb5abf 100644
--- a/examples/pylab_examples/masked_demo.py
+++ b/examples/pylab_examples/masked_demo.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 ym1 = np.ma.masked_where(y1 > 0.5, y1)
 ym2 = np.ma.masked_where(y2 < -0.5, y2)
 
-lines = plt.plot(x, y, 'r', x, ym1, 'g', x, ym2, 'bo')
+lines = plt.plot(x, y, x, ym1, x, ym2, 'o')
 plt.setp(lines[0], linewidth=4)
 plt.setp(lines[1], linewidth=2)
 plt.setp(lines[2], markersize=10)
diff --git a/examples/pylab_examples/multiline.py b/examples/pylab_examples/multiline.py
index 9b1da8b446fd..5d0d19a588a1 100644
--- a/examples/pylab_examples/multiline.py
+++ b/examples/pylab_examples/multiline.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 plt.xticks([0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.],
            ["Jan\n2009", "Feb\n2009", "Mar\n2009", "Apr\n2009", "May\n2009"])
 
-plt.axhline(0.7)
+plt.axhline(0.4)
 plt.title("test line spacing for multiline text")
 
 plt.subplots_adjust(bottom=0.25, top=0.75)
diff --git a/examples/pylab_examples/quadmesh_demo.py b/examples/pylab_examples/quadmesh_demo.py
index 10707dba16dd..c7e1baa68862 100755
--- a/examples/pylab_examples/quadmesh_demo.py
+++ b/examples/pylab_examples/quadmesh_demo.py
@@ -32,9 +32,9 @@
 
 ax = fig.add_subplot(122)
 #  You can control the color of the masked region:
-#cmap = cm.jet
-#cmap.set_bad('r', 1.0)
-#ax.pcolormesh(Qx,Qz,Zm, cmap=cmap)
+# cmap = cm.RdBu
+# cmap.set_bad('y', 1.0)
+# ax.pcolormesh(Qx, Qz, Zm, cmap=cmap)
 #  Or use the default, which is transparent:
 col = ax.pcolormesh(Qx, Qz, Zm, shading='gouraud')
 ax.set_title('With masked values')
diff --git a/examples/pylab_examples/stem_plot.py b/examples/pylab_examples/stem_plot.py
index c1b9ec5a2734..6f10003a8e3f 100644
--- a/examples/pylab_examples/stem_plot.py
+++ b/examples/pylab_examples/stem_plot.py
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 
 x = np.linspace(0.1, 2*np.pi, 10)
 markerline, stemlines, baseline = plt.stem(x, np.cos(x), '-.')
-plt.setp(markerline, 'markerfacecolor', 'b')
 plt.setp(baseline, 'color', 'r', 'linewidth', 2)
 
 plt.show()
diff --git a/examples/pylab_examples/stock_demo.py b/examples/pylab_examples/stock_demo.py
index 36338d9380e0..306b3ea79b08 100644
--- a/examples/pylab_examples/stock_demo.py
+++ b/examples/pylab_examples/stock_demo.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 d1, p1, d2, p2 = get_two_stock_data()
 
 fig, ax = plt.subplots()
-lines = plt.plot(d1, p1, 'bs', d2, p2, 'go')
+lines = plt.plot(d1, p1, 's', d2, p2, 'o')
 plt.xlabel('Days')
 plt.ylabel('Normalized price')
 plt.xlim(0, 3)
diff --git a/examples/pylab_examples/subplots_demo.py b/examples/pylab_examples/subplots_demo.py
index f8fb8cbf2606..8d54f0535951 100644
--- a/examples/pylab_examples/subplots_demo.py
+++ b/examples/pylab_examples/subplots_demo.py
@@ -66,6 +66,16 @@
 plt.setp([a.get_yticklabels() for a in axarr[:, 1]], visible=False)
 
 # Four polar axes
-plt.subplots(2, 2, subplot_kw=dict(projection='polar'))
+f, axarr = plt.subplots(2, 2, subplot_kw=dict(projection='polar'))
+axarr[0, 0].plot(x, y)
+axarr[0, 0].set_title('Axis [0,0]')
+axarr[0, 1].scatter(x, y)
+axarr[0, 1].set_title('Axis [0,1]')
+axarr[1, 0].plot(x, y ** 2)
+axarr[1, 0].set_title('Axis [1,0]')
+axarr[1, 1].scatter(x, y ** 2)
+axarr[1, 1].set_title('Axis [1,1]')
+# Fine-tune figure; make subplots farther from each other.
+f.subplots_adjust(hspace=0.3)
 
 plt.show()
diff --git a/examples/pylab_examples/vline_hline_demo.py b/examples/pylab_examples/vline_hline_demo.py
index 24f9c8119138..d4fe9e0bf306 100644
--- a/examples/pylab_examples/vline_hline_demo.py
+++ b/examples/pylab_examples/vline_hline_demo.py
@@ -20,12 +20,12 @@ def f(t):
 vax = fig.add_subplot(121)
 hax = fig.add_subplot(122)
 
-vax.plot(t, s + nse, 'b^')
+vax.plot(t, s + nse, '^')
 vax.vlines(t, [0], s)
 vax.set_xlabel('time (s)')
 vax.set_title('Vertical lines demo')
 
-hax.plot(s + nse, t, 'b^')
+hax.plot(s + nse, t, '^')
 hax.hlines(t, [0], s, lw=2)
 hax.set_xlabel('time (s)')
 hax.set_title('Horizontal lines demo')
diff --git a/examples/specialty_plots/advanced_hillshading.py b/examples/specialty_plots/advanced_hillshading.py
index 92b88f426201..3d6af635e611 100644
--- a/examples/specialty_plots/advanced_hillshading.py
+++ b/examples/specialty_plots/advanced_hillshading.py
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ def shade_other_data():
     z2 = np.cos(x**2 + y**2)  # Data to color
 
     norm = Normalize(z2.min(), z2.max())
-    cmap = plt.cm.jet
+    cmap = plt.cm.RdBu
 
     ls = LightSource(315, 45)
     rgb = ls.shade_rgb(cmap(norm(z2)), z1)
diff --git a/examples/style_sheets/plot_dark_background.py b/examples/style_sheets/plot_dark_background.py
index c2f76b95e6f5..dd1f0251b324 100644
--- a/examples/style_sheets/plot_dark_background.py
+++ b/examples/style_sheets/plot_dark_background.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 
 L = 6
 x = np.linspace(0, L)
-ncolors = len(plt.rcParams['axes.color_cycle'])
+ncolors = len(plt.rcParams['axes.prop_cycle'])
 shift = np.linspace(0, L, ncolors, endpoint=False)
 for s in shift:
     plt.plot(x, np.sin(x + s), 'o-')
diff --git a/examples/style_sheets/plot_ggplot.py b/examples/style_sheets/plot_ggplot.py
index 2fff1aac9058..a4fec65ce32e 100644
--- a/examples/style_sheets/plot_ggplot.py
+++ b/examples/style_sheets/plot_ggplot.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 # sinusoidal lines with colors from default color cycle
 L = 2*np.pi
 x = np.linspace(0, L)
-ncolors = len(plt.rcParams['axes.color_cycle'])
+ncolors = len(plt.rcParams['axes.prop_cycle'])
 shift = np.linspace(0, L, ncolors, endpoint=False)
 for s in shift:
     ax2.plot(x, np.sin(x + s), '-')
@@ -36,14 +36,15 @@
 y1, y2 = np.random.randint(1, 25, size=(2, 5))
 width = 0.25
 ax3.bar(x, y1, width)
-ax3.bar(x + width, y2, width, color=plt.rcParams['axes.color_cycle'][2])
+ax3.bar(x + width, y2, width,
+        color=list(plt.rcParams['axes.prop_cycle'])[2]['color'])
 ax3.set_xticks(x + width)
 ax3.set_xticklabels(['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e'])
 
 # circles with colors from default color cycle
-for i, color in enumerate(plt.rcParams['axes.color_cycle']):
+for i, color in enumerate(plt.rcParams['axes.prop_cycle']):
     xy = np.random.normal(size=2)
-    ax4.add_patch(plt.Circle(xy, radius=0.3, color=color))
+    ax4.add_patch(plt.Circle(xy, radius=0.3, color=color['color']))
 ax4.axis('equal')
 ax4.margins(0)
 
diff --git a/examples/style_sheets/plot_grayscale.py b/examples/style_sheets/plot_grayscale.py
index f975fc7c3eb8..e86dccd9932c 100644
--- a/examples/style_sheets/plot_grayscale.py
+++ b/examples/style_sheets/plot_grayscale.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 def color_cycle_example(ax):
     L = 6
     x = np.linspace(0, L)
-    ncolors = len(plt.rcParams['axes.color_cycle'])
+    ncolors = len(plt.rcParams['axes.prop_cycle'])
     shift = np.linspace(0, L, ncolors, endpoint=False)
     for s in shift:
         ax.plot(x, np.sin(x + s), 'o-')
diff --git a/examples/user_interfaces/embedding_in_wx3.py b/examples/user_interfaces/embedding_in_wx3.py
index 0d3d57d8d797..a1fd7b65152c 100755
--- a/examples/user_interfaces/embedding_in_wx3.py
+++ b/examples/user_interfaces/embedding_in_wx3.py
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ def init_plot_data(self):
         y = np.arange(100.0) * 2 * np.pi / 50.0
         self.x, self.y = np.meshgrid(x, y)
         z = np.sin(self.x) + np.cos(self.y)
-        self.im = a.imshow(z, cmap=cm.jet)  # , interpolation='nearest')
+        self.im = a.imshow(z, cmap=cm.RdBu)  # , interpolation='nearest')
 
         zmax = np.amax(z) - ERR_TOL
         ymax_i, xmax_i = np.nonzero(z >= zmax)