Barnyard - Der tierisch verrückte Bauernhof

If you know anything about Nickelodeon, you should know how much they love SpongeBob, cancelling other show before they even give them a chance. They were good shows, but there was one show that was PHENOMENAL. It was called, "Back at the barnyard".

This show's origin goes back to 2006. There was this movie called barnyard. The movie had the characters from the show fighting off coyotes that killed the leader of the barnyard. The movie was a bomb, but it managed to spawn a show, this show was in a different tone than the movie, fancying slapstick humor over a coming-of-age story. On paper, this shouldn't have worked, but I'm so glad it did.

The show follows the adventures of Otis the bull and his friends. These adventures range from building a sphinx and babysitting a clam to shooting milk at aliens and throwing a birthday for their farmer. What My favorite part is about this series is that you'll never know what's going to happen next. One moment could be having the characters making a bucket of glue, the next they're getting that glue back so it doesn't explode all over the place. We need more shows like that with random humor!

Back at the barnyard is A MASTERPIECE! I'm so sad it only got two seasons, but that's probably a good thing because it wouldn't go into seasonal rot, unlike *cough* SpongeBob *cough*

The Second Steve Oedekerk animated series, 9/10, Otis had an udder

This is a good animated show, It's about the animals on the farm doing stuff when the farmer isn't there, WE KNOW WHAT IT IS

But it's really good.

OK, this isn't Robot Chicken, but it is well written with spot-on pop references and nicely developed characters. Yes, Otis has an udder. No, I don't know why the "totally vegan" farmer keeps a farmyard full of animals (but it's nice to know my little animated friends are safe). The story lines actually keep me guessing, and the CGI is surprisingly sophisticated, especially for a TV show. Watching this show is a little like going to a Bowling for Soup concert - don't go into it expecting a deeply intellectual experience, just prepare for a terrific party!

Nick's new cartoons have been a mixed bag lately, with some uninspired entries (Tak and the Power of Juju) and some terrible ones (The Mighty B). This show is a welcome reminder of just how good Nick can be.

As with Jimmy Neutron and his many specials, Steve Oedekerk shows true and under-appreciated comic genius. There are few as good as Oedekerk and company for satire in a cartoon vein, from The Right Stuff to Ocean's Eleven and everything in between, it's spot on farce. The characters are likable and truly individual. I would like to see more live action ensemble comedies as good as this, but I don't think the talent is out there (at least, not since Caddyshack.) Watch this. It's good for you, and it's good for your kids. Laughter is the best medicine. The most hilarious aspect are the comments of KillerKlownFromUranus above. He sounds exactly like Snotty Boy from the show, almost as if that repulsive, fat, oily, greasy, ignorant, loud mouthed, cowardly, ugly little pus head actually existed in real life. Life does imitate art, sometimes, doesn't it? If you don't like it, don't watch it.

Just last night, I was replying to a thread on the Rockos Modern Life boards about Best and Worst shows on Nickelodean. And I was shocked when there were those who picked this as one of the worst, though not as shocked at how many people picked Avatar:The Last Airbender as one of the worst. Look, Back at the Barnyard is not Nickelodean's best not even close, I would pick Rocko's Modern Life, Ren and Stimpy, Doug and The Angry Beavers over this, but it sure the hell beats ChalkZone, Zoey101 and Rocket Power, and I truly think the gem that was once Spongebob has jumped the shark.

And I will be honest, I think this show is better than the movie. I didn't like the movie really, but despite some predictable moments and some parts where the humour went over my head, Back at the Barnyard isn't bad at all. The animation is colourful and better-modelled this time around, while the music is good too. The writing and humour are random but it is funny, and while the stories have their predictabilities they are at least interesting. The characters are much more likable this time too, and the voice acting I had little problem with either.

Overall, this isn't really a bad show. Not outstanding, but better than people make it out to be. 8/10 Bethany Cox