Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim
By Matt Reedy
After years of appealing to the kiddies, Cartoon Network has wised up and realized that their core late night audience is mainly adults. So instead of umpteen billion reruns of Scooby Doo into the wee hours, a late night block of “mature” programming has been added to the Sunday and Thursday lineup. In addition to the cult favorite Space Ghost Coast to Coast, several new shows are available for your viewing pleasure.
First up is Home Movies, a quirky series animated in an obnoxiously squiggly style reminiscent of Dr. Katz. Home Movies is the least entertaining of the new lineup, so thankfully it’s on first, so you don’t have to tune in right away.
Grade: C+
Second on the lineup is The Brak Show, a half-hour sitcom featuring Space Ghost regulars Brak and Zorak. Rounding out the cast is Brak’s family, including his mother, his miniscule human father, and flatulent little brother. The Brak Show is laugh out loud funny, and extremely entertaining, especially for fans of Space Ghost and the now defunct Cartoon Planet.
Grade: A
The next time slot is filled by two shows, which alternate every other week or so. Aqua Teen Hunger Force is a bizarre cartoon which centers around a crime fighting trio made up of anthropomorphic food items. Shake (milkshake) Frylock (fries), and Meatwad (meatball) tackle villains whenever they’re not chilling in the neighbor’s pool. The show is pretty funny, but I swear the writers and creators must be on some serious drugs. In the same timeslot is Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law, a courtroom sitcom starring Hanna Barbera superhero reject Birdman. Harvey Birdman’s first episode was a scream, featuring a child custody battle between (formerly closeted) gay characters Race Bannon and Dr. Quest. Birdman trying to explain to Jonny Quest his father’s sexual preference is simply priceless.
Grade: (Aqua Teen Hunger Force) B+ (Harvey Birdman) A
Next up is Sealab 2021, a humorous update of the easily forgotten Sealab 2020. This time around, all of the inhabitants of Sealab have lost their minds, especially the Captain, who uses the emergency transmitter to start a pirate radio station and bakes cupcakes in an E-Z Bake Oven. A worthy effort, this one ranks just below Brak and Birdman on the laugh-meter.
Grade: A-
Adult Swim’s flagship show has to be the long running Space Ghost Coast to Coast. New episodes are shown, along with classic reruns of the past few years. Coast to Coast has had a few ups and downs, but it still remains the most consistently funny talk show on television.
Grade: A+
Rounding out the lineup is Cowboy Bebop, the anime smash hit presented for the first time on American television. Cartoon Network advertises the show as “uncut”, meaning the usual no-no’s like blood and cigarettes are left in. Cuss words, however, are changed in the English dub. Cowboy Bebop is an excellent show, but I recommend checking out the Japanese originals, since something doesn’t feel right with the American voice overdub.
Grade: A- (original version gets an A+)