Dilbert

I once said that Futurama is my favourite cartoon. I stand by that, but Dilbert comes a very close second. The eclectic range of characters, from Dilbert himself, to his Machiavellian roommate Dogbert, to Wally, a leech disguised as a human being, to Asok, the put upon intern, to Alice, the feminist engineer with no feminism about her to Loud Howard, the man with the mouth. Above all this you have the wisdom of the Pointy-Haired Boss, and the truly evil whims of Catbert.

I cannot insist how good this show is, only that every time the Boss says something, or Asok is placed in a position of misfortune or Loud Howard claims to know something, you find your find yourself laughing. Take a look for yourself.

The show was a non stop laugh riot, much like the comic strip. The show perfectly captured the spirit of the comic strip, which is why it was so good. Unfortunately, the show got axed and taken off the air. Despite what people who didn't like the show would say, it was not cancelled because of the writing. Lousy programming is what really did the show in. When U.P.N. moved the series to that terrible time slot for it's second season, ratings dropped hard and fast. The show really was worth watching.

The attractiveness and charm of the Dilbert comic lies in the ability of the white collar masses to relate to everything that goes on. As absurd as Dilbert's life at work is, it's often not far from the truth.

That said, it made a very amusing and underrated animated TV show. The people chosen to do voice overs for the characters were absolutely perfect: I can think of nobody better to voice the pointy haired boss than Larry Miller.

It seems that most people have a love/hate relationship with this series. I suspect that there is something lost between the comic strip and the show: most of the fans of the comic strip like it because they can relate to it, not because it's universally entertaining, like Popeye or Peanuts. That said, the movie is almost never as good as the book, so many people may feel the same in this case. For years, I hated the Dilbert comic strip. But after I finished college and got a white collar job very much like Dilbert's, in an office very much like the one on the comic, I finally "got it" and haven't stopped laughing.

The show was perhaps meant to be a bit more mainstream? Who knows. I thought it was very entertaining and deserved a longer life than it got.

This is a great, hilarious riot of an animated series. It's a shame that it got canceled after only two seasons, though. That's mighty unfair, I think. Although I don't have a lot of things in common with my father, one thing I do have in common with him is that I often love the same movies/TV shows he does - Clint Eastwood movies (he likes the westerns while I like his more modern-day urban stuff like "Dirty Harry"), "The Simpsons," "Family Guy," "King of the Hill," and this show are a few examples. "Dilbert," based on the popular satirical comic strip by Scott Adams, centers on the titular character, a stereotypical office drone and his bizarre and/or annoying co-workers. This same set-up may or may not have been influenced the popular comic strip "Milton," which in turn inspired the cult Mike Judge movie "Office Space" (1999). Have a laugh on "Dilbert." You won't regret it.

Dilbert, the animated series, easily lives up to all expectations having come from the most popular comic strip in the world.

Unlike most TV shows, animated or live action, Dilbert actually got better as it went on. It started out good, and became great. It has the same witty 'water-cooler' humor as the comic strip, as well as the traditional 'zaney' antics that most cartoons feature. Although it can be most appreciated by those who have either been a cubical worker, or have close friends or family that were, this show is just as entertaining to those who do not understand what the phrase "ISO 9000" means.

This show could have, and should have, been a long running and successful animated series, just like the comic strip. However, it did not get national exposure (they didn't even air it in Saint Louis--I saw it for the first time in Chicago), and was never picked up by any major networks until Comedy Central featured it late in their Sunday night lineup for a few months. If the show had gotten a decent time-slot on a major network, and had actually been advertised....I think it could have continued on for many years to come.

Hopefully it will make a comeback. Its easily one of the funniest shows ever made.