The Oblongs

I really thought the Oblongs was a great show that was axed too soon but I can assume that if a show doesn't get the ratings that the network wants then it's more likely than not that the show is going to get cancelled. However I think that the show was canceled for all of the wrong reasons.

I especially enjoyed hearing the children go through all of the their particular issues. Biff and Chip going through their awkward stages of life being conjoined twins. Milo the marginally disturbed middle child who thinks that the world is out to get him and Beth who's socially challenged.

Then there's the parents Pickles the always drunk and chain smoking old hag and Bob the limbless head of the household. Then there's Milo's friends, Jawless Peggy, Neckless Helga and Mikey the kid with the huge butt.

If this is offensive to some people then it's quite possible that the people say this aren't really getting the message of this cartoon. The whole Oblong family is different and that's what makes them special.

"The Oblongs" is a wonderfully done series about a screwed up deformed family. We're not laughing at them, but with them. The characters recognize that they are not perfect and make the most of it. Last nights episode saw Milo striving to fit in and be "cool". Every kid in America has gone through that. Why not make fun of it by using buckets with ham labels on them? This series makes my stomach hurt from laughing for thirty minutes straight! True, the jokes are crude, but that's what makes them funny! I recommend it to anyone who can put aside reality for half an hour and realize that life is hilarious and meant to be laughed at!

"The Oblongs" are so politically incorrect that the show never stood a chance of survival. People oft compare it to "The Simpsons," (same writers and exec producers), but the fact that most of the characters are disfigured was the bullet-in-the-head to the show. With rare exceptions (like the kid in the wheelchair on "Malcolm in the Middle") the US audience doesn't welcome the disabled with open arms. Which is a shame, since they missed out on a clever show -- which is now being prematurely canceled after only 8 of the 13 episodes have aired. The social commentary is subtle but scathing. And the signs that appear on everything are hysterical! Jean Smart is in top form, as always, portraying the "bald-but-beautifully-wigged mother," Pickles, an alcoholic, chain-smoking addict with slightly psychotic tendencies. And son Milo, who the creators wanted to be the new Bart Simpson, could have gotten that honor, had the rest of the clan not been so outlandish. One of only 3 shows that I've held in highest regards this season, I should have known it wouldn't last, since it was scheduled to start in January & was pushed back to April (and my other two favorite shows were already canned, as usual). . .

The oblongs, where do i start? If you have seen the show, you know the basic storyline is about a deformed family living in a toxic filled landscape. Now I am a current watcher of cartoon networks "adult swim" and have found myself looking forward to sundays again because of this programming. 2 weeks ago I saw this show for the first time and I laughed so hard I thought i was seriously going to wet myself. This has all the great makings of a cartoon, rude, funny and the characters are drawn so weird that you cant help to laugh even when they are'nt talking. I was acutally surprised to find out that before this show aired on Cartoon network that it had been on WB and was canceled, I am truly in shock, this could have been the next family guy or simpsons. You know, now that i mention it, this cartoon is very simuliar to an older cartoon called "Duckman". In any case, just alittle interesting note, 13 episodes of this were ever made and from what i understand, only 8 made it to WB, I guess CN is going to show all of them, but currently have no new plans to make anymore (let's pray thus not true), So if you have'nt seen this show and want some good funny stuff, sit down and watch the show. I also suggest you record them on your VCR so you can watch them over and over agian. Give it a fair shake and see what you think. I give it a 9 on the funny scale.

Based around the lives of "the valley" kids, The Oblongs manages to show quite the range of human emotions behind their veil of crude, yet often very clever, jokes. If taken for just the face value, some may see the show as utterly atrocious. Of course, as with similar shows (alright, there's nothing that really comes close to this show, but there are some come within a few miles, such as Family Guy, or in a looser fashion, The Simpsons), taking the jokes at the surface level can leave many offended. These people just shouldn't watch. However, if you have somewhat thick skin, and can take a joke as it is meant, The Oblongs are quite worth it. Their presentation of all facets of life in a removed setting create an image of ourselves that we can laugh at without dwelling on the fact that it is ourselves. So sit back, relax, and prepare to cringe while laughing hysterically.