1 Season Wonder - God, The Devil and Bob

Welcome to 1 Season Wonder, a segment of Maroon Mondays. Here's how it goes.
I scour across the Internet and find TV shows with only 1 season, watch them, see if I enjoyed them, talk about them here and put them in a list of 1-Season Wonders. It sounds easy as it looks, right? No, you actually have to find these shows, watch through them hoping they're not as painful as they were the first time, and debate with yourself to see if it makes the list. If that sounds challenging and you want it that way, then let's do it.

During the late 90s and early 2000s, NBC was the number 1 broadcast network in America. Almost all of its programs were huge hits in the ratings-- including ER, Seinfeld, Friends, Frasier, The West Wing, Will & Grace and Law & Order. Some of their sports programming included basketball, baseball, and hockey, bringing in big ratings and big money to the network. But even the Peacock Network had low- and middle-rated shows that were either cancelled or lucky to have another season, and even then it would be cancelled. One of the former was a show so controversial because of its content and humor that many religious groups were so up in arms, that they boycotted NBC and wanted it dead. Oh, and it's a cartoon.
Here it is, God and the Devil hanging out and betting if Earth is good enough to be saved. Then they meet Bob. Blasphemy, huh? It's--well--God, the Devil and Bob.

The story is simple: God doesn't like the direction Earth is going and wants to destroy it. The Devil hears about this plan, and jumps on board. But God makes an ultimatum: Choose a random citizen to see if Earth is okay to save. If he/she fails, goodbye Earth. Devil accepts. So who's the person they choose? Bob Allman, a drinking, smoking, soft porn watching married man from Detroit. It's pretty much said much easier than done.




I don't think of the show as that blasphemous as the Christian groups perceive it to be. Besides the fact that God and Satan are major characters with their backgrounds and stories in the forefront, there is nothing else wrong with this show. It's not meant for families, it's for adults, as if the intro alone wouldn't tell you enough.

The show features the voices of James Garner as God, Alan Cumming as the Devil,
It's edgy, but not really edgy. The Bible and demon jokes are there but it's not as provacative as Family Guy, American Dad, South Park or even 90s era The Simpsons. And speaking of Family Guy, I want to make a counterargument that Family Guy does even worse with its jokes on religion. But it premiered a year later, got cancelled itself twice (but only because of ratings) and no matter how hard they try, the groups just can't get it killed, because it's still on the air.

I think it's sad that it didn't at least another season, but for story reasons, it makes sense. Continuing the show with the storyline that God and the Devil deliberating whether Bob can save Earth would've dragged and gotten old. So thank (you know) we haven't reached that.

What I love about the show is how ambitious it with its premise. It really is groundbreaking in the 90s for a show like this to even exist. If it was made in the last decade, let alone today, it would probably be another Animation Domination or Adult Swim show. No one would bat an eye. Some of the characters are hilarious, especially the Devil. And I will watch and re-watch over and over if I had to.

You can find the series on YouTube and DVD.

Well, thank you for joining me here on 1 Season Wonder. See you next time when I might find another show to review. That is if the pageviews sustain.


Later! Until next time, but until then, keep your television shows close and the pieces of crap closer.