The Cleveland Show likely to be cancelled

[minor muppetz]

Allen Gregory was a terrible show. Aside from the ugly character designs and the overuse of pastel colors (way to burn the eyes of everyone watching), none of the characters were remotely likable. We had either oblivious jerks or Deadpan Snarking jerks. it would have worked as a movie, I guess... but everything was completely unlikable, and is considered one of the worst cartoons of all time.

Considering all of the characters were jerks, I should have liked it better. And yet it was hard to get into. I remember when I first heard of the show, when the characters were hosting the sunday night line-up, I wondered if Allen was a kid with an adults voice (like Stewie Griffin) or a really short adult. I think the main reason I kept watching it was because it was on between two shows I did watch and I didn't feel like changing the channel (and even then, I would get online while the TV was on).

 

[Drtooth]

Jerks work comedically if they're either over the top or get their comeuppance. That's why I hate Gordon Ramsy shows but love Fawlty Towers and Chef. It's the same character technically, but something bad always happens to them to balance it out. Everyone was a jerk in that show, especially the ones that were supposed to be sympathetic. I like a good oblivious jerk now and then, but when the other characters are out to destroy him, they come off even worse.

And really... the love affair with the octogenarian principle could have been funny, but they played it for the sickest angle possible. I really expect better from Jonah Hill.

 

[Lola p]

I honestly saw this coming when the show first premiered. I mean, Cleavland was "OK" as a supporting character in FG. On his own? Not so much.

Heck, I'm just kind of going to restate what everyone here has said: It's about time ALL of Seth McFarlane's shows need to end. They're basically beating a dead horse at this point in ANYTHING you do with any of his three shows. Sure, flanderization is common, and it happens to every show, comic, etc, but you know what? Family Guy (And by extension, The Cleavland Show) has to be one of (If not the biggest) case of flanderization I've ever seen. The characters have some sort of Jekyll/Mr. Hyde thing going on. I mean, really. Look at ANY season 1 or 2 episode. Now look at a current episode. The difference is HUGE!

Back to the main subject at hand: Cleveland show. My main issue with the show, like I said above, is that Cleveland works FINE as a supporting character. But as a lead in his own spinoff? I mean, sure he's had character development in the show, but... Enough to get his own spin off? And, yes, I know that most of the show even happening is because of Fox, but... still.

Other things I have issues with: The family. Oh my God, the family. They get on my nerves. So. Much. Donna is a basic expy of Lois, Rallo just seems like a remake of Stewie, and... I don't even know about Roberta. All episodes I've seen with her either have her going out and doing things with her rapper(?) boyfriend, or just being an annoying brat. I mean, I get teenage girls aren't always a ball of sunshine, but the way they have Roberta sometimes just... I don't know. It just rubs me the wrong way. She's obviously not an expy of anyone, I mean, Meg's the butt monkey and Haley's a rebellious young adult hippy. Roberta fits neither of these.

The neighbors also kind of get on my nerves, just not as much. The bear, I think his name's Tim? He had some funny moments, but besides that, I really don't remember too much about him. There's also the short guy, and I guess he's supposed to be, what, a frat boy bachelor? Who lives with his mom? Huh? How do you even work that together? It doesn't even work! The show's trying to make it seem like he's the "Quagmire" of the group, but... It just doesn't work! If anything he seems more like a Joe than anything!

Then, you have the redneck neighbors. These guys also constantly annoy me. The whole "Oh look at me Ima southern redneck stereotype!" Thing got old. Fast. The main guy, Lester, doesn't really bother me too much. Neither does his son. (I've seen 1 episode with him, so I can't really judge) My main issue is with Lester's wife. She is... Insulting. To put it nicely. Her only defining character traits are that she's overweight, and likes food. Seriously. Have any of the scenes we've seen with her gone without making at least one fat or food joke?

Overall, I think the show just has really poor character development and writing. Same goes for Family Guy. They're Bizaro versions of their original season 1 counterparts. Meg is abused way to much, Chris has the intelligence of a sponge, Brain has become a stuck up Holier than thou jerk, Lois has gone from caring and motherly to Peter's level!(Drtooth basically summed Peter up for me.) Stewie, however, has almost shifted character gears. He went form insane and world domination obsessed to a normal, standard jerk.

Overall: I'm happy, as mean as that sounds, that this is ending. It just frees more time up for Axe Cop or Bob's Burger's reruns.

(O_O I just looked at how long this is- Holy Cow)

 

[Drtooth]

Cleveland was such a poorly defined character in the original show. He was the token black guy (voiced by a white guy), and his gag was that he was extremely passive and talked slowly. I'd say that was a smarter choice for a spinoff than Quagmire. That would just be a half hour of rape jokes. The thing about the spinoff is they gave him a personality. Heck, they gave him emotions!

But overall, Cleveland was superior in writing to Family Guy at the time. FG is so popular, you don't even need to write an episode. You just bring your B material, steal movie plotlines, and people will still tune in. Problem with Cleveland is, they clearly knew the end was coming, and the writing got kinda lazy the last season. Which is a shame, since the second season was pretty strong. The majority of the Third season was pretty good. I think their retelling of Die Hard was far better than any of the FG Star Wars specials. Too bad they never got to Die Hard 2. Very disappointed they didn't get that out.

But American Dad is still the champ. The references are brilliantly obscure, they're actually allowed to be playful with the plot and the characters. They did an entire recent episode referencing a play that no one in their demographic would ever see (Vs. obvious movie parodies in the other 2 shows). All the best writers are on that show (two of them used to write for Pepper Ann, you know that's quality). I cannot keep gushing about the Rapture episode or the one where Roger's nice guy personality gets a mind of its own. Those aren't just great episodes of a TV show, they're some of the best written cartoons in American animation. And yet, people go for Family Guy's repetitive humor that alienated the original fanbase.

 

[minor muppetz]

When I first heard that Cleveland was going to get his own spin-off, I thought it was an odd choice. Of course I couldn't see Joe or Quaigmire hold their own spin-offs, either, but as Dr.Tooth said, Cleveland didn't have much personality or even gimmicks on Family Guy. But then he was given more personality on this spin-off, and he is a much better character here.

In fact now that I think about it, after reading a few of the posts above, most of the shows cast outside of Cleveland's new family are not very interesting characters. But most of Cleveland's new family is great (I wish Roberto would be used more... According to TV Tropes Meg and Haylie are used like Brian and Stewie by comparison). Though I prefer Cleveland Jr. in his Family Guy form (maybe that would have gotten old after awhile, but it's still odd he was changed so much.... and on Family Guy he seemed to go the way of Joe's son).

 

[Drtooth]

Though I prefer Cleveland Jr. in his Family Guy form (maybe that would have gotten old after awhile, but it's still odd he was changed so much.... and on Family Guy he seemed to go the way of Joe's son).

There was a scene deleted in Family Guy that explained it. Essentially he overdosed on Ritalin. The bigger mystery is how he gained age. Of course the one thing I think Family Guy has over The Simpsons is that they age the characters. So I'd almost say it's consistent for Cleveland Jr. to be over 13. Of course... negative continuity of the show, Cleveland Jr. basically said in second to last new episode that he wasn't really Cleveland's son. He's actually a spy that had to kill the real Cleveland Jr. to take his identity. But it's never been mentioned before or ever again and it was left to be an ambiguous trick on Rallo.

 

[minor muppetz]

If this show does end, I wonder if Cleveland will return to Family Guy (I'm sure his family would come to the show with him, but I don't think the rest of the shows cast should). It would be awkward if The Cleveland Show ended, Cleveland returned, and then Fox decided to bring it back.

 

[mr3urious]

Well, it's official: Cleveland is cancelled, but all other Fox animated shows have been renewed. Maybe Cleve and his family will return to Quahog?

http://animatedviews.com/2013/the-cleveland-show-officially-cancelled/

 

[charlietheowl]

I was flipping around today and saw a commercial for Fox's lineup tonight which referred to The Cleveland Show's "season finale" as opposed to their "series finale". Perhaps Fox is hoping no one will notice if it doesn't return to the schedule, lol.

 

[Drtooth]

If this show does end, I wonder if Cleveland will return to Family Guy (I'm sure his family would come to the show with him, but I don't think the rest of the shows cast should). It would be awkward if The Cleveland Show ended, Cleveland returned, and then Fox decided to bring it back.

I honestly don't want them to. Cleveland was a superior show, there's no where for the new Cleveland with a personality (or what passes for one) in Family Guy, which is only really good currently when Stewie and Brian go on an adventure. I mean, the show has improved a bit the last season, but Cleveland didn't need to keep the show going by ranting or characters being over the top nasty to each other... FG just has to show up and people will watch. They can do all the tired "Peter is a literal man-child" jokes all they want, and it keeps getting renewed because it's mainstream.

That said, I can't wait for them to screw Bob's Burgers by putting them on at the 7:30 pre-empted by Football slot.