MikeHenry-related stories
Posted Sep 27th 2009 9:04PM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: OpEd, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(S01E01) The Cleveland Show begins with the
Family Guy crew in Quahog. After his divorce papers with Loretta are finalized and the prerequisite destruction of his house by Peter occurs, Cleveland decides to abandon his deli (you know, the one he never seems to be at anyway) and move to California. On an out-of-the-way detour, he stops in his old hometown of Stoolbend, Virginia and reconnects with an old flame.
Based on the pilot episode, the analogy that can be made is this:
Family Guy is to
All In The Family what
The Cleveland Show is to
The Jeffersons (with a little
What's Happening!! and
Good Times thrown in). Even the theme music is reminiscent of a 70's black sitcom, plus a few visual cues from
Soul Train. The theme is catchy and even better than the
Family Guy theme.
Continue reading The Cleveland Show: Pilot (series premiere)
Posted Sep 24th 2009 3:02PM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: OpEd, Animation, Early Looks, Reality-Free
Having watched the first three episodes of
The Cleveland Show, I find it's a bit like a 70's black sitcom such as
Good Times or
What's Happening, but more demented. The standard
Family Guy humor and asides are still there, but generally the plots feel a little more linear and directed towards a goal. Of course, going forward that could be an exception and not the general rule. The show could end up being a complete
Family Guy copy, but with a black family.
The first episode (airing Sunday at 8:30 ET on FOX) begins in Quahog with the cast of
Family Guy. The entire circumstance behind Cleveland's departure from that show is explained before the opening theme song. And what a theme song! It's better than
Family Guy's. Very catchy. It's the sort that sticks in your mind like Fun Tac.
Continue reading The Cleveland Show -- An early look
Posted Jul 26th 2008 4:15PM by Richard Keller
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Family Guy, Interviews, Reality-Free, Comic-Con
I have come to an epiphany when it comes to American Dad and Family Guy: a studio audience is needed. I came to this realization after attending both the Comic-Con panels for these respective shows, which showed clips from their respective series. Scenes that I would have generally smirked at or given a chuckle made me laugh out loud along with the rest of the audience. Which brings me to one of two conclusions: either laughter is contagious, or I am just a lemming.
Either way, an enjoyable two hours was spent with casts from both shows as they did some table readings, provided some clues to upcoming episodes,and provided clips from some previously run and new episodes of both shows.
Continue reading American Dad and Family Guy - Comic-Con Report
Posted Jul 15th 2008 12:05PM by Joel Keller
Filed under: The Simpsons, Family Guy, Animation, King of the Hill, TCA Press Tour, Reality-Free
As usual, FOX leaves the best press conference (at least as far as I was concerned) for last. I sat through Karl Rove and Chris Wallace getting contentious with the critics near the end of the FOX News panel (more on that later), Jerry O'Connell and the cast of
Do Not Disturb strain to answer questions about a show whose clip reel wasn't all that funny, and the millionaires from
Secret Millionaire talk about being poor for a week. All of it was made worth it (and, really, seeing Rove start to get annoyed near the end was fun to watch) so we could see the final panel: all the producers of all FOX's Sunday animated shows.
The first person who spoke up, not surprisingly, was Seth MacFarlane. "Is this where Karl Rove sat? Because I don't want to get AIDS." Wow. Unfortunately, no line that was said after that was as shocking or funny. But it was all still pretty good.
Continue reading FOX Sunday animation panel: The Simpsons is still the king - TCA Report
Posted Feb 29th 2008 11:41AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Industry, Family Guy, Animation, Prison Break
Oh, Peter. They're breaking up that old gang of ours! There's a
spin-off of Family Guy in the works at Fox. Peter's drinking buddy, Cleveland Brown, might be getting his own show. Oh no, does this mean he may be leaving Quahog? What, no more get-togethers at The Drunken Clam? (Note to self: He's an animated character; he could still be part of
Family Guy.)
Cleveland is perhaps the most down to earth of Peter's pals on
Family Guy, which could make him the perfect centerpiece of a new cartoon series. Zany new characters could be built around him. If history repeats itself, he could be the George Jefferson to Peter Griffin's Archie Bunker, i.e.,
The Jeffersons spinning off from
All in the Family.
Continue reading Family Guy's Cleveland to get own spin-off?
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