"South Park" [Stone-Parker, 1997] Season 1 {Aug. '97-Feb. '98]

This animated comedy-- one of a long line of Seinfeld rips, some of which I have reviewed-- follows the escapades of [rrrgh i've used that phrase so many times (see above)] four 2nd-grade boys, by the names of [Eric] Cartman, Kyle [Broflovski] (who is Jewish), Stan [Marsh], and the perpetually mute, unassuming (if only by comparison), orange-unabomber-jacket-wearing Kenny McCormick. The real question is as ever (if not more so): Is it funny? Well, no, not really, not all that consistently, but the real malaise crippling this full-fledged quadriplegic of a show is that Matt Stone and Trey Parker's intellectual limits are so severely strained that-- that it's not even funny how obvious it is that it's not even funny. Yeah, that. That leaves you thoroughly aghast when (about 2/3 of the time or so) the show is Not Funny, and of course they actually THINK they're WAYYY smarter than they actually are. So I propose that, a failure at the crude-visual-presentation-but-brilliant-humorous-engineering vehicle (i.e. Home Movies rip, though that doesn't make sense at all because this show (or season, anyway) came before HM) though it is, we "give it credit for wanting it all" (-Xgau, on Oasis) And because it actually is, sporadically enough though, funny. And yet this grade seems altogether too high. Grade: B

"Lost" [Lieber-Abrams-Lindelof, 2004] Season 1 [Sep. '04- May '05] [TV-14]

This archetypal modern drama follows the ridiculously broad escapades of the survivors of a plane crash on some magical island no one else knows about. It features many different characters, to whom you are introduced over time, and each "set" of whom have their own unique plot. But of course you are probably a huge fan of the show and so know this already-- but I'm not, and so don't. It serves as a testament to the ability of a huge budget to increase the quality of a TV show-- this shows through by making the storyline(s) well-written and -defined, but even more so by making the entire show almost completely realistic and believable-- a feat in its own right, if you ask me. And its dialogue writing is astonishingly airtight, brilliant-- but of course all you should need to know is, what does this mean? Well, it all adds up to what has to be one of the five best TV shows of 2004, or, more specifically, one which warrants the colossal amount of attention you have to give its notoriously intricate plot. Grade: A

"Home Movies" [Bouchard-Small, 1999] Season 2 {Jan.-Mar. '02]

Wikipedia describes this animated comedy (about-- well, nothing, like I've always been told Seinfeld was) as "dialogue-driven"-- which in this case means that both the topics and all the show's other facets (the characters' names/traits, those of the locations) are deliberately marginalized, made ridiculously insignificant, just so that brilliant comic engineering (or, rather, the product(s) thereof) can take the spotlight without cessation. Anyway, it's about three kids-- Brendon Small, Jason, and Melissa-- who all make home movies together, and it's surely one of the best comedy shows of the decade so far. Grade: A

"SpongeBob SquarePants" [Nickelodeon-Hillenburg, 1999] Season 2 [Oct. '00-Sep. '02] [TV-Y7]

Spongebob at its very Spongebobbiest (and good for it, too)-- a usually-marketed-to-kids-but-still-altogether-accessible-to-adults animated comedy about a sea sponge (the title character) (who looks like a kitchen one), his two neighbors, a squid named Squidward and a starfish named Patrick, and, of course, many other characters. It has no continual plot-- more than anything else it (brace yourself) is like a much-more-child-friendly (in fact, hawked to them in particular), slightly less funny version of Aqua Teen Hunger Force, one which concentrates on an overall atmosphere of ebullience, which camouflages the fact that it isn't quite as funny as one might be led to expect, where ATHF was almost unremittingly deadpan in its presentation of humor. Not, of course, to diminish the quality of the show, not at all. I only hope this grade is high enough. Grade: A MINUS

"SpongeBob SquarePants" [Nickelodeon-Hillenburg, 1999] Season 3 [Oct '01- Oct. '04] [TV-Y7]

The third season of this surprisingly well-regarded (i.e. perfectly legitimate) animated comedy show bridges the gap between the two eras that constitute SpongeBob history-- the older one, which was genuinely funny, and the later one (possessed by a glossier sheen, as should be ineffable by now), which was... uh, less so. It has not fallen utterly yet here; it is still, by far, more often than not possessed by the well-established comic ingenuity that was the best characteristic of the now-almost-legendary-if-not-veritably-so show. It has, by the way, stayed within the topical confines of its past, ridiculously ambiguous though they are, as much as, say, the Simpsons. Grade: B PLUS

"The Simpsons" [Groening, 1989] Season 20 [Sep. '08- May '09] [TV-PG]

It would appear that in my previous review (of SpongeBob) I spoke too soon: we have another well-esteemed, enduring animated comedy that has both taken a turn for the (extraordinarily of course) unfunny and acquired a new, glossy sheen, both visually and aesthetically: ladies and gentlemen, please welcome... a show of no less ineffable fame than... the longest-running sitcom and animated TV show in America... The Simpsons! Now having stayed almost exactly within the confines of its now nearly-20-years-old mold (you know, topic-wise), it merely strives for humor (and of course fails, coming off as a not-really-all-that-consistent failure, as a matter of fact, which then evens out into the final grade), where the previous, classic seasons actually created legitimate comic gold. A tremendous disappointment in of one of the best, smartest, comedy writers of my generation, Matt Groening. Grade: C PLUS

"SpongeBob SquarePants" [Nickelodeon-Hillenburg, 1999] Season 4 [May '02- Feb. '07]

Yet another legendarily high-quality comedy show to have begun to jump the shark-- this one animated and aimed primarily toward kids, but having historically garnered a quite sizable adult audience as well, because it is actually very intelligent. The problem is as ever (you know, like Aqua Teen Hunger Force) that it has acquired a new glossy sheen (and of production, not just visuals), which, coupled with the fact that it simply is less funny than such longtime fans as me would expect, impels me to give it a grade that I have rounded up because, despite the fact that it is obviously going all downhill from here, I still retain an optimistic hope in the show. Grade: B 

Coming up next: "Lost" and the comedy of Nickelodeon and Disney Channel.

WOW, it really sucks that I can't watch (i.e. review) TV-MA rated shows anymore. Oh, and my little sister Georgia (11 years old) has demanded that I review a reality dog grooming show called "Groomer Has It", and say good things about it (lest she edit my blog), so... It as an endlessly entertaining reality show, and truly stands out among the plethora of mediocre ones in today's TV industry. The Quicksniff challenge is my favorite (i.e. the most riveting) part. Grade: A MINUS

"The Venture Bros." [Publick, 2003] Season 3 [Jun.-Aug. 2008] [Full-length]

A quasi-legitimate hybrid of action/adventure and (taking slightly a backseat here) comedy following the multifarious, surprisingly (except for the whole "legitimate" thing) cohesive escapades of brothers Hank and Dean Venture. Indeed, its amalgamation of the two genres is altogether brilliant, because it manages, owing to its quasi-legitimacy, to capture the very best facets of the "action" (or whatever) genre, while incorporating thoroughly well-written humorous dialogue to capture the best of the comedy genre. It is far better (i.e. more successful) any of the other attempts at genre transcendence found in this column (i.e. that I have yet reviewed). And okay, so maybe it isn't PERFECT per se. But it's pretty freaking close. Grade: A

"Tom Goes to the Mayor" [Heidecker-Wareheim, 2004] Season 2 [Jun.-Sep. 2006] [TV-PG/TV-14]

A side project (of the TV sort) by Tim and Eric themselves, this {{adjective}} animated comedy's stylistic nuances warrant an explanation: the backgrounds and people aren't- they're live-action stillframes updated every 4 seconds or so to maintain some kind of fluidity, however, it is insufficient: the show comes off as abhorrent. Actors include Tim and Eric themselves, playing respectively Tom Peters-- who, at least most of the time, attempts to give "the Mayor" (of a small town named "Jefferton") ideas on how to improve the city, which invariably (essentially) fail and "the Mayor" himself. It, assuredly, is not completely humorless-- there are ever so brief, ever so sporadic, so infrequent glimpses thereof, and that easily elevates the otherwise appallingly deadpan [i.e. TOTALLY devoid of humor] show's grade a full notch. But still, you shouldn't waste your time. Grade: C MINUS

"Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!" [Heidecker-Wareheim, 2007] Season 4 [Feb.-Apr. 2009] [TV-14]

Live-action Robot Chicken for... people with no sense of humor? Naw, just kidding, it's just "surreal"-- executed better than ever was 12 Oz. Mouse, I daresay. I would think that the idea whereby humor is created here is that all these incoherent (between each other and as a united whole, that is), vaguely funny sketches, when piled on top of one another, should generate as much laughs as would a regular, straight-up comedy. And this comedic ideology is executed to utter perfection--only it is inherently kinda flawed, since the humor never builds up to an outwardly desirable level. But of course it is still a good show, and in its own right. Grade: B PLUS

"Saul of the Mole Men" [Lewis, 2007] Season 1 (only) [Feb.-Jul. 2007] [TV-14]

A deliberately, preeningly B-movie/cheese-esque live-action show about (once again, as though it matters) a man named Saul, who is the only surviving member of a crew sent to visit the "mole men" (hence, [show's title]). Once you get past this initial impression, though, you realize that it is surprisingly intelligent--once again, as though it genuinely matters. The problem here is that it relies overwhelmingly on one's appreciation for B-movie/cheese/kitsch for humor (since it apparently has to aim to be comedic, it cannot be taken seriously at "face value"), which of course has never been a very productive source. Something that is of significant help, however, is that since the concept and what appears to be the actual plot is entirely whimsical and so feels as "meaningless" as it actually is, the show's extraordinary, consistent intelligence redeems what would probably otherwise be a C- or so show into a rather better one. So, its almost abject lack of humor is balanced out by its intelligence into something rather surprising... Grade: C PLUS

I Will No Longer Be Reviewing TV-MA rated shows, most unfortunately, since my mom has forbidden me from so doing.

This is why I didn't review "Metalocalypse". Oh, and I apologize for having (accidentally) not reviewed either Home Movies or Family Guy- I will do so when I finish this entire column. Oh- and about the deservedly obscure "Moral Orel" [Stamatopoulos, 2005] [Season 1/2][TV-MA], it is, essentially, sensationalistic (i.e. going as far outside the boundaries of decency as possible) Protestantism-cum-Christianity-as-a-whole satire for formalists (you know, people to whom such structural frivolities as humor don't matter). Grade: C PLUS

"Perfect Hair Forever" [Lazzo-Harrigan-Maiellaro, 2004] Season 1 [Nov. 2004-Dec. 2005] [TV-14]

An extraordinarily crude, sophomoric animated comedy that attempts to parody anime-- that's its modus vivendi, or whatever. Since this is Adult Swim, you shouldn't take the fact that it's "about" a naive, female-voiced boy named Gerald who is semi-bald and so needs to find [show's title] very seriously. What is genuinely important, however, is the extent to which the crude and sophomoric way whereby it attempts to parody anime is to the show's humorous detriment. So... just imagine Frisky Dingo, only about the above topic, completely unsuccessful (at least by comparison) in its comic ideology, and, in addition to being sophomoric and all, surprisingly eroticized-- Gerald's uncle/grandfather Uncle Grandfather has a very scantily clad "schoolgirl companion" named Brenda. Grade: C MINUS

"Lucy, the Daughter of the Devil" [Bouchard, 2005] Season 1 [Oct. 2005-Nov. 2007]

A bizarre, gratuitously violent and edgy CG(quasi-3D)-animated show about the multifarious escapades of [read show's title] that manages to come off as excruciatingly unoriginal (only by AS standards, obviously). This is because of the pro forma-ly banal way in which it is edgy and satirical. But, on to more significant matters: its biggest initial problem is that it tempers its Frisky-Dingo-lite (not to mention relatively sporadic) humor with intermittent bizarreness, often (unsurprisingly enough) of the Satanic nature. Its edginess and relatively bizarre nature- not to mention its animation, which is so bizarre that it even freaks someone as relatively jaded as me out- only exacerbate this problem. But this is only a first impression, which given time will yield, sort of, to a comic ingenuity (still hampered by the aforementioned bizarreness, but not as much) that, alas, fails to attain the lofty ranks of its clear imitator, FD. Loren Bouchard's relatively generic comedic vision simply isn't as successful as Adam Reed and Matt Thompson. Rounded down because of the bizarreness (sorry, but I, once again, can't call it anything else). Grade: B

Consumer Guide for June 2009 [Part 2]: The Comedy of Adult Swim, Part 2

...will begin A.S.A.P. Note: I will not be reviewing every single show that fits into the titular category.

"Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law" [Ouweleen-Richter, 2000] Season 3 [July-Oct. 2005] [TV-PG/TV-14]

This nostalgically animated (and thereof satirical), decidedly weird show follows the legal history of lawyer Harvey Birdman, who was a character in 1960s animated show Birdman and the Galaxy Trio. It is weird primarily from the perspective of how it satirizes the aforementioned classic animated shows- this rather-difficult-to-describe weirdness pervades the show continuously. However, this weirdness (sorry, I can't call it anything else) is to the show's humorous detriment- it diminishes the amount of humor that can show through. Preciesly how much, you ask? Enough- but no more- for me to decrease its grade from what would probably be an A or something to a... Grade: B

“Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace” (UK-originated) [Holness-Ayoade-Brown, 2004] Season 1 [Only] [Jan.-Mar. 2004] [Full-length]

This distinctively, outwardly British live-action, full-length (about 25 min.) comedy is surely the most unique and original show in this column: it’s about a British guy (entirely white, rest assured) named Garth Marenghi, who alleges to write the show to carry on the tradition of the classic tragedies (King Lear, Romeo and Juliet, Superman 2, etc.), and who says that by watching them you are entering his “darkplace” (imagination). It at first comes off as a particularly bipartisan amalgam of comedy and sci-fi, which would explain why it has aired on networks catering to each of those genres. It is presented as a 20-or-so-years-old movie d/b/a TV show, frequently interrupted by video commentary from the people who they want us to think had something to do with the movie. It and its sense of humor is SO f***ing British it is inherently rather insular, but that doesn’t really matter since it is- as far as we’re concerned- very funny indeed. Here’s an excerpt: [Before making love, or something]: Dr. Sanchez: “But we don’t even know each other’s names.” Linda: “Linda.” Dr. Sanchez: “Dr. Sanchez.” [Proceed to “do it”] Its comedic brilliance flowers open for all to see once the initial, surprisingly doggedly sci-fi mien has dissipated. Grade: A MINUS

“Frisky Dingo” [Reed-Thompson, 2006] Season 1 [October 2006-Jan. ‘07]

A animated-people-superimposed-over-real-life-backgrounds show, like, say, The Brak Show, only not as thoroughly consistent or anything, about an evil villain named Killface- who is white, naked, seemingly castrate, and has bird-like talons on his feet- and his multifarious attempts to destroy the world. This all takes place in an archetypal business-like setting, whence humor is derived in a manner quite comparable to The Office. But this bespeaks a deeper, more underlying comic philosophy, one that mines the vein of the artificially-created natural, very most awkward nuances of human interaction for that ever-so-valuable mineral, humor. It’s successful, here, with a very high rate of consistency- it’s just as intelligent as most [adult swim] shows, and has a very well-detailed, intricate net of characters and plot, so it’s rather difficult for me to give you an example of this brilliant, unassumingly distinct comedy at work. Just watch it for yourself- I impel you. Grade: A

“Delocated” [Glaser, 2008] Season 1 [Apr. 2008(Pilot only)-Mar. 2009]

A live-action, extraordinarily short, new, clean, and (only by the standards of this month’s column) genuinely funny show about a family consigned to the witness protection program who move to NYC so that they can star in a reality TV show by the same name (as the real one, I mean). They (Dad’s name: Jon) are forced to wear black, robber-type ski masks at all times (at least as far as we can tell) and Jon, at least, speaks with a clearly fake vocal affect that is both really deep and really weird- it will often become difficult to tell what he is saying. But it is very funny, both qualitatively and quantitatively, and most of these excellent jokes are largely clean and small-scale, as though it relies on excellent, comedic cheap thrills. A remarkable show, one with a thoroughly bright future.
Grade: A MINUS

“The Brak Show” [Fortier-Merrill-Smith, 2000] Season 2 [Apr.-Dec., 2002] [TV-PG-DL]

An animated-living-things-superimposed-on-a-real-world-background show-- kinda like Aqua Teen Hunger Force, but more realistic-- this alas-not-whimsical-enough bizarre-ish show, centering around a very weird-looking creature named Brak, is slightly skimpy with humor, but still (qualitatively speaking) stands head and shoulders above any show I have yet reviewed (a reminder: I'm going through them alphabetically) in this column. Rounded up, since I was in a good mood, or something. Grade: B PLUS

“The Boondocks” [McGruder, 2005] Season 1 [Nov, 2005- Mar. 2006] Full-Length (22.5 mins.) [TV-MA]

This deliberately, tremendously controversy-inciting animated Afrocentric (no duh!) series may very well incite genuine offense in some people, but still makes the kind of points about sociological morasses or problems we all know and have decidedly mixed feelings toward Adult Swim for. If it really has a problem, it’s that it focuses way too much on making these kinds of points, leaving all too little room for humor- it’s almost sensationalistic. And when humor does make an appearance, it is more often than not obfuscated by Afrocentric detail upon Afrocentric detail- but if you’re black, consider my grade instead a B+, maybe even an A-. But if you aren’t, than take everything else I’ve ever said seriously. I really don’t get its universal gush-inducing abilities. Grade: C PLUS

“Assy McGee” [Harrigan-Adams, 2006] Season 1 [Nov. 2006-Jan. 2007] [TV-MA]

Bizarre and rigidly unadaptable though the concept of a walking pair of buttocks d/b/a/ a gravelly-voiced, surprisingly inept cop (who talks out of his a*sh**e when his butt cheeks vibrate, no less), you do in fact get used to it, kind of- you still find it weird that the fact that he has no arms means when he holds, say, a gun, it just floats. So once that has dissipated, what remains? A not-very-funny (but very edgy- contains mature thematic material, partial nudity, violence), semi-crudely-animated comedy intended, obviously, to satirize cop shows. Its precise quantity of lack of humor- which, of course, is all that matters- allows me to give it the following grade, upped a notch because of the humor you notice only in retrospect: Grade: C PLUS

“Aqua Teen Hunger Force” [Maiellaro-Willis, 2000] Season 5 [Jan.-Mar. 2008] [TV-MA]

This veritable classic comedy show has rather jumped the shark: it is largely devoid of the ingenious comedic writing that elevated it to veritable masterpiece status earlier, having taken on a noticeably glitzier, more polished sheen. The comedic writing hasn’t qualitatively regressed so much as quantitatively declined. The plot incoherence is still there, entirely unaffected, but the fact that the original vision of Matt Maiellaro and Dave Willis has regressed this much lays it bare, tremendously to its detriment. You’ll really have to just watch the show (BAD IDEA!) to get what I’m saying. Grade: B MINUS

I Should Note...

that I am trying to, stylistically (not as far as writing goes, not so much) ape the all-too-obscure (he says he's always right, and he is) music-not-TV critic Robert Christgau, only without the whole "leftism" thing- like, totally without it.

“12 Oz. Mouse” [Maiellaro, 2005] Season 2 [Sep.-Dec. 2006] [TV-14/TV-MA]

This absurd, extraordinarily humorless, preeningly crudely and bizarrely animated miniature-series is supposed to have an underlying plot of some sort-- and indeed glimpses thereof are proffered in occasional cryptic lines of dialogue-- so I’d think that the idea is that the entirety of the “plot” is left to the individual viewer’s imagination. To begin on the topic of its absurdity, characters include the main one (a mouse), a pink bespectacled square, a shark, a blue, peanut-shaped police officer, and in episode “Meat Warrior”, some eye-shaped ambulatory beings (who provide one of the few soupçons of humor in the show: when one eye hits another with the butt of his gun, the victim eye says “Ow! Right in the eye.” That would have been terminated by an exclamation point, but this show’s dialogue-ic delivery is ever so doggedly deadpan in nature. The real problem here is that since the plot is obfuscated most of the time, it cannot provide the minimal amount of enjoyment that has to make up for the relative absence of dialogue-ic humor-only exacerbated by its aforementioned deadpan delivery. Upped a notch owing to the occasional incidence(s) of humor. Grade: C

Hi! I’m J.P. Smith, and I review TV shows.

Hi! I’m only 14, but I think that, if I do say so myself, I already understand most of the mature concepts on TV. I think that I’m always right, I guess, since I don’t have any personal biases or prejudices (about TV, of course), but, if you want, you can disagree with me. Feel free to send comments or suggestions of TV shows to review to me at jpaynesmith@comcast.net. I have a penchant for what everyone knows is the easiest genre to swallow/tolerate, comedy, but, even though this month, my very first on the job as a self-declared [unpaid, as of yet] professional, I focus on that genre exclusively, I’m still quite open to any other imaginable genre- I think. Maybe. Anyway, I review TV shows by season, and this month, I am focusing exclusively on the comedy of [adult swim], though I’ll certainly need another month to finish covering it all. I’m working through it alphabetically, so this month you will find... everything you would expect, such as Delocated, the Brak Show, and other (worse) ones.