Space Ghost Coast to Coast (1993–2011)

Once upon a time Space Ghost was a superhero but when he got into his 40's things didn't come as easily and retirement beckoned. Wishing to stay in the public eye, Space Ghost started his own talk show, broadcasting from deep space. With his former nemesis Zorak as co-presenter and super villain Moltar as director, Space Ghost interviews celebrities in the studio and via video link to earth. Of course, his is not the tightest show doing the rounds but at least it is rarely dull.

adult swim used to be an occasional pleasure for me because the only times I would get to dip into it would be during trips to the US (and I rarely could stay up that late so it was literally a case of dipping into it). Recently though it has arrived in the UK thanks to Bravo and I have had more of an opportunity to watch. In some ways this is good because I have discovered how brilliant ATHF is but the downside is that the shows that worked as a novelty value were suddenly exposed as not being quite as good as my very occasional dip suggested they were. Space Ghost was one of these casualties as it becomes evident quickly that the show doesn't vary a huge amount. This doesn't necessarily mean it will be a problem but in the case of Space Ghost it seemed to stutter along rather than flow, with too many pauses without laughs and too little action.

The show does have a certain charm to it but I found it to be too lacking in ideas to really make me watch it consistently. The guests should be the thing that makes the show different episode to episode and provide the energy but mostly they seem separated from the animated characters and rarely do they fit in. It is a shame because I do like the weird style this has in the same way as I like it in Harvey Birdman; the difference is that Birdman (itself not perfect) has a flow, an energy and enough going on to be more than just a novelty, with Space Ghost I'm sorry to say I do not think that is the case.

Different then and occasionally imaginative and funny but overall Space Ghost is a bit too aimless and ambling to really make me want to do more than just occasionally dip into it for the novelty value.