Fox Considers "Boondocks" Animated Series

USA Today - TV Section ^ | 03/30/04 | Gary Levin

[Kieri]

• Fox plans to add an animated series to its lineup, joining King of the Hill and the venerable Simpsons, which is in its 15th season.

The network is considering five new series, including an adaptation of the comic strip Boondocks and American Dad, an Archie Bunker takeoff from Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane; decisions will be made next month. Fox also has an option for new episodes of Family Guy, which was canceled two years ago but is being resurrected on Cartoon Network because of strong DVD sales.

"Animation is a huge part of our network in terms of our brand and our programming," Fox executive VP Craig Erwich says. "We have to make sure we have a pipeline to replenish them."

[Kieri]

Hoo boy.

[johniegrad]

This should generate some commentary.

[Monty22]

Fox is really working on killing their momentum for some reason.

[.38sw]

Boondocks? Isn't that the bitter and racist comic strip that fortunately our paper decided not to carry?

[Kieri]

Boondocks? Isn't that the bitter and racist comic strip that fortunately our paper decided not to carry?

That's the one.

Sad thing is McGruder has had some funny strips satirizing life in the 'burbs, but his absolute hatred for anyone who might be conservative ruins the strip.

[ladtx]

Boondocks? Isn't that the bitter and racist comic strip that fortunately our paper decided not to carry?

Boondocks? Isn't that the extremely bitter and extremely racist comic strip...

[kevkrom]

This from the network that sabotaged and eventually killed Firefly...

[TheBigB]

Family Guy is one of the funniest things on TV.

[Moleman]

Fox is really working on killing their momentum for some reason.
I wouldn't be too sure. Remeber, The Simpsons is what launched Fox into the place they are and it's still running. Also, I like King Of The Hill which mocks liberal society.

[.38sw]

Thanks. That's just sickening.

[Monty22]

Do you know what Boondocks is?

Phew..

[mewzilla]

Well, what the heck. Who needs TV anyway?

[AngryJawa]

This from the network that sabotaged and eventually killed Firefly...

Space: Above and Beyond too.

This idea needs to be FReeped but good.

[Kieri]

I wouldn't be too sure. Remeber, The Simpsons is what launched Fox into the place they are and it's still running. Also, I like King Of The Hill which mocks liberal society.

No insult to Tracey Ullman, but my husband and I used to watch her show just for the Simpsons in their neanderthal form.

Matt Groenig is also responsible for "Ackbar and Jeff." Talk about subversive!!!

[mhking]

Old news. I mentioned that Fox had asked for a 10 minute pilot presentation two and a half months ago.

 

Double-barrelled Mega-PING! to both lists! If you want on, FReepmail me!

[faithincowboys]

Fox is done. Between Boondocks and 24. Fox is now firmly on the Left. Murdoch will likely make a backroom deal with Kerry (like he did with Gore) and push Kerry hard in the last 72 hours of the election.

Fox is spewing more conspiracy nut, hard Leftist bs than any other network. Why don't they just show a West Wing knock off starring Clinton?

[FreeManWhoCan]

I sure hope they re-start Family Guy. Talk about an anti-liberal show! Remember when Peter was sent for "re-training" after telling the boob joke to the woman @ work? Remember the trainer? Ms. IronBox! Stewie is the best part of the show. They should give him a show all by himslef. The DVD is edited and doesnt have his Osama reference.

If you guy are going to bring up old FOX sci-fi shows..

Sliders was great until they got cheap on effects and cancelled and brought it back on Sci-Fi.

Would someone please help a poor guy out at work and post a funny picture of Stewie!

[Buell_X1-1200]

Yeah, just bring back Family Guy and don't spend the time and effort on Boondocks. I watch FG almost every evening on Cartoon Network.

[Wally_Kalbacken]

...the venerable Simpsons, which is in its 15th season.

Perhaps the best thing ever on television, after The Sopranos and maybe 24.

 

 

[Buell_X1-1200]

[RJS1950]

Keep FG in the lower depths of robot hell where it belongs and bring back Futurama instead.

[eddie willers]

If you guy are going to bring up old FOX sci-fi shows..

My favorite was "Alien Nation".

On the current Sunday Night lineup. "Arrested Development" is a hoot.

[DemWatch]

Also, I like King Of The Hill which mocks liberal society.

The other day, there was a King of the Hill episode on where Strickland Propane was forced to keep a drug addict employed. Needless to say, he was always late to work and incompetent, yet he couldn't be fired since he had "begun rehabilitation." The show makes a good point in this epsiode, as it always has. Good times...

[kevkrom]

I'll agree on S:AAB but not Sliders.

"Space" was overall well-done, though several of the characters were flat -- still, I think "Stay With The Dead" is an extremely good episode and if it had been on an anthology series probably would be considered a classic. It would have been interesting to see where they went from the end of Season 1, where it looks like most of the squad was in pretty serious trouble of one form or another.

"Sliders" started off well, as an interesting twist on a "Quantum Leap" type of show, but it didn't really seem to hold any interest for me after a while. I guess part of it is I really don't like the whole "stranded" concept, where the whole series is based on the inability to get home -- you know that means they'll never make it until the final episode. (This is what eventually turned me off being a regular QL viewer, too.)

[Buell_X1-1200]

[TheBigB]

"Now look here...Jo-LENE. I have an army to raise and I must get to Managua at once. I require a window seat and an in-flight Happy Meal. BUT NO PICKLES. OH, GOD HELP YOU IF I FIND PICKLES."

[Brytani]

I heard on Fox a few days ago, Family Guy was back in production. I can't wait for the return of Stewie. You're right, it is one of the funniest shows on television.

[Enduring Freedom]

FOX, ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FREAKIN MINDS?

This piece of shiite is the most racist, mindless, senseless crap since the NYTimes.

[TexasCajun]

Sad thing is McGruder has had some funny strips satirizing life in the 'burbs, but his absolute hatred for anyone who might be conservative ruins the strip.

He's mean, and a racist to boot.

His personal attacks on Dr. Rice and Colin Powell are disgusting.

[DemWatch]

Ha ha...

[CollegeRepublican]

Family Guy is one of the funniest things on TV.

The Family Guy suffered from Fox moving it around all the time. They should have put this show right after the Simpsons at 8:30 EST on Sunday nights and left it there.

BTW, I agree that it was a great show. So very funny. Stewie always trying to kill his mom, a talking dog. It makes me want to throw in the DVD right now.

[kevkrom]

On the current Sunday Night lineup. "Arrested Development" is a hoot.

Keeping with the dysfunctional family theme, "Cracking Up" on Mondays has been surprisingly funny.

[CollegeRepublican]

Have you seen the FG episode where the kid walks out of the store with a JFK Pes dispenser and the head gets blown off? Peter was trying to stop a bank robbery to be a hero. My jaw dropped when I saw that for the first time, and then I busted up.

[discostu]

The problem with "Sliders" was the worlds they showed for only seconds (the ones they either slid out of at the beginning of an Ep or into at the end) always looked infinitely more interesting than the ones that actually spent episodes in. I think the worst example of that was an ep where the world they were in was run entirely by women (my what a fresh piece of speculation, I'm sure no one in SF ever asked that "what if" before {sarcasm}) and then they jumped out and you saw a nice grassy plain with a 40' bunny rabbit.

Hated "S:AAB", hated every minute of it. My wife loved it, I did dishes to avoid watching it.

But "Firefly" deserved to live. Great show. Not sure about sabotage though, they advertised the hell out of the show and put it in the spot that made X-Files rich, it just didn't catch.

[TheBigB]

Memorable Quotes from
"Family Guy" (1999)

Lois Griffin: Peter, what did you promise me?
Peter Griffin: That I wouldn't drink at the stag party.
Lois Griffin: And what did you do?
Peter Griffin: Drank at the stag pa--... Whoa. I almost walked into that one.

---

Stewie Griffin: Damn you vile woman, you've impeded my work since the day I escaped your vile womb.

---

Peter Griffin: You know those Germans; if you don't join the party, they come get you.

---

Peter Griffin: Holy crip, he's a crapple.

---

Stewie Griffin: No sprinkles. For every sprinkle I find, I shall kill you.

---

[Riding a circus elephant]
Peter Griffin: Look Lois, the two symbols of the Republican Party: an elephant, and a fat white guy who is threatened by change.

---

Stewie Griffin: [To ticket agent] Now look here...
[looks at agent's name tag]
Stewie Griffin: Jo-LENE. I have an army to raise and I must get to Managua at once. I require a window seat and an in-flight Happy Meal. BUT NO PICKLES. OH, GOD HELP YOU IF I FIND PICKLES.

---

Lois Griffin: Peter. You're bribing your daughter with a car?
Peter Griffin: Ah, c'mon, Lois, isn't "bribe" just another word for "love"?

---

Lois Griffin: You should spend some time with our kids, Peter. And with me.
Peter Griffin: Uh, what could me and you do together?
[Lois giggles]
Peter Griffin: Lois. You've got a sick mind.
Lois Griffin: Peter, I'm talking about making love.
Peter Griffin: Oh. I thought you wanted us to murder the children and harvest their organs for beer money.

---

Brian Griffin: Whose leg do I have to hump to get a dry martini around here?

---

Peter Griffin: Oh, you people can kiss the fattest part of my ass.

---

Stewie Griffin: Ha ha. Oh, this is so good it just HAS to be fattening.

---

Peter Griffin: NOOOOOO. Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids. Damn longears, trying to take Easter away from Jesus. Anyway, what was that you were saying?

---

Stewie Griffin: Damn you, broccoli.

---

Brian Griffin: Ah, if my memory serves me, this is the physics department.
Chris Griffin: That would explain all the gravity.

---

Peter Griffin: Brian, there's a message in my Alpha Bits. It says "OOOOOO".
Brian Griffin: Peter, those are Cheerios.

---

Adam West: I love this job more than I love taffy, and I'm a man who loves his taffy.

---

Stewie Griffin: So, what do you think of this "Music Television?"

---

Police Officer: Hey. That's Against the law. You're coming with me.
Peter Griffin: (singing to the tune of U Can't Touch this) Ah ah ah. Can't Touch Me/ Can't Touch me/ Ja ja ja ja just like the bad guy/ from Lethal Weapon 2/ I've got diplomatic Immunity/ so Hammer, you can't sue/ I can write graffiti even jay-walk in the streets/ I can Riot, loot, not give a hoot, and touch your sister's teat/ Can't touch me/ Can't touch me/
Joe Swanson: What in god's name is he doing?
Peter Griffin: Can't Touch me.
Cleveland: I believe it's the worm.
Peter Griffin: [still singing] Can't touch me/ STOP, Peter time/ I'm a big shot, there's no doubt/ light a fire then pee it out/ Don't like it, kiss my rump/ Just for a minute, let's all do the bump/ Can't touch me/ Yeah, do the Peter Griffin Bump/ Can't touch me/ I'm Presidential Peter/ Interns think I'm hot/ Don't care if you're handicapped, I'll still park in your spot/ I've been around the world/ from Hartford to Back Bay/ It's Peter, Go Peter, I'm so Peter, Yo Peter, Let's see Regis rap this way/ Can't touch me.

---

Doctor: Mr. Griffin I'm saying you're fine.
Peter Griffin: Now what? Are you coming on to me?
Lois Griffin: Peter, he's not coming on to you. He's trying to tell you you're healthy.
Doctor: ...Can't it be both?

---

Meg Griffin: You could kill all the girls who are prettier than me.
Death: Well that would just leave England.

---

Li: Stewie, come complete our rainbow.
Stewie Griffin: I've got a better idea. Let's go play "swallow the stuff under the sink."

---

Janet: Hi. Cookie?
Stewie Griffin: Well, it's Stewie, but... you can call me "cookie" if you like. Yes, I also answer to "Artemis," "Agent Buckwald" and "Snake." Yes, I rather like "Snake." Snake Griffin.

---

Peter Griffin: Listen Lois, I know you're a feminist and I think thats adorable, but this is grown-up time and I'm the man.

---

Cult Leader: Are you a confused adolescent desperately seeking acceptance from an undifferentiated ego mass that demands conformity?

---

Stewie Griffin: Mother, I come baring a gift. I'll give you a hint: it's in my diaper and it's not a toaster.
Lois Griffin: Meg, can you change Stewie?
Meg Griffin: Fine, but this time if a boy calls, please don't tell him I'm wrist deep in poopy.

---

Peter Griffin: I've been watching television so much the shows are starting to run together.
Announcer: And now, Homicide: Life on Sesame Street.
Bert: [Answering phone] Hello? Son of a bitch. I'm on my way.
[Gets out of bed and gets dressed]
Bert: Some poor bastard got his head blown off down at a place called Hooper's.
Ernie: Bert, I wish you wouldn't drink so much, Bert.
Bert: Well, Ernie, I wish you wouldn't eat cookies in the DAMN BED.
Ernie: Bert, you're shouting again, Bert.

---

[The Jetsons parody]
Jane: Oh my God. George.
George: [After being on the dog walker] Did you not hear me out there?
Elroy: Yeah, you...
George: Go to your room, Elroy.
Elroy: But...
George: GO TO YOUR ROOM. For 45 minutes I was out there screaming. I know that because my damn watch is broken.
Jane: I'm sorry.
George: Oh 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Jane is sorry', I could've been killed.

---

[While trying to potty-train Stewie]
Peter Griffin: Maybe you don't have to pee. I'll just give you some beer, it'll run right through you.
Stewie Griffin: Beautiful. And while we're at it we can light up a dubey and watch porn.
Peter Griffin: Rea... Really?

---

[Brian has just peed on a Supermarket floor]
Peter Griffin: Jeez Brian, where do you think you are, Payless?

---

Peter Griffin: Joe, I've had new neighbors before but none of them were half the man you are. And since you're half a man already, that splits them into some kind of fraction I can't even measure.

---

Bob Ross: All right, we are going to use a fan brush here and uh why don't you take some hunter green and we are going to put a happy little bush right down over here in the corner there and that'll just be our little secret and if you tell anyone that that bush is there i will come to your house and I will cut you.

---

Stewie Griffin: Do these huggies make my ass look big?

---

Peter Griffin: Chris, everything I say is a lie. Except that. And that. And that. And that. And that. And that. And that. And that.

---

[trying to get a Scout Merit Badge]
Chris Griffin: Uh, Dad, maybe we should just give up. I mean, we've tried everything
Peter Griffin: Well, we almost got that one for insect study.
[cut to Peter & Chris watching a rich family eat]
Peter Griffin: Look Chris, it's a whole family of wasps.
Rich Father: My Margaret, what a sub-par ham.
Rich Mother: Perhaps I can't bake a ham, but what I can cook up is a little grace and civility at the table.
[pause]
Rich Father: [to daughter] Patty, did you know your mother is a whore?

---

[Brian and Stewie are on a German tour bus]
German Tour Guide: You vill find more on Germany's contributions to ze arts in ze pamphlets ve have provided.
Brian Griffin: Yeah, about your pamphlet... uh, I'm not seeing anything about German history between 1939 and 1945. There's just a big gap.

---

Peter Griffin: I'm looking for some toilet training books.
Salesman: We have the popular 'everybody poops", or the less popular 'nobody poops but you'.
Peter Griffin: Well, you see, we're catholic...
Salesman: Ah, then you'll want 'you're a naughty, naughty boy, and that's concentrated evil coming out the back of you'.

---

Guy on Street #2: It's 3:00. Where the hell is Louie?
Guy on Street #1: Well, you tell me. Louie left his house at 2:15 and had to travel a distance 6.2 miles traveling at a rate of five miles a hour. When will Louie get here?
Guy On Street #2: Depends if he stops to see his ho.
Guy on Street #1: That's what we call a "variable".

---

Peter Griffin: You remember that time I was supposed to get that boat? A BOAT'S A BOAT, but the mystery box could be anything. IT COULD EVEN BE A BOAT. You know how much we wanted one of those.
Lois Griffin: Peter, that happened ten minutes ago.

---

[While eating a pancake]
Stewie Griffin: OH. mmm yes oh god this is better than SEX.

---

Glen Quagmire: Hey, any of you ladies been penetrated?

---

[looking at himself in a spoon]
Tom Tucker: I'm sorry but there's a handsome man in my spoon. You'll have to come back later.

---

Lois Griffin: What's going on?
Stewie Griffin: We're playing house.
Lois Griffin: The boy is all tied up.
Stewie Griffin: Roman Polanski's house.

---

Stewie Griffin: [After Lois tries to feed Stewie his broccoli "airplane style"] Damn you, Damn the Broccoli, and Damn the Wright Brothers.

---

[The Griffins have inherited a mansion. Stewie is being waited on]
Stewie Griffin: You. Cut my eggs.
[waiter cuts his eggs]

---

[At a job interview]
Interviewer: So where do you see yourself in five years?
Peter Griffin: [Thinking to himself "Don't say doing you wife. Don't say doing your wife."] Doing your, uh, son...

---

Stewie Griffin: Oh I feel so delightfully white trash. Mommy, I want a mullet.

---

[An extremely obese Peter and Brian are sitting on the dock]
Boy: Daddy, what's that?
Father: Well son, that's Mercury, the closest planet to the sun. What it's doing down here on the wharf I haven't the foggiest, we should probably go ask a scientist.
Peter Griffin: I'm a man jackass.

[kevkrom]

Not sure about sabotage though, they advertised the hell out of the show and put it in the spot that made X-Files rich, it just didn't catch.

The advertised it pretty hard before it started, then dropped off to almost nothing afterwards (never saw a single ad for Firefly during 24 after Firefly's first episode). They also didn't show the pilot, but started with the first regular episode, which was one of the weaker ones.

Then, as ratings were improving and the best episodes were still to come, Fox announces a cancellation.

Oh, well... DVD sales show that Firefly still has a huge following, and Paramount bought the rights to do a movie (due out this December, I believe), and they hope to use the movie to re-launch the series on UPN.

Do yourself a favor and get or rent the DVDs if you haven't already. You'll get all the episodes in the right order, including three never aired, and it's fun to watch a few in a row.

[Mr. Thorne]

…and John Doe.

…and Dark Angel.

Bummer.

[discostu]

They kept advertising it in the shows I was watching. Never liked 24 so I don't know what went on then. Who knows maybe the show was really expensive, that's one of the hard things for sci-fi, it tends to be pricey so if it doesn't get HUGE ratings right out of the box it's too expensive to let sit and hope it percolates an audience.

Too bad it's Paramount that bought it. That company is a bad decision waiting to happen. They might make a couple movies with it but they'll never give it the push it deserves.

[kevkrom]

Too bad it's Paramount that bought it. That company is a bad decision waiting to happen. They might make a couple movies with it but they'll never give it the push it deserves.

Don't count them out completely... they seem to be friendlier to niche shows, and need some kind of sci-fi boost to provide a better option than that miserable Enterprise mess.

[livius]

What is the matter with Fox? Boondocks is an unfunny, visually unattractive left-wing hit piece (masquerading as the opinion of all blacks, something Fox does not seem to question).

Why is Fox carrying this? Well, since Fox carries an incredible amount of unadulterated fecal matter, I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

Fox News had its moment in the sun, but I think even Fox News is fading.

[discostu]

But when they try to go for sci-fi outside of Star Trek they come up with drek like Jake 2.0. The only reason Paramount isn't the worst run network on TV is that WB hasn't gone under yet.

[kevkrom]

Well, they also took Buffy off of WB. Not that I was ever into that, but it had a following. Joss Wheadon is the man behind Buffy, Angel, and Firefly.

[discostu]

And now WB is killing Angel, their highest rated show. Somebody there will be 100 level business classes on the WB and Paramount: how not to run a TV network 1 and 2.

[IYAS9YAS]

Got both sets of FG DVDs. Also have seasons one and two of Married with Children. I'm bummed on the quality of the MwC dvds. They get jumpy when the camera pans. Am slowly collecting Simpsons and will get Futurama and King of the Hill.

I love the one where they spoof Willy Wonka. The "hurt shin" bit is hilarious and the songs are funnier than heck. "I'm a Coors man!"

[stands2reason]

Never, ever watch a drama on Fox. I learned that lesson the hard way. They will cancel it right after the season-cliffhanger.

[Trueblackman]

Well when you are a student of that fool Walter Waters and obtained a degree in African American Studies AKA "I am a victim, you owe me reparations and the government needs to take care of me. Then you can draw write and promote bullshit like the boondocks. The guy needs a foot in his ass and a real job!!! Please excuse my rant, I hate when people promote blacks in America as some type of victim class.

[Sweet Land]

Boondocks? Isn't that the bitter and racist comic strip

Sometimes ... but also sometimes quite funny.

[Ichneumon]

Stewie always trying to kill his mom, a talking dog.

Umm... The way you wrote that sentence, it appears you're saying that his mom is "a talking dog". She isn't, of course.

[perfect stranger]

IIRC Tracey Ullman, about five years later she made a joke about it saying that she asked Matt to put short pieces by her into the Simpsons.

It seems like it lost the humor, but in context it was pretty funny.

[atomicpossum]

Keep FG in the lower depths of robot hell where it belongs and bring back Futurama instead.

Amen.

Never ever thought FG was amusing. Simpsons, however, is great (except when they get on a soapbox).