Have you ever been at a loss as to what to watch? Too many shows to pick from? We’re here to give you our opinions on what we feel is worth watching. Check it out and then let us know in the comments below what you’re choosing for tonight!
Kyle’s Choice
Early this morning, Netflix released the first 10 episodes of the new animated series Disenchantment. The fantasy series comes from creator Matt Groening (The Simpsons, Futurama) and follows the misadventures of Princess Bean (Abbi Jacobson, Broad City), a teenager who hates her depressing life in the medieval kingdom of Dreamland. Her mother passed away when she was a child, and her father, King Zog (John DiMaggio, Futurama), has since remarried. He has arranged for Bean to marry a prince from another kingdom in order to secure a political treaty, but Bean wants none of that. She just wants to drink, party, and do whatever she wants to. As the series opens, a demon named Luci (Eric Andre, Man Seeking Woman) attaches itself to Bean as her personal demon and is constantly encouraging her bad behavior. Meanwhile, an elf named Elfo (Nat Faxon, Married, Ben and Kate) is also feeling out of place in his home. He’s sick of eating candy all day and always being happy. He wants to see what it’s like to feel depressed…and he may soon get his wish when he manages to make his way to Dreamland.
The animation style of Disenchantment looks a lot like that of The Simpsons and Futurama. The series also has the same layered site-gag humor, such as the punny shop names throughout the kingdom. There are also some really fun new characters, with familiar voices – both from the voice cast behind Futurama as well as some from talented British comedians. Where this series differs from Matt Groening’s previous work is the tone and structure. The humor is a bit more adult – Bean is constantly getting drunk or high, there is some pretty graphic (though humorous) violence, and there are quite a few sexual jokes or situations. While some of this may go over the heads of younger viewers, the target audience definitely seems to skew older. Also, unlike The Simpsons and Futurama, this series is highly serialized. While Bean, Elfo, and Luci usually have some kind of misadventure or problem of the week, there is a deeper ongoing story arc and character growth that flows from episode to episode, and there are some mysteries set up early on that will hopefully be explained by the end of the season.
Disenchantment is definitely worth checking out for Matt Groening fans. It feels both fun and familiar but also quite different from his previous shows. At San Diego Comic-Con, I participated in a roundtable discussion with series creator Matt Groening and showrunner Josh Weinstein, so if you want more even more information on the series, check out my write-up/audio at NoReruns.net.
Check out Disenchantment now on Netflix!
I’ll also be watching/recording The Great British Baking Show.
