Harvey, o Advogado

I first came across Birdman while on holiday in Majorca when I was 13. I remember vividly watching it with these 2 hot German twins and laughing whenever he shouted 'Bi-ii-irdMAN'. It was really, really corny. But this was back in the day when Cartoon Network didn't have much to show other than the really old-fashioned 1960's and 70's stuff. The last thing I ever imagined is that Birdman would come back in the 21st century to be re-invented as Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law at the Sebben and Sebben law firm.

He's a bit of a dunderhead. And a bighead and a sociophobe and rude but you can't help but love him. Avenger is still his sidekick (only cuter than he was previously) and his boss is Phil Ken Sebben, a one-eyed ladies man. Among the various, random people who work for the firm are Peanut (a Birdman wannabe), Peter Potamus, Reducto and a big cuddly bear who always seems to be smiling (and applauding all on his own at inappropriate moments). My fave character has to be Judge Mentok the Mindtaker (OOOOO-EEEEEE-OOOOOO-EEEEEE!!!!), he just really, really funny.

Harvey's typical cases involve him defending the likes of Shaggy and Scooby, Fred Flintstone, Boo-Boo and George Jetson. Getting in the way of cases going smoothly are and abundance of rapid-fire jokes that come at you from all angles and will probably disorientate you if you're not sure where they're coming from. Sometimes you might have to watch an episode twice as the the dialogue is usually delivered very quickly and you might lose your place among the cryptic references and wildly outlandish humor.

In truth, it's a show for Adults. Even though the jokes are only mildly suggestive there is no way a child could fully understand everything that is going on unless they are an uber-uber-geek. This is a show made for people who love stuff like Family Guy, not Spongebob Squarepants.

Oh, and I love that theme song. They must release some kind of soundtrack CD for this show. Why? Because Mentok WILLS it so!

I was a huge fan of Space Ghost Coast to Coast when it was introduced back in 1994 (it has lost a lot since 2000). It was hilarious to see these 60's characters making references to their past incarnations (which were awful) and how they made fun of them. It was great to see Space Ghost believe he was greater than he actually was. I consider this aspect and the idea of the talk show with live action stars to be not only creative but also one of the most original and funny concepts ever.

Now we have Harvey Birdman, based on the same principle as Space Ghost C to C, but expanding on the "let's make fun of all the crappy Hanna Barbera animations of the 60's" concept, which is simply great.

The series were introduced in 2001 when Cartoon Network launched Adult Swim, but after a few episodes it disappeared. Thankfully, it wasn't because of low ratings but because they were making more episodes, and each one is even funnier than the one before.

The constant reference to old cartoons and characters is just amazingly funny and, contrary to what some people have posted here, I am well under thirty but I have seen all the re- runs from the original shows in CN, so I believe that it has a larger audience than some people give it credit for.

All the characters are great, starting with Birdman himself. I just finished watching one where the judge is Mentok. That character is hilarious. He is constantly trying to show how great his mental control powers are. It's crazy.

If somebody hasn't seen it yet, please give it a try. Cartoon Network has probably one of the funniest lineups with shows like this and Family Guy, all great and edgy animated sitcoms.

For some reason, I loved this show from the first episode I saw. It is so interesting to see how many old Hanna-Barbera characters are getting in trouble with the law, and they need Harvey Birdman to bail them out! I remember one episode where Shaggy and Scooby-Doo get arrested for driving under the influence of marijuana and Birdman represents them. Of course, Birdman and his clients win in the end. Scrappy-Doo then makes a brief appearance at the end, but is then lifted up and carried away by Birdman's falcon sidekick. I thought "Goodbye Scrappy...and good riddance!"

To close off, here's a message to the show's creators. How about some new episodes?

Another member of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, it features Harvey Birdman, former crime-fighter and now super hero lawyer; Avenger, his trusted falcon aid and typist; and Peanut, his multi-talented and borderline psychotic legal secretary.

Parodying many famous cartoon characters (Scooby Doo, the Superfriends, Fred Flintstone, among others) the humor is off-beat, hip and often surprisingly subtle.

Main-stream sitcom fans probably won't get it, but those with a taste for the eclectic or the campy will end up laughing out loud.

I'll admit not everything on adult swim tickles my fancy. I first stumbled upon it with friends on a Friday night in a hazy state of mind half way through an episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force. We believed to be a genuine cartoon and laughed hysterically. Needless to say the next week, stone cold sober, meatwad didn't quite have the same appeal. Harvey Birdman Attorney At Law, however, is downright hilarious. It has underhanded satire similar to a 'Family Guy' flashback. I believe this type of camp, sarcastic, pop humor only appeals to a limited audience, however if you don't find at least portions of this show amusing or clever then you're an empty cold shell of a human being.

The great appeal of the show is the cameo appearances of your favorite childhood cartoon stars. I guess I love to see Harvey Birdman ruin that childhood image. As I write this I picture the Jetsons overnight struggle to get to Harvey's desk without the aid of their futuristic travelators, half way through their plight Astro collapses and pleads with the rest of the family to go on without him. Besides, who doesn't want to see Shaggy and Scooby get busted? Hauled to jail because of the damning evidence in the Mystery Machine of empty pizza boxes and clips? Harvey Birdman Attorney at Law is definitely the best thing on adult swim, my only complaint is the episodes aren't long enough and it's not on DVD yet.