Birdgirl isn't the first time Cartoon Network has spun-off a series to the chagrin of its fans. The mostly serious superhero TV show Teen Titans had a spinoff called Teen Titans Go, which cut the runtime of episodes in half to better accommodate zoomer attention span and shot most of the continuity of its characters out of a cannon. Unlike Teen Titans, however, Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law was already a sitcom. The legal premise of Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law is gone in Birdgirl, and so are virtually all of the characters. Phil Ken Sebben is "dead" and Judy Ken Sebben is installed by the end of the first episode as the new CEO. Though the quick-thinking animations from the original are here, they don't exactly play to the same note. The interactions between characters are not so memorable as the Peter Potamus "did you get that thing I sent you" one-liner. Still, they touch upon the awkward situations colleagues encounter in a corporate workplace. Instead of the suave pick-up artist Peanut, you get an awkward chatting-up-for-coffee guy whose name I already forgot. Allegedly the show is cancellation-proof because its executive producer, Michael Ouweleen, is also the president of Adult Swim. I'm still watching three episodes in and hopeful that the series can improve. At best, it sometimes conjures up the intentionally stiff humor of its predecessor. At worst, it's Rick and Morty-lite, with none of the cleverness or willingness to push the envelope. I think the series can still succeed, but once the season has run its course, the people behind the show should go to the drawing board and do some more prodding as to its premise. Was Sebben and Sebben's legal division its most successful product, or was the refocus into a company-wide show needed to keep things fresh? We'll have to see.

See other user reviews