Praise Petey

I think PRAISE PETEY is an excellent new addition to the comedic world. The characters are clever, the dialogue very funny, and the concept actually gets at something true to our core as a society. That we are all susceptible in some way to cult-like behavior, and that the need to follow (or be followed) is kind of intrinsic to the way we navigate society. I love the style of the animation, and I think the directing is also delightful. Anna Drezen, who was the head writer for SNL, has brought her very unique voice to this show, and I am desperate for another season to watch how they grow! There's much potential from this writing staff, and this cast of very funny voice actors! Bring on more!!!

The show is about a shy woman named Petey. Her estranged father dies and she inherits a cult. She lost her job and now she has to run it. The show would be fine if it wasn't for the horrible dialogue. Every 5 seconds there has to be a self aware quip. Self aware quips work best when done in moderation. I am being literal when I say this show has them every 5 seconds. In addition to being unfunny, it gives all the characters the same tone of voice. In a well written show, all the characters would talk differently similar to how real people talk differently. If this show didn't have the awful self aware dialoge I would give this show a 7. The art style looks pretty good. The character proportions are more realistic and it doesn't look Family Guy inspired.

My name is Rich Drezen, and before I go any further, yes. I am related to the show's creator. She is my sister. She didn't ask me to write this. She did not ask me to praise the show. She didn't ask me to work on the show, even though I'm a professional cartoonist. I'm glad. The team that was put together knocked it out of the park.

I fell in love with the show even before seeing what the characters looked like or knowing what the premise was. Annie Murphy alone was worth the price of admission, and although she's well known for her role of Alexis Rose in Schitt's Creek, her voice explores the dynamic of a spoiled rich kid with such dimension that I grew to believe in what the character stood for immediately.

Every single one of the supporting cast is a home run. John Cho especially gives a dynamite performance as Bandit, Petey's recurring frenemy. Amy Hill and Christine Baranski are icing on the cake as Mae Mae and Petey's mom respectively.

Having known my sister her entire life, you'd think I'd know everything there is to know about her, and you'd be wrong. Knowing my sister's sensibilities about the world she sees with her eyes, this show has allowed me to get to know my sister in ways that go beyond conversation. I'm not even referring to personal stuff, I'm referring to observations about people, values, traditions, and other quirks about this crazy world we live in. In the pilot episode: Ed, Edd and Eddy fans may appreciate Petey's boyfriend, Brian, who is actually a wooden board.

The team assembled for this show has succeeded, I feel, in creating a show for everyone. While admittedly it is bittersweet that this show premiered during the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, it's encouraging that creativity is alive and well and thriving. I am hopeful that the strikers get a much better deal than that they've been dealt. That notwithstanding, go watch the show and form your own opinions.

It's an interesting concept that gives a lot of room for creativity. It's dark and weird and still holds onto some sense of morality while also keeping things light enough for humor. A very odd mix but it's well crafted. The episodes so far are thoughtful and have kept me paying attention but not overly complex where I feel like I have to pay too much attention to details. Some good sight gags. The art style is decent. The character design is a bit nothing though, not too distinct or interesting. I think they could have gone to the drawing board again and came up with something better. But part of me believes that is something that works for me, they don't have too many silly outlandish figures that have to be explained away or require effort to ignore like a talking animal character for example. I'm a few episodes in and I'm interested enough to keep watching. Will see how it progresses.(I wrote this before I finished watching the 4th episode, there was a talking dog for no apparent reason, not sure how I feel about this now)

Don't take this show so seriously. It's chaotic, excellently casted, and the art isn't awful like so many of these types of shows. The writing is genuinely clever and satirical. It's a fun romp with a unique story: a city girl inherits a small town with a twist. Lots of self-aware and purposefully ham-fisted commentary on society and cliche shows. The art is legit cute, with more varied movements than similar pop-up shows. The characters are a lot of fun, and played very well. The colors are interested and the character, clothing, and setting design keep the eye busy. Anyway, I don't have much else to say. Here are some words. Enjoy them. I love you, bye.