Garfield y sus amigos

Out of the blue this week I found an old tape of Garfield episodes I recorded back when the show played on Nickelodeon. I remembered how much I loved the show back in my childhood (I stopped watching around 12 or 13 due to school), and I watched it all the way through one night. Not only was I not disappointed after all these years, but in some episodes I laughed more than I did when I was a kid. Like The Simpsons and Ren and Stimpy, Garfield and Friends was a cartoon that could appeal to older kids and (some) adults due to its brand of cynicism and sarcasm, and still contained a wholesome, like-able quality for children of all ages. While I wasn't so much a fan of the US Acres shorts (though a few characters, like Sheldon and the duck with the inflatable tube, were always dependable), nearly every one of the old shorts I viewed on the tape were surprisingly good. I'm not too sure if the upcoming film adaptation will do justice to this or to the smart, original comics by Jim Davis, however this series proves that Garfield- brought to life by the recognizable voice of Lorenzo Music- was one of the more accessible cartoons of the late 80's and early to mid 90's. Grade: A

This cartoon is one of my favorites. Not only because of the smart, hungry, talking cat but because of the wide array of secondary characters. I love the fact that it practically parallels the comic. I don't really know how Orson's Farm came about, but i really don't care because it is funny. The good thing about Garfield is that not only is it a great kids show because it ends with a moral or value being taught but it is also ideal for teens due to the fact that his comics are what we grew up with. I love Garfield because he is a teen icon. He eats when he wants, sleeps when he wants and if anybody gives him lip about it he'll let you know.

"Garfield and Friends" is a great show, based on a great comic strip. I just loved how funny, creative and original it was. If I had a disappointment though, and this has been mentioned by many other reviewers, I didn't think the "US Acres" (or "Orson's Farm") segments were as witty or as fun. But there were some fun characters, Wade the Duck was my favourite, and there have been some good moments. But everything else is first rate. The cartoon animation is wonderful, really nice to look at and very colourful. The theme tune is wonderful, and hummable even after a long time. And I love the characters, the lazy Garfield, adorable mischievous Oadie, narcissistic Nermal and goofy Binky The Clown. And the voice work was superb, Lorenzo Music(R.I.P) owned the character of Garfield and part of the reason why I love the show so much. The scripts are dry and witty, full of hilarious asides uttered by Garfield mostly, and the story lines are a lot of fun. In conclusion, this is a great cartoon classic, with something for everyone! 9/10 Bethany Cox

Man do I miss this show. One of the best cartoons ever made! I used to watch this when it was on the air and even after it went off I watched the re-runs until stupid UPN stop showing them in 1997! Great kids show. I actually like the show better then the Garfield comics. The thing that really the show kick off was that Lorenzo Music, aka Carlton the doorman on Rhoda, did the voice of Garfield! He is thee perfect person to do his voice. It was so upsetting when he died. He wasn't in The Garfield Movie and that made it suck not to mention they totally changed Jon in it. I always wanted Odie to talk. Garfield and Nermal can "talk" so why can't Odie? I also liked the barnyard animals. My favorite was Wade, so scared of everything. Poor duck. I wish this show never went off. Why did it? It was so successful. Bring it back! Come on Jim Davis! Bring back Garfield and Friends!

Garfield rocks! I grew up watching this show (and of course, the Christmas special is a MUST every year!) and own several of the Garfield books! Jon is a man forever without a clue about both fashion and ladies (can you blame the women he chased for turning him down?) and Odie was awesome too. I think a lot of us can relate to Garfield: we're crabby, lazy, love lots of food and TV, but underneath most of us have pure hearts of gold.

I LOVED the second theme song! ("We're, we're, ready, ready, to, to PARTY...") The first was pretty cheesy, in my opinion. Anyway, I too loved the Quickies and even the US Acres bits, especially Wade the Duck. ("The bunny rabbits is coming, the bunny rabbits is COMING!) HYSTERICAL! LOVED this show and I wish it was still on the air!