Favorite Fox PrimeTime Cartoon (Minus The Simpsons)

[Zyzzybalubah]

Okay, I think if I included the Simpsons, we would know the obvious choice (well maybe minusing the newer episodes such as Apu cheating on Manjula). As far as I remember these shows were on (some are still on fox):

* The Critic: Picked up from ABC, this is my choice for the best cartoon. There were funny moments almost every scene, many likeable characters (Duke, Doris, Jay, Jay's Dad, Marty, etc.) I loved the movie parodies, Jay's problems with life, and his criticism of movies and other topics. In all my discussion and reading reader views, I think I have only read one person with a negative comment on the show. This show like Dinosaurs (old ABC show from Jim Henson productions) and Family Guy (maybe not as much as these two) seem to be the shows almost everyone loves and watches but cancelled for no reason.

*Family Guy: I personally think Cartoon Network should have picked this up instead of Futurama (only because of personal preference ). There are not as many likeable characters in this series compared to The Critic for me, but Peter is great and you have to love Death (why did Norm McDonald play death in one episode and Adam Corolla did it the other times). Nearly offensive, or maybe as offensive as South park.

* Futurama: Well this show has great talk. The biggest purchase ever for Cartoon Network and created by Matt Groening. I personally don't care for the show too much, but I'll give it a chance from the start when it comes to Adult Swim.

*The PJs: This show was terrible. I really wanted to like it. Eddie Murphy is a funny guy, but this show just didn't do it for me. IMO the show was all about racial stereotypes, rarely any funny moments, and not many characters I liked.

and the last animated show that I can name on Fox besides Simpsons:

*King of the Hill: This show has its moments, but normally it's very irritating. When I first liked it, Bobby Hill was funny. Since it is on syndication Bobby's stupid act gets really dumb. Also Hank Hill's propane obsession is just mentioned way too much. One of my biggest problems with the show is it seems almost every other episode a main character has to turn psychotic and be a bad guy. Examples: Bobby's kicking people in the nuts, Luanne and Peggy joining that retarded sorority cult, and Dale thinking he has rabies or something and tying Bobby and Hank up. The only characters throughout the whole series that haven't bugged me that much are Boomhauer and Bill. Also the fact that Hank has Japanese half-brother makes me think that FOX and/or Mike Judge needs to pull the plug on this show.

Enough of me, go ahead and post. If there are any animated shows I haven't mentioned (that are on primetime) post them up.

 

[J.C.]

In order from most favorite to least:

1. Futurama - Don't think this would surprise anyone, but it's my second favorite right after The Simpsons.

2. King of the Hill - Part of the fun of this series, atleast for me, is laughing at the characters. Some of the things they do are meant to be laughed at, rather then with. And what I've liked about this series is that the characters actually age, but not in normal years. Think that's a plus since we can see the kids grow up a bit, yet not so fast that we'd have them outgrow their roles too fast, like with the Beaver.

3. The Critic - Really miss this show and wish the reruns were still on the air. It's too bad that audiences never really picked up on this underlooked gem of a show, despite the different networks willing to give it a chance.

4. Family Guy - Don't like this show as much as others here do, but do think it was a funny show that should of lasted atleast another season or two longer. Would love to see this get a second life on Comedy Central or another cable network willing to air cartoons like this.

5. The PJs - Well, I liked the first season, but this show didn't have much going for it. There was one episode that had me laughing from begining to end (the one where Thurgood opens a theatre which turns into a porno show), but the rest of the series didn't offer much.

 

[MJC]

1. Family Guy
2. Futurama
3. The PJ's
4. The Critic

King of the Hill is usually very annoying, I'd pick any one of the above shows before it.

 

[SpotLane]

1. Futurama
2. The Critic

and that's pretty much it.

 

[Marc]

King of the Hill
Without a doubt one of the best written shows on television.

 

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

King of the Hill--Underrated and the best animated show not enough people like, IMHO. It's actually the most DIFFERENT of the prime time comedies out there. All the animated shows after the Simpsons aired tried to ape its pacing, its jokes, its style. KOTH struggled out of the gate...but by season 3, it became a sort of animated character drama...with some comedy thrown in. These people have tics and habits because this is CHARACTERIZATION. Annoying? Yeah, sometimes. Subtle and multifaceted...it is that too. Bobby is an annoying kid...like all kids...but he's also watchable in that he's very new-agey, very colourful and sometimes quite charismatic. Peggy Hill is a piece of work. There isn't any sitcom mother out there right now on TV that quite matches her fiery intensity, tomboyishness, pride and sheer "Americanism". Hank is boring and uncharismatic...which is what makes him funny--reacting to anything that even resembles excitement.

What I'm most impressed with is that the characters actually CHANGE, subtly, throughout the seasons, and that they are CONSISTENT. They don't take up interests they wouldn't normally take, and when they do, there is always a logically build up to it. It's not like one episode Peggy is a painter and the next she's a cop. I find that attention to character refreshing.

I'll agree that the show was sort of so-so in the first 2 seasons...but I think season 3 and on bear a second look. There's a lot of subtle changes going on with the characterizations, something people looking "just for a laugh" often miss.

 

[Andy Mancini]

It's a tie for me:

1) Futurama - Even better "The Simpsons".
2) Family Guy - Just as offensive, but more tasteful, than "South Park"
3) The Critic - This could've been a huge hit if Fox would've given it a chance.

 

[Anthonynotes]

Favorite non-Simpsons Fox primetime cartoon? That'd have been "Batman:TAS" (if its extremely brief primetime run in the "60 Minutes" slot-of-death counts)...

But re: the actual apparent selections, not sure I actually have one:

1. Futurama: Didn't watch it regularly, between sports pre-emptions, working at the time it aired, and not taking a strong enough interest in it to make watching it a regular habit, I guess. Though Bender and Zoidberg were a riot.

2. The Critic: Think I might've liked it better when it was on ABC; once it moved to Fox, it got a bit *too* bizarre/gag-oriented to me at the time (though I watched them anyway in reruns on Comedy Central). Favorite episode: where Jay tries to write a screenplay in Hollywood.

3. The PJ's: Had its moments as well, but didn't really watch it regularly, either. Though the Claymation was very well done...

4. Family Guy: Ick. Already said my spiel before about FG; outside of Stewie and Brian (and Stewie's usefulness to me as a fanfic villain for Brain), felt the whole cast deserved a one-way trip to the Phantom Zone or something Why it kept getting brought back all those times was rather strange...

5. King of the Hill: Watched it when it first came on, but stopped watching due to lack of interest/distracted by other stuff, I guess (that, or Hank and his friends reminded me too much of the people around *here* in the Hoosier state for comfort ;-p ).

-B.

 

[zarius]

Have any of you noticed that of all the shows previosuly stated (Critic, PJS, Fmaily Guy, etc..) only TWO have remained on the air?

Simpsons and King of the Hill don't deserve this treamtent dammit, the've ran out of steam, yesterday's news, whatever good taste they both once had has joined Jebus in the great kingdom above.

 

[Mr.Glass]

Family Guy: One of the funniest TV Shows of all time. Gutsy, daring, and completely random. DEFINITELY should have been picked up rather than Futurama.

The Critic: Great show, hilarious movie parodies, and great slap-in-the-face satire.

King of the Hill: One thing Mike Judge is an undoubted master of is character development. This show was kind of bland at first, but has really picked up the pace.

Futurama: This show's okay, I don't know what it is, it makes me laugh, but I still can't say it's a favorite.

The PJs: I thought this was a good show, simply because of it's honesty. It had some great moments, but a lack luster pilot episode really killed its chances of making it.

 

[TimTwoFace]

Besides the Simpsons, this is how I rate them:

1) Family Guy
2) King of the Hill
3) The Critic
4) Futurama
5) The PJs

The Simpsons is, of course, #1 on my list.

-Tim

 

[gtracer72]

1) Family Guy

All the others weren't that good, except the Simpsons. I can't believe that CN picked up Futurama. The show isn't even that good.

 

[J.C.]

Originally posted by zarius
Have any of you noticed that of all the shows previosuly stated (Critic, PJS, Fmaily Guy, etc..) only TWO have remained on the air?

Simpsons and King of the Hill don't deserve this treamtent dammit, the've ran out of steam, yesterday's news, whatever good taste they both once had has joined Jebus in the great kingdom above.

They both bring in good ratings, so what can ya do? And atleast Family Guy and Futurama lasted a couple of seasons, which is more then many others have done.

EDIT: But I do agree that Simpsons needs to call it quits soon. Can't say I agree with ya on King of the Hill, however.

 

[Mynd Hed]

1) The Critic
2) Family Guy
3) Futurama
4) King of the Hill
5) The PJs

The Critic was crippled by the fact that it had to compete with the Simpsons in its prime. It was a highly underrated gem of a show that didn't get half the respect it deserved by either the networks or the audience. Anyone happen to know if its available on DVD?

The Family Guy was a show that I really wanted to hate, but just couldn't. The comparisons with the Simpsons are obvious- big dumb father, moral but grating mother, etc. etc. etc. But it rose above those comparisons through a combination of non sequiter and shock value. That and Stewie and Brian, two of the most funny and original characters in ANY show, let alone an animated one.

Futurama is good, but overrated IMO. Bender's the only really funny character. Fry is an overly-bland Everyman, and the other characters just aren't fleshed out enough. Don't get me wrong, it has its moments, but I don't care for it half as much as everyone else seems to.

King of the Hill is one of those shows you either love or you hate. I have a buddy who used to live in Texas, he loves the show because all his neighbors were just like the characters in that show apparently. I dunno, I just plain don't get the humor. I'll watch it if there's nothing else on, because it DOES have its moments... but it's not one of my favorites.

As for the PJs... eh. Standard television, with the one caveat that its claymation. But that's all it's got going for it, momentary novelty value. The writing wasn't good enough to make it last, and as for Eddie Murphy, his work has been going downhill for a LONG time.

 

[Luna]

1)King of the Hill-underrated in my opinion,it's a really funny show....

2)Futurama- it's OK,if nothing else,Bender's always amusing.....

3) Family Guy-I liked it,but it's not really THAT funny...

 

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Originally posted by J.C.
They both bring in good ratings, so what can ya do? And atleast Family Guy and Futurama lasted a couple of seasons, which is more then many others have done.

EDIT: But I do agree that Simpsons needs to call it quits soon. Can't say I agree with ya on King of the Hill, however.

Futurama relied more on geek humour and sci-fi references, so its audience appeal was more limited than the Simpsons, which has broader appeal.

I don't think King of the Hill is funny for those who just watch it on and off casually. Only when I put in the time to watch the show--REALLY watch the show--did I get what it was all about. The fact is, King of the Hill isn't really a comedy; it's a character study. The humour is only funny when you really get to know the characters--their ticks, their fears, and what they like. Most of the funniest scenes (to me) play on the characters' personalities rather than one-liners, witty dialogue, or visual jokes. If you go into the show looking to laugh a mile a minute, you will be disappointed. But when I started looking at it as a character study, I saw that, quite frankly, this was one of the most innovative and subtle animated shows on U.S. TV.

 

[Coolguy74]

Originally posted by zarius
Have any of you noticed that of all the shows previosuly stated (Critic, PJS, Fmaily Guy, etc..) only TWO have remained on the air?

Yes, but The Critic has new episodes online, does that count?

 

[Storm]

In order:

1) King of the Hill

2) The PJ's

3) Family Guy

4) Futurama

5) Daria

6) Celebrity Deathmatch


(I know Daria and Celebrity Deathmatch weren't Fox toons but I love them so much )