did anyone actually like it?
i thought it was pretty funny. i'm a fan of both jon benjamin and david cross, so maybe i'm a little biased. sure there were jokes that fell flat, but over all i thought it was a good series opener. anyone else?
shareUhhh...all the jokes fell flat.
The timing and delivery was horrible and several comedic devices (the wait gag, call back, etc.) were used poorly, which puzzles me because the staff is obviously capable of pulling off such devices. I guess not in this case, though.
The worst was the set-up/break pattern that was employed. A joke would be set-up, which could be picked up by the audience, and then the dialogue would shift to something that halted the joke's momentum. By the time the "punchline" was delivered, the joke's energy was gone. This happened over and over again.
To tell you the truth, most of the dialogue and plot was sub-standard and would have certainly been trashed by other comedy shows. The writers seemed to rely on random "jokes" juxtaposed against a jagged plot instead of actually establishing a main storyline, which wasn't effective at all. The reason it works for shows like, say, Aqua Teen Hunger Force (which seems to pride itself on seemingly "random" jokes) is because they set the jokes up properly WHILE following an established plotline. In most cases, a joke just isn't funny without a proper set-up, timing, and follow through.
The visual gags weren't employed very well either (Lorne Michael's house on the island, and so forth). They just weren't funny. The gags were either too lax or too forced -- both extremes killed any jokes that may have arisen from such set-ups.
Because of this, the show was actually painful to watch. I hope that it's pulled quickly and doesn't just drag on.
I hate to say this, but if you find this show funny (at least this episode), you should probably re-evalute your sense of humor because you found poorly executed, rehashed comedy funny.
you're right, finding a good amount of a show written by two of my favorite comedians funny means i have a pretty poor sense of humor. i agree with what you said about the visual jokes, and obviously the show still needs work, but there were still redeeming moments. i think that saying i need to rethink my sense of humor based simply on my previous post is a bit much. i'm just trying to state my opinion, not start a fight.
shareWell, I'm not saying that Cross and Co. aren't funny comedians -- in fact, I know most of them are capable of much better than this show. I was just pointing out the vast amounts of technical problems with it.
I just find it sad that Cross' letter to Larry the Cable Guy is a thousand times funnier than a 22 minute COMEDY cartoon show, you know? (By the way, if you haven't checked the letter out, I urge you to do so as it is hilarious). Every comedian has their off-nights; this just seems like a huge one for all of them.
this guy is right on. it seemed like this show had no communication between the directors and the writers. i had high hopes for this show too; david cross is just about the best american comedian since bill hicks. but it was poorly executed. and this whole adult swimmy type storyline...its cheap. really cheap and played out and represents a juvenille, easily pleased sense of humor.
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Nah it was garbage. Turned it off after 15 minutes. Drawn Together is SO much better.
I honestly thought the show freaked me out and would go to hell if I laughed considering that it deals with deformed people, I only got to see parts of it cuz my bro kept changing the tv but from what I saw it wasnt funny just oh well maybe it will get better.
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Drawn together is SO much better than what? Being stuffed up your rear chimney with a 4X4 coated in the severed skin of your every family member from past, present, and future? Maybe. But even that's a tuff call. Nah, I'm just kidding. Cartmen rules...wait...Cartmen's not on that show? Oh. Then what's so great about Drawn Together?
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I'm not impressed, but nice try. Your professor would be proud.
The show is weak, but David Cross, Will Arnet and Jon Benjamin could say absolutely anything and I'd find it funny. Hey, also, let's give the show another chance. Most suck the first episode.
How dare you suggest your sense of humor is superior, insecure d-bag. Pathetic.
I wasn't trying to impress you. Your "professor" comment was idiotic as well -- are you trying to attack my education (a la "Wow, big words! He's just some smart-ass who's trying to prove he's smarter than us!")? I'm proud that I can express myself so clearly over the Internet -- so few people seem to have that ability.
The fact that you're so loyal to the comedians who write the show (who could, apparently, make you laugh by SAYING ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING) makes me unsure that you can even give an objective opinion of the show. I watched the first episode (as well as the second and third) as objectively as I could, but I came to the same conclusion everytime -- the same conclusion that I already outlined under my brother's name "coolcool93".
Generally, a pilot episode of a show must give back history to the show's conflict and develop the characterization toward an overall plot. In addition to this, a comedy pilot must also be humorous and must also set forth the kind of humor that will be used in the show (this is a given since staff writers aren't usually switched around very much in a small timeframe). So, from the pilot, we (as an audience) should be able to ascertain the flavor of comedy from the show as well as potential conflicts, storylines, and basic elements from the pilot episode to be continued over the course of the show. The Freak Show pilot established very little, especially concerning humor. So, I did, in fact, give the show two more chances and left as empty-handed as I did with the first show.
Concerning your last comment, I stand by it in the context of this show. I'm not one to be condescending (although, I'll be the first to admit that I have done a lot of it while responding to this show). To put it frankly, Freak Show is the epitome of what is wrong with contemporary humor -- "random" humor with no substance for a cheap laugh. That's quite a hyperbolic statement, but I stand by it. I look forward to the day when the majority of comedy is funny once again.
I also hope that Cross and Co. abandon this abysmal attempt at an animated comedy series and focus their energies on something else: they are all capable of something much better.