Adult Swim impressions

[The Mad Hatter]

What, nobody's talking about it yet? Better fix that with some comments carried over from the WBC board:

Adult Swim!

Home Movies: Most people don't "get" the Squigglevision shows, and, well, I'm one of them. The off-the-cuff conversations approach the threshold of "slightly amusing," but doesn't quite get there. Just too darn droll for me. The only time I even registered interest was with the Kafka video bits.

The Brak Show: Ah, not too shabby! The show was a bit slow in places and Zorak was more vulgar than usual, but it shows huge promise. Brak sings! And for limited animation, everything was surprisingly crisp... the "time shed" montage was impressively done.

Harvey Birdman: I can see why this is the best liked of the Adult Swim shows. True, it wasn't non-stop hilarious, but it had many, many funny bits, from Vulturo's way of talking to the Palm Pilot ("how do you make a 't' again?) to the judge ("shut yer hole!") inexplicably coughing up a live squirrel. And considering the library of old TV cartoons that can potentially show up on "Birdman," I think this is one program with legs.

Sealab 2021: This, on the other hand, may get old fast. I was amused by this episode, particularly with the "black Debbie" conversation, but most of the humor seems to come from juxtaposing baudy adult humor with a bland kid's cartoon. But we'll see.

Space Ghost: Hey, it's Space Ghost! Maybe I've just been starved for new episodes (it's been almost two years), but I was so glad to see this talk show again. It's more inexplicable than ever (when did SG marry Bjork?), but still in a great way. This episode was above average. I was dissapointed that we didn't get to see Aqua Teen Hunger Force, but the Randy Savage episode of SG is a classic.

Cowboy Bebop: Hmmm, interesting. I really, really like the music on this, and the animation is top-notch. I'm enjoying the main character, and there's just enough noir-ish humor here. Okay, I'm hooked. By the way, for anyone that knows, what's the connection between CB and Outlaw Star?

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

I was wondering that myself. What, Adult Swim was so bad nobody wants to mention it? (I actually came across reviews that just swept the whole lineup indiscriminately)

[Jowy Blight]

Wait a second! It was on last night!? I missed it! *Runs into another room* *Lots of swearing can be heard coming from the room*

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

*Slaps forehead*

:rolleyes:

[BourgeoisBuffoon]

Eh, don't worry, Jowy-I missed it too! Well, couldn't see it...
Actuall, I wanted to see SGC2C. I hear it was alright...
And speaking of Adult Swim, I hear that most reviews on it are pretty varied, but most are biased against it. Does this merit worry? Because I'd like to see it in my lifetime in case it DOES get taken off the air...:(

[Jowy Blight]

*Comes back out of the room* Well, it looks like most people just missed it. No wonder nobody said anything. As for the reviews, I haven't even seen any, beside's Hatters.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

A lot of the slamming stems from complaints that the block lacks sophistication, and that the humour, while risque, is actually pretty juvenile. Lots of potty humour, ethnic jokes, and tee-hee sex jokes. Which is all right in small doses (hey, even really good HBO shows resort to lowbrow humour at times), but when you label a block "Adult," people must expect more...sophistimication. Some say that Samurai Jack is more "adult" than many of the shows on the block.

Still, first time lineups are always pretty uneven. One just hopes that they are good enough and get better enough to expand. Or that two or three shows here are sufficiently strong enough to carry the block.

[Vigo Sprax]

Okay, I haven't watched the Space Ghost episodes yet...they're still sitting on my TiVo, heres my take on the rest though:

Home Movies: I agree with Mad Hatter, I just can't get into this show. Didn't it use to be on UPN? I didn't like it there either. I liked Dr. Katz sorta but not this show. The only time I probably laughed was when the stupid kid was discussing putting a tooth pick in his ear.

The Brak Show: I thought this was great, everything from his dad to his neighbour was really funny. I really liked this and look forward to more.

Harvey Birdman, Attorney At Law: Well, I expected more. It was funny but not as funny as I thought it was going to be. I really enjoyed the intro & the funniest part had to have been when the Janitor plugged the robot clone back in.

Sealab 2021: I really liked this, very adult humor which I never thought I'd see on something like CN. This is actually the kind of cartoon humor I've enjoyed on SNL and had hoped would carry on over to TV Funhouse (Which it didn't).

Space Ghost: Still haven't seen it..

Cowboy Bebop: Well, I own the entire series on DVD. I only fast forwarded through most of it, to see if/what was edited and I didn't notice anything missing. Also, CB has nothing to do with OS...they're from the same company (Sunrise) and are often compared, because of some similar themes (Mismatched group in a space ship), but besides that nada. CB is better in mine, and most people's, opinion.

Over all I really liked Adult Swim, they'll have to drop Home Movies though. I didn't think I'd like the shorter format of the shows but I don't mind it much...they pack a lot of comedy in that amount of time. I also enjoyed the short cartoon "Captain Linger".

When do we get to see those detective fast food people?

[Govan]

Damn, I really gotta get cable...

[DerekPowers]

I just watched cowboy bebop, and i really liked it, not that that surprised me. And i was actaully really surprised to see all that blood and someone even said "bi%@&". i also caught the begining of "sealab" but i didnt finish it. i dont know, im kind of tired of that old looking 70s style animation w/ corky dialogue. but bebop rocked, i loved it.

One think i could do without....all those adult swim parts before a show starts and before commercials that have the old ladies and stuff swimming and that annoying guy on the megaphone. the guy is annoying and the old people and, well, no that fun to watch, plus its to much of a dissruption when your in the middle of cowboy bebop and then you get that. oh well.

but i dont think there is a connection between cowboy bebop and outlaw star. i think they just have sort of the same concept. i could be wrong though. anyway, peace.

[DerekPowers]

oh, one more thing, does adult swim only air on sundays or other days too? i heard its on thursday also. will that be the same eps from sunday or new ones? thanks.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Home Movies:

I saw this on UPN last season. I liked the dialogue and wit, but squigglevision is difficult to get used to.

Harvey Birdman, Attorney At Law:

Aren't some of these shows just digitally edited versions of old kiddie shows?

Cowboy Bebop:

Most of the edits, from what I hear, were minor alterations in the images. Like the bullet hole through the bartender being erased, and the blood on the ship coloured black. But no actual scenes were cut. Glad to hear they kept the groovy opening and film noir ending, because the ending credit pictures tell a pretty good story.


Did you guys dig the ratings box on the screen the entire night? I knew you would. :p

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Originally posted by DerekPowers


but i dont think there is a connection between cowboy bebop and outlaw star. i think they just have sort of the same concept. i could be wrong though. anyway, peace.

As said before, they are made by the same studio, and came out in the same season in Japan. Sunrise went on a western jag that year.

I agree with Vigo Sprax that CB is ultimately more rewarding than OS. OS is more of a teen show with hyperactive "cool" characters whereas CB is a late teens type of show with more sedated "cool" characters. I think the themes between CB and OS diverge as they go on.

[DerekPowers]

yeah, that really sucked, having the ratings box on the screen the whole time. oh well, i guess its worth it.

[Vigo Sprax]

Adult Swim does air on Thursday & I'm pretty sure its just a repeat. You might check TV Guide to see if they have a description...last night my TiVo had all the episodes individually split up but now it just puts it in the listings as Adult Swim, I bet TV guide is doing the same though...

[joker]

i only saw part of harvey birdman and sealab 2021. i thought harvey birdman was pretty funny, sealab really wasnt that good, i put in a movie i rented 5 miniutes after it came on. i hate i missed the brack show, brack soo cool, ill have to catch that one next week.

[Flying Grayson]

I saw most of adult swim, I missed most of CB because the Sealab was kinda boring after the "Black Debbie" conversation. I wish I could have saw it. But the Brak show Kicked *****!!! I love Zorak, and he's even funnier when he is allowed to curse and degrade Brak (I'm still laughing about the Grandma prison, and the whole time shed part)

[Vigo Sprax]

I can't wait for the Adult Swim soundtrack...

[The Mad Hatter]

A lot of the slamming stems from complaints that the block lacks sophistication, and that the humour, while risque, is actually pretty juvenile. Lots of potty humour, ethnic jokes, and tee-hee sex jokes. Which is all right in small doses (hey, even really good HBO shows resort to lowbrow humour at times), but when you label a block "Adult," people must expect more...sophistimication. Some say that Samurai Jack is more "adult" than many of the shows on the block.


Well, aside from Sealab, most of the risque humor WAS in small doses. And why does this block need to be sophisticated? There was sharp writing and good laughs, so I'm happy.

I think that the people who have been slamming Adult Swim, from what I can tell from LLJ's comments, have allowed their expectations of the block to color their viewpoints. They saw the title of the block and assumed that the shows would dig into complex social issues, complex character development, etc. And when they didn't get that, they didn't allow themselves to laugh at the surface stuff. Me, I knew to expect stuff a lot like Space Ghost--not important in the least, but great for a laugh.

Indeed, the "adult" in most of Adult Swim was from the style of humor, which would bore a kid to tears but really entertain someone older. Not from a prevelance of risque humor.

Now I'm curious... where are you reading these reivews?

[Tim Drake]

Harvey Birdman seems like the best show on Adult Swim.
Well actually Cowboy Bebop. But of the shows that I haven't seen yet. Brak is pretty decent and Space Ghost is good too. Even SeaLab was watchable. Kinda reminds me of SNL cartoons. Anywho.....

Adult Swim has some real potential. I hope that it does well ratings wise. Do you think CN cares about reviews?

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

I read some reviews from a paper called the Daily Herald, the Sci-Fi Weekly site, and another newspaper I cannot recall.

[Calhoun07]

I didn't care for Home Movies and vote that they replace that slot with something else REAL QUICK! How about new CLERKS episodes? Or Oblongs? Mission Hill? SOMETHING ELSE PLEASE!

Other than that, the reason some of you are reminded of SNL when watching these is because the same animation studio that does the cartoons for Smigel did the toons for Adult Swim, most of them anyway. And I enjoyed them quite a bit. I hope this is a smashing success and evolves into something bigger.

[DR. BELCH]

It lacked something that Dr. Katz had--celebrities? good jokes? I'm not sure. I've heard folks complain that show was dull and the animation made them ill, but Home Movies tended to drag in places (although there was that one bit about the toothpick in the ear that caught my attention).

The Brak Show was a lot better than Space Ghost, whose idiocy feels random, unscripted, and tedious. Here the idiocy is well-plotted out and hilarious. Zorak has a mouth on him! So Brak's father is a human...and it seems he's supposed to be a cross between Ward Cleaver and Desi Arnez. Interesting how Brak didn't throw a fit about having gotten rid of fish pockets along with homework wnen meddling with the time stream. I'm nearly afraid to ask what a "beef trapeze" is....

Dr. Quest and Bannon practicing an alternated lifestyle. Now I've seen it all, thanks to Harvey Birdman. The implications of Dr. Zin possessing a body mold of Race....though since the original JQ designs are used, there was no mention of Race's daughter or what Mrs. Bannon would make of the men's...ahem... dynamic. Presumably they'll only use characters from HB shows, although I've always wondered about what Popeye really keeps in that spinach can.

Sealab 2021 had the most outrageous moment of the night--the blonde getting mounted, and after a couple of minutes of moaning suggestively, she comes out with, "Glad we were both wearing wetsuits!" OMG...OMFG....

The high point of Space Ghost for me was hearing Macho Man Randy Savage as SG's grandpappy, and meeting Mrs. Space Ghost, played by Bjork (the singer whose name sounds like a burp). Was he drunk when he married her? Was she drunk during the interview?

Cowboy Bebop, aside from a few four-letter words, wasn't much worse than Outlaw Star or a Gundam series, except for that one sequence where the guy was pouring drugs on his eyeball. That was some creepy stuff. The second one was actually rather dull, except for the line at the end, "Why don't we just salt him and eat him?", referring to the dog...and that outfit the lass on the bounty hunter program wore.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

I guarantee you'll love the introduction of Faye Valentine next week, Belch. Knowing you and your tendency to give shows a whole extra grade for giving you some fan service. :D

[Nightwing]

I've seen the Randy Savage episode of Space Ghost multiple times, even recently because my friend's been downloading episodes on his 40 gig hard drive (last count: he's got 62 out of 85), but even so it was great to see it. Anyway, I loved the new one just as much (as well as the other one or two new ones we've gotten).

Space Ghost's little monologue in the beginning completely floored me, as did his bit with Moltar before that. I'm so glad this show is back!!!