By Erik Luna
Fox’s new animated series “Allen Gregory” has brought a darker sophisticated humor to the network’s bland and repetative repertoire.
“Allen Gregory,” the brainchild of Jonah Hill, Andrew Mogel and Jarrad Paul deals with a pretentious young elementary school child named Allen Gregory DeLongpre. Gregory, voiced by Hill, is forced to go to a regular elementary school with ordinary children because of the recession.
His parents, Richard and his life partner Jeremy, are upper class men who spoil their young son. They also adopt a young girl from Cambodia named Julie, who they treat rather poorly. Gregory starts his first day at his new school and is immediately a social outcast. He doesn’t know how to deal with his new situation because he had been brought up with home schooling.
French Stuart, who is most remembered for his role as Harry Solomon in “3rd Rock from the Sun,” voices Allen Gregory’s father Richard De Longpre. Along with Allen Gregory, Richard are both full of themselves and treat others as if they are below them.
This even includes Richard’s life partner Jeremy, voiced by Nat Faxon who voices Raymond the Bear on “The Cleveland Show.” Richard and Allen Gregory both talk down to Jeremy and say horrible things to him, yet it’s some how funny.
The show, which aired on Fox’s “Animation Domination” last Sunday, broke walls at Fox as its first animated series having an openly gay couple lead the show. The show debuted during Fox’s annual Halloween special, putting the show up against Fox’s stable of popular shows, “The Simpsons,” “Family Guy” and “The Cleveland Show.”
“Allen Gregory” is actually quite different from the other cartoons on “Animation Domination.” It’s more sophisticated and targeted on a different age group than Fox’s other top shows. Its dark and pretentious jokes can take a bit to get used to, but it’s funny nonetheless.
The creators of the show have taken a dramatic turn in making this animated series, keeping the characters as lifelike as possible. Hill’s portrayal as Gregory is hilarious and yet it makes you want to hate his guts. It’s an interesting approach to an animated series. It shows how difficult it is getting accustomed to a new culture, although in a humorous way.
Time will only tell if “Allen Gregory” can break free from the shadow that “The Simpsons,” and “Family Guy” cast. “Allen Gregory” airs on Sunday at 8:30 p.m. on Fox.
very well put 🙂