Daria

It amazing to see what MTV airs now, and to see Daria. Daria is a twisted view of what MTV portrays now: Skinny, white, girls that only talk about fashion, sex, and boys. Daria shows our world through the eyes of a jaded girl who doesn't give a crap for anything.

It is a comedy that, give it time, and you'll be cracking up. Daria's delivery of all her lines is still hilarious today. Quinn's voice might get to you, but soon it doesn't matter. Every character is interesting, and it is just a show. Funny show.

It lost its steam when Daria got a boyfriend, but don't watch those episodes. Just keep to seasons 1-3 and you'll be laughing your ass off.

Most of what should be said about Daria has already been (in previous reviews) so let me just add a few things.

First, contrary to what everyone keeps saying Daria was NOT canceled by MTV. Glenn Eicler, the creator & exec producer, decided to stop at five seasons (actually five 13-episode half seasons & two 90 min episodes). MTV would have ordered a sixth, but he felt the show had run its course. And to MTV's credit they didn't hand the show over to someone else just to try and milk some more money out of it with what would have undoubtedly been inferior episodes.

Not to MTV's credit however, Daria reruns were yanked from the schedule almost immediately after the series finale. I guess its just the nature of the beast. MTV just doesn't 'do' reruns. They're so last season...

What really annoys me though is that they decided to rerun Daria on Noggin', a cable channel which is a joint venture between PBS & Nickelodeon. Nickelodeon is owned by Viacom which also owns MTV. Which means Daria reruns were essentially 'dumped' there (i.e. since they own Noggin' they didn't sell it to them and since Noggin' is non-commercial it isn't generating any revenue for them). A very indignant way to treat a show that was both a critical and ratings success, to essentially treat it as worthless filler material.

And to really add insult to injury Noggin' is absolutely the wrong place for Daria. Yes it features a very smart, semi-realistic, teenage girl lead character, but again contrary to what others have said, Daria is not and never was a show for teenage girls (let alone pre-teens)!! It was always aimed at a 20-something and up audience. And not just female. Its true that most of the main characters were women (and a lot of the male characters had 'interesting' eccentricities) but the show never, EVER pushed any kind of feminist agenda (or any other kind of agenda except for maybe 'damn what others think, just be yourself').

And since Noggin' IS aimed at pre-teen girls Daria episodes have not just been edited, they've been emasculated. They've been stripped of all the adult wit and gritty, biting satire that was the essence of the series. Airing them this way is, IMO, worse than not showing them at all. In fact at least a half dozen episodes are so adult that Noggin' has never shown them. Please, PLEASE Viacom sell the series to Cartoon Network. They'd buy & air it (unedited) in a heartbeat!

If you've never seen Daria I beg you, don't watch it on Noggin'! A few episodes are out on video & DVD (search for 'daria DVD' on eBay).

Daria Morgendorffer gets her own show, after being featured in some of Beavis and Butt-head's episodes. Daria gets a new look and personality. What makes this show so unique is that it focuses on adolescent life seen through the eyes of a teenage girl. What makes her funny is that she communicates with everyone in a sarcastic manner, including her family. She is very unpopular in school whereas her sister, Quinn, tries to be so cute and awards herself too much credit for it. Let's not forget her parents, Jake and Helen. They are the stereotypical career-minded type, enough said. Jane is Daria's best friend who always stands by her through good and bad times. Daria may not be a laugh-a-minute show, but rather a social satire about growing up. If you love Beavis and Butt-Head, then give this one a try.

My evaluation: B+

I'm 34 years old as of this writing, so why do I like this spin-off of Beavis and Butt-head? The sarcasm of Tracy Grandstaff will sting you with laughter, not to mention Miss Morgendorffer's refusal to go along with the "conform-or-die" mentality that's forced upon teenagers, whether it's from her elders, the popular creeps, or the various counter-cultures. Imagine a girl like her in previous decades of teen-dom. Her attitude toward peer pressure is close to the one I had when I was in high school (..and now feel even stronger about), as is her Dad's seething resentment toward the people who robbed him of the "joy of youth."

Long live Daria. If the show doesn't last, may it's legacy do so.

Considering multiple aspects, this is a wonderful show. Every character has a very specific personality, and most all of them actually develop as the show goes on. The humor can be dry, but is incredible if you actually get it. If you were expecting Beavis and Butthead, sorry, you will be disappointed. I've noticed that most of the negative comments talk about how Beavis and Butthead was so much better. I think it can be best said that you have to be able to appreciate intelligent humor to laugh at this. If you think, say, that Jackass is the greatest show ever, then you will most likely hate this.

However, if you like a humorous show that's incredibly well developed for a cartoon (the character development, themes, etc.), then you will enjoy this.