The Garfield Show - pleasantly surprised

[dwmckim]

Okay, i know like most cable stations, Cartoon Network is a shell of its original vision and is under poor management with its programming filled with junk. But as i was flipping channels, i happened upon the new cgi animated Garfield Show and really REALLY liked what i saw!

The original Garfield and Friends cartoon series was one of those rare cartoon shows where the show was funnier and livlier than the comic strip it was based on. Plus being one of the few genuinely funny cartoon series during a time when most in its genre were uninspired flat pseudo-toy commercials. Hard act to follow! But just because its new and in CGI style, the Garfield Show is very faithful to its roots and has all the fun, wackiness, and humor as its earlier incarnation. It's not dulled down and the animation is still funny despite the more realistic style - it's a different medium but not a different feel. Granted, this is my opinion based on one episode but this was really a very very pleasant and exciting surprise!

 

[Drtooth]

AH... so like about 2 years after Europe got it, we finally get to see it. Don't you just love how children's programming works? Bulgaria got the second season of Spectacular Spider-Man before we did and it was an AMERICAN show. This one originated in France, as it was animated there, but it had to have been recorded in the US with American Voice actors.

Anyway, I'll have to wait and see an episode to really get a feel... the official channel on youtube has clips. But CN does have some great programming if you know where to look...

I highly recommend Chowder, a very Yellow Submarine-esque type show that I feel brings back the spirit of older CN shows (after the dreadful line up of Camp Lazlo and My Gym Partner is a Lab Monkey... I can't even stand a full episode of the latter). And the creator is a HUGE Muppet fan, so you can't go wrong with that (A Doozer was drawn into an episode! No kidding!)

I also am in LOVE with Batman Brave and the Bold. Sure, it's not the dark, gritty Batman TAS series that became so legendary that one of the characters made specifically for animation was absorbed into the comic contuinuity... but at least it has solid footing on what it's supposed to be, unlike The Batman (which flipped and flopped inbetween trying to be like the Batman Begins franchise and Batman TAS). This series takes the character back to the Saturday Morning routes, and embraces and throttles those roots at the same time. One episode is even a MUSICAL starring Neil Patrick Harris as the villain. And they found a place for Plastic Man, who's unsold pilot was nothing short of an unfulfilled dream.

And of course, The Mr. Men show. While I usually hate when something veers off of the original books, this show manages to take the spirit of the characters and put them into an SNL type sketch show. Flash animation rarely looks that good on television. Plus, any skit with any combination of Mr. Grumpy, Mr. Rude, and or Mr. Stubborn is gold.

 

[Xerus]

I thought the humor in the Garfield Show was the same as Garfield and Friends, thanks to the clever writing of Mark Evanier who worked on both series.

I thought Frank Welker did a good job taking over the role of Garfield after the passing of Lorenzo Music. Plus Gregg Berger, Julie Payne, and David Lander came back to voice their characters.

FRANK WELKER: Garfield, Eddie Gourmand
WALLY WINGERT: Jon Arbuckle
GREGG BERGER: Odie, Squeak, Harry, Herman Post
JASON MARSDEN: Nermal, Vito
JULIE PAYNE: Liz
AUDREY WASILEWSKI: Arlene
LAURA SUMMER: Drusilla and Minerva
DAVID LANDER: Doc Boy

I remember a couple of years ago, Garfield came out with three CGI movies, Garfield Gets Real, Garfield's Funfest and Garfield's Pet Force, which featured characters from two other comics, Life Stinks, and Billy Bear. I was hoping those two cartoons would be part of the the Garfield Show, but nope. But it's still great seeing Garfield in a new series though.

 

[Drtooth]

The Garfield show is separate from the movies, despite the same cast and the fact they're both CGI... in fact, this series, as I stated was Animated in France with a different team, giving the animation a bouncier feel.

 

[Vic Romano]

It's funny how our generation is almost genetically predisposed to disliking CGI because of the slow death traditional animation is suffering, but it can be done right. I'm actually pretty impressed with Clone Wars, myself. I'll have to check out Garfield now.

 

[Drtooth]

I don't hate it at all... at least when it's GOOD. Don't forget the cartoon with some of the highest internet fandom there is was one of the first CGI TV shows out there (Reboot). As for Clone Wars... well, Lucas wanted to replace everything with CGI anyway. I bet if the entire prequel trilogy was CGI animated (quality animation anyway) it would have had a better feel. There just are so few CGI shows that aren't specifically for preschoolers (who the market seems tailor made for).

The only thing that bugs me about CGI Garfield is the fact his mouth moves. Something about that seems wrong, especially since Garfield is always internalizing his thoughts, and somehow seems to have a telepathic relationship with all the other animals.

 

[denise412]

I am very happy with the new Garfield Show. Although different from the Garfield I knew growing up, my children love it. My kids are computer crazy and prefer watching full episodes online, anytime at the official site http://www.thegarfieldshow.com.

 

[Drtooth]

I'm sorry, but whoever designed that glitch ridden excuse for a movie player needs a sharp smack to the head. I tried 3 times to watch a cartoon that could NOT be more than 10 minutes long, it doesn't load properly, and it stopped abruptly forever, causing me to have to try it again, waiting another 20 minutes in the process.

I swear, they deliberately design these things so you need Fios to watch something official on the official page. Way to fend off pirates.

That said, I'm going to try to watch it NOT OFFICIALLY on Veoh or somewhere.

 

[Super Scooter]

I don't hate it at all... at least when it's GOOD. Don't forget the cartoon with some of the highest internet fandom there is was one of the first CGI TV shows out there (Reboot).

Well... Reboot was an awesome show, after all.

 

[Drtooth]

After seeing an episode, I have to say, I really liked it, but there were a couple things that seemed lacking.

Now, I'm alright that the only voice actors they brought back were Frank Welker and Greg Berg... Wally Wingert does a pretty good Jon (though he lacks Thom Huge's BOOMING shouts and screams... something integral to Jon), and I kinda like the direction they took Nermal... at least you can tell he's a boy now.

But what it comes down to is that it really feels like a dub, a well written one, but a dub (whihc is the case, as it's a French cartoon). Mark Evanier ONLY writes the English dialogue, not the scenarios (which really took a hit on the wacky factor that Mark's solo writing of both that made Garfield and Friends amazing). And a lot of key running gags (so far that I know of) are missing. There's no attempt at breaking the fourth wall (something that was absolutely routine, characters griping about their lousy part in the episode, begging Garfield for more screen time is missed here). And I really am disappointed they didn't try to get Binky the Clown somewhere in the series. I can let the entire US Acres farm go (I don't know who would be a suitable Wade, anyway. Tom Kenny or Billy West seem like they could do a serviceable job, but without Howard Morris, it wouldn't be the same).

Plus, it seems like they redid old scenarios from the old series... one where Garfield is mistaken for a Sabre-tooth Tiger and one where Jon gets locked out of the house, and Garfield's paranoia keeps him locked out (replacing a horror movie with a news report). Not that that was a bad thing, since the old series used a LOT of the same scenarios over and over (especially later on in the series).

So overall, I really DO like it, and I'd buy a DVD if it was released in a season/series set (I HATE kiddy volumes), and I'd watch it as much as I could if I had cable. But it really seems like it's trying to be its own show AND Garfield and Friends at the same time.