ABC’s new animated series, The Goode Family [Wednesdays, 9/8C], is the series from Mike Judge of King of the Hill fame. If it was a tenth as funny as that series, The Goode Family might be worth checking out. Instead, this comedy about the Goode family – vegan, non-confrontational, recycling, hybrid-driving – bends over backwards to balance the family’s save-the-planet sensibilities by making one character an Archie Bunker type. Instead of provoking genuinely spirited exchanges, however, it just renders both sides inoffensive.
The Goode Family – Gerald [Mike Judge] and Helen and their son Ubuntu and daughter Bliss – live by the simple motto, WWAGD [What would Al Gore Do]. Gerald is a college administrator and Helen a community activist. Ubuntu and Bliss are high school students. The family’s politically correct plans always go wrong – as when Gerald and Helen adopt an African-American baby and one who, though technically African-American [being from Africa] is as white as they are.
Whether they’re trying to put in an organically sound garden [elephant dung from a circus!!!], or find something that the hulking Ubuntu can do competently – besides eat [can you say “football family?”], everything the family does to minimize its footprint on Planet Earth goes horribly awry. Or, at least, that was the plan. Somewhere along the way, the series creators [Judge, John Altschuler & Dave Krinsky] forgot the funny once they got past the white African-American thing. Even the vegan pet dog, Che is a one-gag character.
To say that The Goode Family is boring is being kind. It’s more like the TV equivalent of an MST3K clunker waiting for its commentary track. Spare yourselves – unless you’re suffering from insomnia.
Final Grade: D
EM Review by Sheldon Wiebe
Posted May 26, 2009
Tags:
ABC,
Animation,
Mike Judge,
Sitcom,
The Goode Family
No Comments