Praise Petey

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.

To start this review I think I have to say I am a huge fan of adult animation, I think if you aren't in to them you won't find this show that good! That being said I always enjoy when cartoons can find there own niche or world building that differentiates them from others. I think this show has done a great job at creating a spot in the animation world. Pretty funny and has up to date cultural references which can help too. I like how the characters interact so far and the actors that play the characters are cool too. Hoping that Hulu will give them at least 1 or 2 more seasons after the current one to give them a chance to really grow into the writing and characters. Overall pretty good show, reminds me a lot of bless the Harts which got unfortunately cancelled.

This show is different but it's so funny! The humor is dry to raunchy humor like a mix of Broad City and Schitts Creek (Annie Murphy is the leading lady's voice). It's the first season of an animated show so the build up is somewhat slow and some jokes didnt land but I was instantly hooked from the first episode because of the storyline. It's different and crossing some borders with making fun of cults and New York's snooty rich people. It's a short 6 episode season and I do hope Freeform gives it a chance to be renewed for a second season. I feel like it has potential to be a good animated comedy show.

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.

There is nothing I love more than an adult cartoon that really understand the animated genre. "Praise Petey" is reminiscent of some of my old faves such as "Clerks: The Animated Series" and "The Critic" in its whip-smart command of the balance between a well-written script and full-tilt visual absurdity. Even with these comparisons, "Praise Petey" is like nothing else on television today. I was a big fan of Anna Drezen's writing during her tenure at SNL and continue to be as her unique voice and perspective come through brilliantly in this series. Not to mention the excellent voice performances from the likes of Annie Murphy, Amy Hill, and of course, my goddess Christine Baranski. "Praise Petey" is a must watch!