1 There've Been Better
I watched this show when it was on the air. I don't honestly remember being highly impressed with it, just interested enough in it to keep watching every week.
Some have compared this to 'Family Guy' and 'Firefly' but to me there really is no comparison. 'Family Guy' i liked instantly, it was a can't miss after the first episode! Honestly, 'Firefly' took me a bit longer to get into and I really only did right before it got cancelled. But I was SURE after both of those series that I loved them. This one I'm just not as enthused about it.
That's why I plan on giving this show another chance. I missed some of the last episodes so I didn't see it all. I plan on renting this when it comes out and reeducate myself on it. If my idea changes I'll be sure to rereview it. But until then I remain not highly impressed.
2 Amazing
I still can't believe this great show was ever cancelled. People complained that it wasn't meant for kids, well duh! You could see that in the comertials. "Cinderella dressed in yellow went to town to meet a fellow. On the way her garder busted, how many people were discusted." That's a give away right there.
I can't wait till it comes out. I already have it pre-ordered.
3 I loved this show.
This show was hillarious and did not deserve to be cancelled. And I'm sick and tired of people complaining that it's not for kids. DUH! They specifically said in the commercials that it was an ADULT COMEDY. HELLO?!
4 Fails on ALL possible levels.
I don't know why they decided the characters in this show should be lions and other animals--they're really just typical network sitcom people disguised as animals. Emphasis on "typical". The show is not about comedy, either--from that point of view, it is very tired, trite, and completely without any sense of comic timing.
NBC tolds us the show is about computer-generated animation. Oh, boy, we should watch it for the technology. Sheesh. That's not a sufficient basis for a series, unless you are going to go all-out and dazzle people with what can be done on a computer. And they didn't.
At it's heart, good animation is about communication. In classic animation, you can tell a character's emotions, motives, and thoughts in an instant by the visuals: flying to pieces in excitement, turning beet red in embarrassment, or whatever. Have a look at master animator Bruno Bozzetto's online cartoons (http://www.infonegocio.com/xeron/bruno/italy.html is one example)--some of these feature simple circles and rectangles as the characters, but they are still very funny, because Bozzetto still knows how to create characterizations and his writing and timing are top notch.
The people who made Father of the Pride don't understand any of that. They made the equivalent of posable dolls for their show. There is no humor, no characterization in any of the visuals. Each image seems to be about, "Look! We can map hair all over their bodies!" The characters of Siegfried and Roy were downright scary looking, I guess because they didn't have any hair to keep the designers interested. Watching the characters move during the show was painful--some looked like refugees from a George Pal Puppetoon, others like plastic sacks of frozen jello that someone was trying to manipulate.
I did not find the show as repulsive as some negative newspaper reviews had reported it--maybe the prevalence of puerile sex humor on TV has jaded me. I didn't see one thing good in it, either. I was frankly bored by the whole thing. I could name a half-dozen web comics whose creators can draw a more interesting anthro-animal character than any in Father of the Pride (and I was far more impressed with the pencil sketches shown during the "making of" short [after the premiere show on NBC] than in the computer-generated final results).
It's just a sad show. In terms of being a comedy series, the writing and timing are never better than third-rate, on the occasions it gets that good. And on the point they keep harping on in the promos ("IT'S THE FIRST PRIME-TIME COMPUTER ANIMATED SERIES") it fails to rise above amateurish. Dreck like this just adds to the pile of bandwagon-jumping product being thrown at us that makes me want to run away from anything bearing the label "computer generated".
5 Awesome show!
I looooooved this show. It was witty, funny, amusing, the animations were killer. Unfortunately, lack of advertisement and the thought that it was a show for kids got it axed. Sucks that they put so many hours into putting together the show to have it get cut so quickly. I hope we get a few extra episodes in the DVD, maybe ones that didn't air, if possible. :)
6 Father of the Pride
I thought the show was great. The show was beautiful and funny. The animation was flawless, except for that whole "tail thing." If you watch, whenever the characters sit down their tails disapear. And I, personally enjoyed the writing. Most of my friends and co-workers did too. Hey, if a show about nothing can run for four seasons and the Simpson's are now going for I think 15 or so, then masterpeices like Father of the Pride could run at least a few years. I'm still hoping for a repeat of Family guy. They took the show off the air and then made so much more money on the DVDs then they were expecting and brought it back. We can only hope. All in all, it was a wonderful show. If you haven't seen it, it is definately worth your time.
7 Fantastic Show
Whoever wrote the previous review ripping on the show obviously didn't watch or was offended by the mocking of Sigfried and Roy. I loved the show and so did most of the folks who watched it. The show was very expensive to produce (1.5 million) per episode and the only reason it was canceled was because it was costing the network more then they had to spend on the show. Ratings weren't a factor.
8 So bad it was ridiculed on other channels
I loved the review Cartoon Network gave this series, because it showed that other people also felt that the writing was at least 40 years behind the times. Their last words: You can forget about us giving you a second chance!
Everybody's jumping on the CG animation bandwagon without stopping to realize that it's the WRITING that makes Pixar's films so good, not the mere fact that they're CG. CG for CG's sake is not art--it's boring, ugly, and mind-numbing.
For all the money and time that was poured into Father of the Pride, the animation is still clunky. And the Siegfried and Roy characters are hideous. The writing is insanely bad, with stupid smutty lines thrown in to make it "adult". What a waste. This show deserves to go down in history right next to the widely-hated "Joey".
Is it me, or do half the "5-star" reviews here read like they were written by people involved with making this show?
9 A hilarious show that doesn't get the respect it deserves
While enticed by the fact that the show was totally CGI, after watching the pilot episode of FOTP I was leery on whether or not it could hold me after another epiosde. Thankfully I was proven that indeed it could! I actually found myself really enjoying each new episode that was released week after week. The comedy, while more adult in nature for the station, often had me rolling with laughter. Some of the lines are definitely quotable for a laugh among friends and fans. The guest voices that would appear were fun and fitting, as well as the random and strangeness of Seigfried and Roy. Father of the Pride probably wasn't as perfect as some other OH so wonderful Reality TV shows that're out there these days, but it's definitely worth checking out now that it'll be on DVD. The show deserved better than what some people were and are giving it. That much is certain.
10 This was a great show!!
As a Siegfried and Roy fan I really enjoyed this show, and was very upset when it was cancelled. I hope it will be released on DVD because I will definitely buy a copy!
11 Father of the Pride rocks!
Although FotP has been off the air for a couple of months, I continue to watch my recordings of it. Every Wednesday morning college students and I would sit in my office and laugh our butts off at this terrific show. NBC simply didn't get it. Even though the ratings were low in its terrible time slot, rather than cancel FotP, why not try another night & time? It seems that unless it's so-called "reality" or violence, there's no place for clever, adult television. I still love "The Simpsons", but there were way more laughs in FotP then Simpsons have shown in a long time. So another entertaining show goes the way of Family Guy, Futurama, Firefly, Enterprise...while pandering dreck is allowed to remain. (How many people really found the highly promoted "Joey" funny? God, what boring tripe!) Perhaps it will live again on dvd. Let us hope.
12 better than the simpsons
I can't believe they cancelled the show. If you loved father of the pride, or any adult cartoon (besides southpark), you should buy this dvd to see the missed opportunity of a show. I'm preordering now. I may have to wate, but its worth it.
13 I loved it but it was not for kids
I think people thought because it was animated it wAs for children yet it was too adult for children. It was an animated show for adults like Simpsons. If the show is not going to be back on the air again, I hope we can get them to put it out in DVD format for WE adults to enjoy.
14 Great Show, Poor Adverts
"Father of the Pride" is the latest victim of superb shows which have fallen to the evils of poor advertising and management, a la "Family Guy", "Firefly" and others.
People really didn't know what to expect with FOTP, and unfortunately the reviews showed that. The original fan base was not enough to pull the show out of the quagmire of politics it had found itself in, after having had some rather dubious advertising, a switch of the show's episode list (the TRUE first episode didn't run until sometime in December), and was placed at a very hard to keep 8pm slot, against favorites such as "Fear Factor", "CSI", and more. Then the show was put "on hold" after five episodes during November, which was a crucial ratings month, and three more episodes were aired one after the other on December 28th, and that was the last of the show.
There are some rumors that a DVD of the show is being created and is slotted for a November 2005 release, which I am eagerly awaiting. FOTP had too much going for it and was really one of the most overlooked shows of last year. I highly encourage anyone who is even remotely curious to support the DVD release for "Father of the Pride" and treat yourself to this unique and hilarious show.
15 I loved this show
I have only missed 2 episodes of the series. I hope that this WONDERFUL show comes out by Christmas 2005!!!!!
16 Hilarious and intelligent
The show is terrifically funny. The artwork and animation are very good, and John Goodman leads a wonderful cast. There is nothing here not to like, and it's laugh-out-loud funny. The double entendres are very well done, in a way that will sail over small children's heads.
17 Judge for yourselves
This show is nothing like the first commercials would lead one to believe. I was expecting a smut filled trudge through the zoo but instead found it a delightful romp. The animation is first rate. The lions are a loving family and the animated Siegfried and Roy are just perfectly over the top. They were, in my opinion, the funniest part of the show. The humor is gentle and the "smut" is not constant nor is it of the "in your face" variety. It will very easily go over a lot of childrens heads.
Personally I find it refreshing to be able to watch a show (animated or otherwise) that is not wall to wall violence and who's main aim is to just make everyone happy.
I was pleased with the show and am looking forward to many, many more episodes!!!
18 funniest show I've seen in a long time
I loved the show, didnt want to miss a line. Like a combination of Shrek and Simpsons
