Family Dog

Salix Babylonika

The cartoon.

Hardcore Gaming 101 ran an article about its (apparently shitty) SNES game adaption, if you don't remember anything about the show itself, here's the gist.

I vaguely remember it but don't know from where. Must've been long after it was canceled since its only season ran the year before I was born. ('93)

Mostly I made this thread because I was like "oh yeah, that existed". Now you remember that it existed too.

Salix Babylonika

Apparently there was a LaserDisc box set which might be the most depressing form of treatment a TV series can recieve.

Imipolex G

I remember seeing an episode or two. Seemed pointless.

Salix Babylonika

I honestly think Dog looks more like some kind of marsupial than a dog of any kind.

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Imipolex G said:

I remember seeing an episode or two. Seemed pointless.

apparently the original short was pretty good and then the TV show itself was hot garbage.

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A four year old named Brooke Ashley provided the voice of young Buffy Binford. Ashley had the unfortunate luck of having the same stage name as woman who had an illustrious career in porn throughout the ‘90s (until she contracted HIV), which has led to Family Dog being repeatedly cited on porn star Ashley’s resume.

This is maybe the most depressing thing I've ever read.

Imipolex G

on the contrary, that's hilarious!

Salix Babylonika

I dunno I think "shitty cartoon cited on dead porn star's resume by mistake" is one of the worst possible combinations of words in the English language that doesn't involve Nazis.

Imipolex G

it does tend to bring into question my plan to use "Pandora Peaks" as my pen name.

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That sounds like either a mountain-focused radio station or a lady with gigantic jubblies.

I feel like @Anonus might have opinions on this cartoon.

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Television critics were utterly merciless. Washington Post critic Tom Shales said “the series seems shabbily drawn and poorly written” before concluding it’s “not only a bad show, but it sends bad messages.” Los Angeles Daily News critic Ray Richmond said “comparing it to The Simpsons is like linking Billy Ray Cyrus with U2,” then he went on to call the show “mean-spirited and as amusing as a choke chain.” Daily Herald critic Gordon Walkk said of the first episode, in which the Binfords are oblivious to the fact that their un-beloved pet is dying of thirst, “rather than being funny, the episode is annoying. Just give the dog a drink and get it over with!” Associated Press TV writer Frazier Moore commented, “If you tune into Family Dog, you’ve got no one to blame but yourself.” One of the only good reviews of the show came from Mark K. Lyons at Indiana’s Kokomo Tribune, who cited “moments of brilliance in each half hour episode.” His wife, however, called the show “tasteless and degrading to animals.” It was little surprise when the show ended its run in July not with a bark but a whimper.

Christ!

Salix Babylonika

also the promo blurb for the last episode says a lot,

The family dog becomes ill after being bitten by a mosquito that was feasting on toxic waste. Meanwhile, a neighborhood dog is killed by a car.

Someone thought this would make good comedy.

"You know what the problem is with The Simpsons, Tom? Not enough roadkill"

"By god George, you're a genius."

Imipolex G

that's about what I remember

Anonus

All I really know about this show is that it sprang from an animated short created by Brad Bird that aired as part of Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories anthology, also, it was part of that weird spate of primetime cartoons that CBS and ABC greenlit in an attempt to find the next Simpsons (Hanna-Barbera, towards the end of their period of lethargy, was tapped by CBS to produce Fish Police and by ABC to produce Capitol Critters, neither of which eventual studio head Fred Seibert seemed to like much)

lee4hmz

From what I remember of them, Fish Police and Capitol Critters were just as ill-advised and badly written as Family Dog was. They were simply trying too hard.

Anonus

I tried to watch an episode of Fish Police in 2014, but I fell asleep and never finished it