2.28.2005
TV Review: Robot Chicken
The new stop-motion animated comedy from Buffy alum Seth Green redefines the term 'mixed reviews'
Robot Chicken
Created by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich
Cartoon Network Sundays at 11:30 P.M.
Consensus Score: 64 [okay] (10 Reviews)
2b Online: 100
“You need to watch Cartoon Network's Robot Chicken.”
Minneapolis Star Tribune: 100
“Robot Chicken is wickedly funny and addictive.”
Eclipse Magazine: 83
“Finally, the best thing about Robot Chicken is that [Seth] Green and [Matthew] Senreich give their audience credit for having the intelligence and wit to pick up on even the most subliminal gag.”
Animation Insider: 75
“Overall, Robot Chicken is a funny program, but risks falling into monotony due to the naturally opposing issues of its medium.”
Chicago Sun-Times: 75
“Sometimes, indeed, you want heart. Sometimes you want something else.
Robot Chicken is something else.”
New York Post: 75
“...the show rips mostly Gen-X icons to ribbons.”
Stuff Magazine: 75
“...there is nothing on television like Robot Chicken.”
IGN: 60
“Worthy of a chuckle or two, we'll have to see if Robot Chicken can maintain its spot in the Adult Swim pecking order.”
Hollywood Reporter: 0
“Maybe the theory is that if you throw enough high-energy concepts into the mix, something will stick. But that idea doesn't pan out here.”
Toon Zone: 0
“If you're not staring at your TV dumbly by the end of the program, then congratulations, you're easily amused!”
Robot Chicken
Created by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich
Cartoon Network Sundays at 11:30 P.M.
Consensus Score: 64 [okay] (10 Reviews)
2b Online: 100
“You need to watch Cartoon Network's Robot Chicken.”
Minneapolis Star Tribune: 100
“Robot Chicken is wickedly funny and addictive.”
Eclipse Magazine: 83
“Finally, the best thing about Robot Chicken is that [Seth] Green and [Matthew] Senreich give their audience credit for having the intelligence and wit to pick up on even the most subliminal gag.”
Animation Insider: 75
“Overall, Robot Chicken is a funny program, but risks falling into monotony due to the naturally opposing issues of its medium.”
Chicago Sun-Times: 75
“Sometimes, indeed, you want heart. Sometimes you want something else.
Robot Chicken is something else.”
New York Post: 75
“...the show rips mostly Gen-X icons to ribbons.”
Stuff Magazine: 75
“...there is nothing on television like Robot Chicken.”
IGN: 60
“Worthy of a chuckle or two, we'll have to see if Robot Chicken can maintain its spot in the Adult Swim pecking order.”
Hollywood Reporter: 0
“Maybe the theory is that if you throw enough high-energy concepts into the mix, something will stick. But that idea doesn't pan out here.”
Toon Zone: 0
“If you're not staring at your TV dumbly by the end of the program, then congratulations, you're easily amused!”
2.14.2005
TV Review: American Dad
Hey, does anyone want some reviews of Seth MacFarlane's new show American Dad? No? Here's some anyway, presented in metacritic style!
American Dad
Created by Seth MacFarlane
FOX
Consensus Score: 22
Stuff Magazine: 75
“It's not going to win any points for originality, but you know what? Family Guy was very funny. So is this. Suck it up, creativity Nazis”
Entertainment Central.com: 50
“For longevity, American Dad will need to be as smart with its characters as it is with its jokes.”
New York Times: 25
“Seth MacFarlane's American Dad has amusing moments and engaging characters, but when compared to The Simpsons, is crude and cheaply drawn.”
U-Wire.com: 25
“From the cheesy intro song ("The sun in the sky has a smile on his face! And he's shinin' a salute to the American race!") to the uncanny Family Guy -like characters, MacFarlane seems to have ripped off his own hit series. But everyone knows a rip-off, legal or not, almost always fails where the original succeeded.”
USA Today: 25
“If [MacFarlane] he has to copy from himself, fine. Just copy better material.”
Baltimore Sun: 0
“Me? I can't believe Fox would insult The Simpsons - its greatest contribution to popular culture and satirical art - by pairing it with a show that doesn't have a third of its wit or originality.”
Boston Globe: 0
“The Simpsons is a model of the great potential of the form. But American Dad, which won't return to prime time until May 1, doesn't promise to provide much of anything, except a haven for a family of stick figures.”
Detroit Free Press: 0
“Instead, McFarlane seeks laughs from paint-by-numbers satirical setups, leering, silly sex jokes, an overflow of toilet humor and freak show characters like the dirty, flirty pet goldfish named Klaus.... Fox may have the last laugh with American Dad. But I'm still waiting for my first.”
Pop Matters.com: 0
“I just wish he had done it with more unique characters, stronger story construction, and a better class of dialogue. But he didn't, causing American Dad's post-Super Bowl debut to feel like a lame halftime show designed to keep us busy until the main event on 1 May. If he doesn't come up with better material by then, America might respond to his series the way it does to most halftime shows: by turning it off.”
American Dad
Created by Seth MacFarlane
FOX
Consensus Score: 22
Stuff Magazine: 75
“It's not going to win any points for originality, but you know what? Family Guy was very funny. So is this. Suck it up, creativity Nazis”
Entertainment Central.com: 50
“For longevity, American Dad will need to be as smart with its characters as it is with its jokes.”
New York Times: 25
“Seth MacFarlane's American Dad has amusing moments and engaging characters, but when compared to The Simpsons, is crude and cheaply drawn.”
U-Wire.com: 25
“From the cheesy intro song ("The sun in the sky has a smile on his face! And he's shinin' a salute to the American race!") to the uncanny Family Guy -like characters, MacFarlane seems to have ripped off his own hit series. But everyone knows a rip-off, legal or not, almost always fails where the original succeeded.”
USA Today: 25
“If [MacFarlane] he has to copy from himself, fine. Just copy better material.”
Baltimore Sun: 0
“Me? I can't believe Fox would insult The Simpsons - its greatest contribution to popular culture and satirical art - by pairing it with a show that doesn't have a third of its wit or originality.”
Boston Globe: 0
“The Simpsons is a model of the great potential of the form. But American Dad, which won't return to prime time until May 1, doesn't promise to provide much of anything, except a haven for a family of stick figures.”
Detroit Free Press: 0
“Instead, McFarlane seeks laughs from paint-by-numbers satirical setups, leering, silly sex jokes, an overflow of toilet humor and freak show characters like the dirty, flirty pet goldfish named Klaus.... Fox may have the last laugh with American Dad. But I'm still waiting for my first.”
Pop Matters.com: 0
“I just wish he had done it with more unique characters, stronger story construction, and a better class of dialogue. But he didn't, causing American Dad's post-Super Bowl debut to feel like a lame halftime show designed to keep us busy until the main event on 1 May. If he doesn't come up with better material by then, America might respond to his series the way it does to most halftime shows: by turning it off.”
2.12.2005
Most Acclaimed Shows of the 2004-2005 Season
Well, the first batch of best tv lists are in and of course Arrested Development is #1, and by quite some margin, followed by Lost. The venerable series The Simpsons manage to sneak into the top 10 as well. Those horny Desperate Housewive's pull off an upset victory besting critical darlings Scrubs and The Wire coming in at #3, maybe popularity does matter after all? And in a world of political confusion the television critics obviously prefer their news delivered with a bit of satirical humor, voting The Daily Show with Jon Stewart into the top 10 (Take that O'Rieley!). So go ahead and scroll on down to discover the rest of this seasons most acclaimed shows.
The Top 10 Most Critically Acclaimed Shows of the 2004-2005 Season
1. Arrested Development-
FOX Sundays at 8:30 P.M.
Created by Mitchell Hurwitz; Developed by Mitchell Hurwitz and Ron Howard
Score: 16.00
2. Lost-
ABC Wednesdays at 8:00 P.M.
Created by J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof
Score: 28.53
3. Desperate Housewives-
ABC Sundays at 9:00 P.M.
Created by Marc Cherry
Score: 49.06
4. The Wire-
HBO Sundays at 9:00 P.M.
Created by David Simon
Score: 54.60
5. Scrubs-
NBC Tuesdays at 9:00 P.M.
Created by Bill Lawrence
Score: 66.35
6. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart-
Comedy Central Monday-Thursday at 11:00 P.M.
Created by Lizz Winstead
Score: 72.14
7. Entourage-
HBO Sundays at 10:00 P.M.
Created by Steve Levinson and Mark Wahlberg
Score: 74.46
8. Veronica Mars-
UPN Tuesdays at 9:00 P.M.
Created by Rob Thomas
Score: 74.60
9. Rescue Me-
FX Wednesdays at 10:00 P.M.
Created by Denis Leary and Peter Tolan
Score: 74.73
10. The Simpsons-
FOX Sundays at 8:oo P.M.
Created by Matt Groening; Developed by James Brooks, Matt Groening and Sam Simon
Score: 80.21
bubbling under- Good, but not quite good enough...
11. The O.C.-
FOX Thursdays at 8:00 P.M.
Created by Josh Schwartz
Score: 80.93
12. Gilmore Girls-
The WB Tuesdays ay 8:00 P.M.
Created by Amy Sherman-Palladino
Score: 81.20
12. Without a Trace-
CBS Wednesdays at 10:00 P.M.
Created by Hank Steinberg
Score: 81.20
14. The Apprentice-
NBC Thursdays at 9:00 P.M.
Created by Mark Burnett
Score: 83.00
15. The Amazing Race-
CBS Tuesdays at 9:00 P.M.
Created by Elis Doganieri and Bertram van Munster
Score: 87.50
Lists Included:*
Ain't It Cool
American Film Institute (AFI)
Calgary
Entertainment Weekly
Las Vegas Review Journal?
MSN.com
New York Times
Out of Focus
Pop Culture Guy
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Time
Tobey, Matt
USA Today
Village Voice
Zap 2 It
* If you know of any lists that are not included here, post them below with link to the source. The link is important!!
