Mike Judge's The Goode Family has reportedly been "officially" cancelled by ABC. Once the show was shifted to Friday nights, I knew that the game was up. Despite leveling a fair amount of criticism at the show's first episode in an earlier post, I thought the series had definite potential as a sharp but quasi-affectionate satire of the left-wing lifestyle. Several just-OK eps later, however, The Goodes had made little progress on the issue of creating effective foils for the well-meaning Goodes. Helen Goode's raspy-voiced, sarcastic dad came the closest, but he seemed a little too much like a warmed-over (though considerably taller) version of Cotton Hill for my taste. Liberal critics, of course, despised the show, but conservatives and moderates evidently found it wanting as a "frontal assault" on politically correct attitudes. Those with a nastier sense of humor probably opted for South Park, while those not into scatology... well, probably watched the cable news to see current life in these United States imitating art.
Might FOX pick up The Goodes? Judging by its promos for Seth MacFarlane's new The Cleveland Show, the network now appears to have committed to MacFarlane's output as the "one true alternative voice" to The Simpsons. Of course, politically speaking, it's not really an alternative at all. Mike Judge would be well advised to back off, do some slight retooling on what is still an essentially viable concept, and wait until the inevitable "MacFarlane overload" drags down ratings, at which point The Goodes could be re-offered as a change of pace.
Chris:
ReplyDeleteI’d not heard much about The Goode Family of late – and figured (without any confirmation) that it had been canceled. Even if not, this simply wasn’t a premise that seemed “built to last” as long as The Simpsons or King of the Hill.
It also confirms my view that no network other than FOX can – or will – sustain a prime time animated program on its schedule. Has anything succeeded off of FOX since The Flintstones?
So, let FOX continue to monopolize this genre. At least, they will give it an opportunity for success.
And, what’s with the seeming knock on Seth MacFarlane? Even if you don’t care for Family Guy (…I can’t stomach an episode of American Dad, myself – but am looking forward to The Cleveland Show) consider how great he made those first 13 episodes of Johnny Bravo compared to the undistinguished stuff that followed.
The same outrageous sense of humor that he applies to Family Guy was evident and on display in Johnny Bravo! The occasional “talking animal” in a world of humans (Remember “Date with an Antelope” and Kronos the Bear “Master of All Time”? The Cleveland Show is also supposed to have a TALKING BEAR!), strange occurrences accepted as a part of every day life and the like.
Yes, he reveres the eighties as I revere the sixties and, as a result, some of his stuff whizzes by me, but Family Guy is always a great source of laughs that targets everyone and everything – and something you might do well to examine a bit closer.
And DAMN, did they ever do a great Star Wars tribute! You must see it someday!
Joe.