The Awesomes

The more superhero stories pervade our TVs and movie screens, the more room there is for superhero parodies.

The latest one is created by SNL head writer and comic book geek Seth Meyers who created this show along with his Saturday Night Live cohorts and populated with a cast of mostly SNL talent along with his brother Josh (Mad TV).

The hero, Prock, is a mild-mannered guy who ranks towards the bottom of the barrel of all the world's superheroes (this is a world overwrought with superpowered-humans who are all organized in a full-on bureaucracy that's part of the satire) but has a lot of smarts and when his dad announces his retirement, he goes on to lead a ragtag group of misfits. It's the kind of plot you've seen in all kinds of stuff from "Sky High" to "Mystery Men" to the "Misfits" to a comic book that Taran Killam just wrote.

The show is really clever in the way that I'd expect from an SNL head writer and gets its satirical jabs in where it can get them.

The problem is generally that many of the characters are weak and uninteresting and, well, those characters take up a lot of the screen time. Taran Killam plays a one-note redneck speedster, Keenan Thompson plays a mama's boy who sounds like Kenan Thompson always does, Bobby Lee plays a boy who turns into sumo wrestler. His character being the kid on the team seems like it has some potential to be any sort of character dynamic but it's quickly dropped.

Ike Barinholtz is moderately potential-filled as the sidekick, and a lot of the more interesting characters come from outside the superhero team: Bill Hader as supervillain Malocchio and Josh Meyers as rival Prock.

Interestingly enough, a couple of SNL's writers Emily Spivey and Paula Pell voice characters here. Pell's character is equally one-note with a moderately gross angle about an old woman being sexy and Spivey's character, a super-secretary of sorts with a charming Southern accent named concierge is the kind of character who feels like she belongs in a more well-rounded cast.

The Awesomes are great! I don't know why but, people who tend to write negative reviews about shows are often sad little people who are disappointed that their favorite shows are no longer interesting or a pale imitations of themselves. Well, my thoughts are don't take issue with something new because your old dried up crusty shows haven't covered the same topics the new shows are covering. Comparing this to Family Guy is so embarrassing because they really have nothing in common besides writers named Seth, former cast members of Mad TV and being animated sitcoms. No the fact is that the show lacks a lot in common with many of these shows the other reviewers have mentioned, so if I were you, I'd disregard sad old men who can't make an objective analysis of new shows because they're still stuck on shows that have lost their mojo or been canceled. The Awesomes are actually quite addictive. I think the fact that the show focused a good amount of time of some the formation process of the team and its rivals, is something you don't often see but, they have fun in the process. Many of the other shows often, have awkward or unexplained transitions that further their plots, The Awesomes plot is generally revealed in more naturally textured plot lines that mirror funny, yet, exaggerated real life situations. The show isn't exactly predictable, if you ask me but, it does maintain a certain level of character structure that keeps each character from just spitting out random jokes that don't suit the personalities built into the show. Altogether The Awesomes manage a good balance of animated and superhero surrealism, comedic quality and actual characters that aren't being offered by many shows that readily change the characters up just to fit whatever jokes pop into the writers heads.

I created an IMDb account for the sole reason of voicing my opinion about this show. To be blunt, this series is only 3 episodes in, and I'm loving it. As the only other review so far on IMDb points out, this isn't Family Guy, The Simpsons, or American Dad w/ super powers... and that's a good thing. Here's why.

I enjoy shows like the ones I just mentioned, but very rarely do you find a show like this, with the courage to propose continuity without taking itself too seriously. This show isn't cynical of it's world or it's audience, and it's frankly refreshing to find a superhero comedy that isn't willing to sacrifice it's characters just for the quickest low-brow guhawf.

The Awesomes is very earnest in it's desire to present an new Super Hero comedy that isn't dark or gritty, but also isn't an acidic parody of the genre. So far it surprises with it's general lack of foulness, and isn't willing to compromise it's vision by catering to the lowest common denominator. I say give it a watch and here's hoping this show will get the audience it deserves, as well as keep away from compromising creator vision, which would be awesome!

Just got into it 6/22/2018 and i hate that it ends after 30 episodes, this show should at least get 100 episodes its humor is so funny and i love how the cast is a mix of my favorite SNL and MadTV Cast Members PLEASE BRING THIS AWESOME SHOW BACK

• Adam Lally Aka Dudja Aka SmokeyMcPot420

The Awesomes is a fun, offbeat take on the superhero genre with a mix of irreverent humor, quirky characters, and engaging storylines. Created by Seth Meyers and Mike Shoemaker, the show balances satire with genuine character development, making it more than just a parody. The voice cast, featuring Meyers, Ike Barinholtz, and Kenan Thompson, brings a lot of charm and energy to the series.

While the animation style is simple and might not appeal to everyone, the writing makes up for it with witty dialogue and creative superhero antics. Some jokes land better than others, and the show takes a little time to find its footing, but overall, it's an enjoyable watch for fans of comedic superhero stories. Not groundbreaking, but definitely a solid and underrated animated series.