Though not a common viewer, seeing as I own no TV. I saw several episodes in syndication, no serious contiguity from episode to episode. It halted profanity, had no sexually provocative characters, and had no exceptionally unbelieveable ones either. The series pushed no agenda, no political views, nor religious views - but managed to exude a moral lesson in each episode that were hardly debatable. Possibly the last wholesome TV show on prime time air, gone. Are there any other that are near as wholesome in production?
That's too bad. Hopefully they'll return. Just watched "To Sirloin With Love" (SE13,EP20), great episode. Watched it online, I don't own a TV either.
me neither. i only saw a few minutes of that show but it looked very funny. i liked that other animated series where the kids head is shaped like a football.
I like how it presented Texans. Not the cowboy hat and boot wearing stereo-type, but a genuine reflection of us. Favorite scene: Tornado blows all of Hank's clothes off, and he has to choose between covering his nudity with a Texas flag, or with a cactus. Of course, he chooses the cactus. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Notes Around Notes Around: In truth, Cheski, I have to disagree with your basic summary of the show. The basic agenda was to laugh at Texans. • • • I think mine is either the "Wouldn't It Be Nice?" montage with Bobby and the head; or else the bit when Hank says he'd never pour out an unfinished beer, not even if the lawn was on fire. I will say that the "Wouldn't It Be Nice?" scene is actually something I am exceptionally grateful for, as I was finally able to listen to the song again without wanting to weep. • • • All in all, I'm forced to agree. There used to be a Sunday night lineup that was something like Simpsons, KotH, Futurama, and X-Files. Probably the most powerful lineup I've seen since NBC's legendary "Must-See" Thursday nights in the '80s (Cosby Show, Family Ties, Cheers, and Night Court). But King of the Hill was, more often than not, the weak link in that chain. Sunday was a big pot-smoking occasion for us, but after a couple seasons, it got harder and harder to sit through King of the Hill. By the time my daughter was born, I wasn't watching the show at all anymore—there just wasn't enough dope in the city to get me through that one. And when I can't stone a show into being funny or good? Put it this way: I can get high enough to sit through an episode of the original Knight Rider series. I know because I did it recently, and that show is just agonizing.
Guess what, Mike Judge is going to make more Beavis and Buttheads! http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2009/09/0...more-beavis-and-butthead-in-new-surroundings/ Read it and weap buttmunch, then go back to your Little House on the Praire.
Like all animated series and almost all print comic strips, it burned itself out for the usual reason: The artist/producer refused to age the characters. The awareness, the experiences, and the changes in oneself that come with growing older comprise the dynamics that keep a story fresh, especially a funny story. Occasionally a Charles Schulz (Peanuts, 50 years) or Chic & Dean Young (Blondie, 79 years) comes along whose creation is so beloved that people will continue to laugh at his recycled jokes. Not because they are funny, but because they were funny. But most cartoons burn out due to the absence of growth, the catalyst of culture. Wouldn't you like to have seen Bart and Lisa Simpson progress through the grades? Perky Lisa would now be in college and bratty Bart would be... well who knows, but probably not in college. What an interesting scenario, ripe with humor. Especially as Marge and Homer would have to age with them. When are we going to see Grandpa's funeral? Nothing adds life to a story, paradoxically, like death. Parker and Stone at least advanced the South Park kids through one grade, but they are way overdue for another promotion. It does not have to happen in real time, but it has to happen. Their show is running out of steam too. There have been a few comic strips that allowed time to pass. "Gasoline Alley," which has been running for 91 years, is thought to be the first. I haven't seen it in decades, but in the 1950s and 60s people were growing older and dying, babies were being born, and one of the kids joined the Army and had to go to Vietnam. It was a print-medium soap opera, although with a higher proportion of humor. "For Better or for Worse," which ended a 29-year run last year, had a similar style. People still speak sadly about the episode in the last century when the tired old family dog died while rescuing one of the kids from drowning. Snoopy (Charlie Brown's dog in "Peanuts") lived to be 50 and Daisy (Dagwood and Blondie's dog) will soon be a centenarian. You just can't help running out of jokes when you stop the clock! Back on the topic of "King of the Hill," my wife and I thought it was fabulous for the first few years, but it got boring and we gave up on it. I did make a point of watching the series finale and they managed to pull it back together for thirty minutes. All Hank ever wanted out of life was one thing he could share with his odd little son, and the closing scene of them barbecuing together--Bobby on his miniature grill--was truly touching. Humor is not destroyed, and in fact it's strengthened, by the addition of a little drama. That's something the Brits don't seem to believe: they think our sitcoms, with their occasional slap in the face by reality, are too muddled to laugh at. Drama was never an issue for Benny Hill or Mister Bean. Our favorite Mike Judge show was the short-lived "Daria," a B&B spinoff like KotH. We were really looking forward to seeing her go off to college, and I can't believe it would have been difficult for the writers to keep up with that. My favorite animated show of all time was "Duckman." It didn't run long enough for me to start complaining about the characters not growing older, but he did the most magnificent skewering of American life and culture.
Two excellent shows Two excellent shows. On reflection, though, I'm kind of glad they were both short-lived. I'm glad that Daria and Duckman didn't have time to ossify. One of the biggest disappointments in life is that glamours fade. Even with my favorite shows, few of the jokes hold up and stay that funny over the years. Although the bit on Family Guy ("Da Boom") when Peter pushes Lois down the stairs still cracks me up, as does the cut after Homer destroys the Flanders' vacation house kitchen on The Simpsons ("Summer of the 4'2"). The last time I saw an episode of Duckman (sometime in the last year, I think) I still fell over laughing. It's good to know that some of these shows will still be there to make me laugh in the years to come. Incidentally, the present title holder for the Funniest Thing I've Seen On Television is the "Stewie Kills Lois" episode of Family Guy. The bondage gag and the Knicks joke will probably hold up for at least a decade, if not longer.
