The Awesomes

I have to admit, I'm unsure who the target audience is, and maybe I'm exactly who it was made for, but I think this is great. As a longtime superhero fan, and a gamer (and admittedly a superhero RPG player), I think they nailed the misfit Hero concept pretty comfortably. I agree with the other review (there's only one at the time I'm writing this) that it could be edgier, and it could probably be made to appeal more broadly (how many viewers have ever participated in a tabletop Superhero themed RPG, really?), but unless it's trying to be, or compete with Family Guy, it's probably OK with what it is.

I can't see the show being around long, which is the biggest reason I didn't give it a higher review. I think it would be a bigger hit if, honestly, there were less focus on Prock, and a decent bit more about each member of the team, and if they could isolate a target audience. That's why Drawn Together worked, despite being seen as crude, sick, stupid, and random (in my unabbreviated opinion). They knew who their audience was.

I hope the writers read this. I would love to see The Awesomes stick around.

It seems that many reviews have been throwing around show titles such as Family Guy, The Simpsons, American Dad, and more. If these are what you are comparing the show to, then yes, you will in fact be disappointed, because it is nothing like those shows, and that is exactly why I love it. I have never liked Family Guy or American Dad, and The Simpsons have their best days behind them. This show how ever picks up where it left off almost every single episode, and that is what I crave. I don't just look for a stream of quick laughs, but rather a compelling story line that isn't afraid to put the time and effort in to earn my laughs. Sorry, but watching a guy hold his knee and go "Ahhh" for two minutes straight just doesn't cut it for me. I need character development, and situational humor, which is exactly what The Awesomes offers. I certainly hope this show lasts a very long time.

Huge SNL fan here, and follower of Mr Meyers, Paula Pell, and their entertaining tweets. You got to give Seth points for taking his comic book love plus our nostalgia for Saturday morning cartoons and cranking it up with clever dialogue and a well rounded cast of characters. C'mon, how many other supergroups have this many female fighters or a hero with mommy issues? Add in some questionable super powers, old lady love, brains, and brawn.... and you get The Awesomes. Even the product placement works --- Kudos to the sponsor for playing along with the gag. Bonus - You'll have fun guessing all the familiar voices. Thank goodness for the 'pause' button! Add in the Ambiguosly Gay Duo, and I'd give it a 10.

The Awesomes is a fun, offbeat take on the superhero genre with a mix of irreverent humor, quirky characters, and engaging storylines. Created by Seth Meyers and Mike Shoemaker, the show balances satire with genuine character development, making it more than just a parody. The voice cast, featuring Meyers, Ike Barinholtz, and Kenan Thompson, brings a lot of charm and energy to the series.

While the animation style is simple and might not appeal to everyone, the writing makes up for it with witty dialogue and creative superhero antics. Some jokes land better than others, and the show takes a little time to find its footing, but overall, it's an enjoyable watch for fans of comedic superhero stories. Not groundbreaking, but definitely a solid and underrated animated series.

The more superhero stories pervade our TVs and movie screens, the more room there is for superhero parodies.

The latest one is created by SNL head writer and comic book geek Seth Meyers who created this show along with his Saturday Night Live cohorts and populated with a cast of mostly SNL talent along with his brother Josh (Mad TV).

The hero, Prock, is a mild-mannered guy who ranks towards the bottom of the barrel of all the world's superheroes (this is a world overwrought with superpowered-humans who are all organized in a full-on bureaucracy that's part of the satire) but has a lot of smarts and when his dad announces his retirement, he goes on to lead a ragtag group of misfits. It's the kind of plot you've seen in all kinds of stuff from "Sky High" to "Mystery Men" to the "Misfits" to a comic book that Taran Killam just wrote.

The show is really clever in the way that I'd expect from an SNL head writer and gets its satirical jabs in where it can get them.

The problem is generally that many of the characters are weak and uninteresting and, well, those characters take up a lot of the screen time. Taran Killam plays a one-note redneck speedster, Keenan Thompson plays a mama's boy who sounds like Kenan Thompson always does, Bobby Lee plays a boy who turns into sumo wrestler. His character being the kid on the team seems like it has some potential to be any sort of character dynamic but it's quickly dropped.

Ike Barinholtz is moderately potential-filled as the sidekick, and a lot of the more interesting characters come from outside the superhero team: Bill Hader as supervillain Malocchio and Josh Meyers as rival Prock.

Interestingly enough, a couple of SNL's writers Emily Spivey and Paula Pell voice characters here. Pell's character is equally one-note with a moderately gross angle about an old woman being sexy and Spivey's character, a super-secretary of sorts with a charming Southern accent named concierge is the kind of character who feels like she belongs in a more well-rounded cast.