The Great North should be the flagship cartoon of Fox’s Sunday lineup
With Family Guy moving to Wednesdays, this cozy sitcom deserves the top spot in the network's “Animation Domination” slate
TV Features The Great North
Fox officially had too many adult-animated sitcoms for its regular Sunday night “Animation Domination” lineup to handle. Relative newcomer Krapopolis and actual newcomer Grimsburg have joined The Simpsons, Bob’s Burgers, and The Great North on Sundays. And Family Guy is getting bumped to Wednesdays, a night it can call its own, far from The Simpsons’ big shadow. This all gives Bob’s Burgers a chance to recenter itself as the top-tier animated show on the network that evening, which is well-deserved. But there’s actually a show in that night’s lineup that deserves it more: The Great North.
The series, created by Regular Show writer Minty Lewis and Bob’s Burgers veterans Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin, has been quietly trucking along on Fox’s Sundays for three seasons now—a fourth kicked off on January 7—and (brace yourself for a hot take) has frequently been funnier and more endearing than its more high-profile sister shows.
The Great North has obvious Bob’s Burgers DNA, but one could argue that has more to do with the tradition of American sitcoms (wacky family in a specific place/situation) than anything else. It centers on the Tobin family in the remote town of Lone Moose, Alaska, led by Nick Offerman’s Beef Tobin—a fisherman who takes care of his four children while dealing with a deep well of trauma from his own tumultuous upbringing and the sudden departure of his terrible ex-wife Kathleen. (She abandoned the family before the events of the show.)
The Tobin family includes Jenny Slate’s Judy (a free-spirited and feminist teen girl who has imaginary conversations with Alanis Morissette), Paul Rust’s Ham (who is gay and just a little dopey), Will Forte’s Wolf (an adult who is definitely dopey), Aparna Nancherla’s Moon (a 10-year-old boy who is very confident in his survival skills and always wears a bear costume), and Dulcé Solan’s Honeybee (Wolf’s wife who moved to Lone Moose from Fresno).
It’s a standard wacky sitcom family, albeit one that is lovingly fleshed out and feels like a proper ensemble, but one of the smartest choices in The Great North is that Beef doesn’t lovingly tolerate his family (like Bob) or actively harm them (like Homer). He just supports them all unconditionally, even though he’s a competent outdoorsman and they’re all generally artsy weirdos.
This helps make The Great North feel wonderfully cozy, which suits its chilly Alaska setting. It also quietly makes the whole thing just a bit profound, especially in comparison to some of its contemporaries, since every member of the Tobin family—to a varying degree—was traumatized by the behavior of the kids’ mother. The show can get away with some dark jokes about sad things that happened to the family, but it’s okay because they’re all clearly fine, have dealt with it, and have come together stronger and more deeply bonded.
And, of course, it is also very funny and often wildly creative. There’s an episode where the family gets trapped inside during a snowstorm and immediately has to resort to an emergency set of cabin fever plans to stay separated and not drive each other crazy, which eventually leads to a ridiculous courtroom sequence after someone breaks Beef’s prized Enough Said DVD in half. Another episode involves the town running an emergency drill based around a hypothetical dinosaur attack. It’s sort of a Parks & Recreation-style heightened universe, but the only thing grounding it in reality is the lower 48 states that you rarely see or hear about.
The Great North is a perfect show to relax to, much more than The Simpsons (which tends to be kind of in-your-face and plot-y these days) or Bob’s Burgers (which can turn aggravating when the kids act too much like kids, or when they do too many episodes about … whichever of the kids is your personal least favorite). It’s not that the Bob’s Burgers or Simpsons approach is bad, it’s just not new anymore.
We’ve seen them before because both of those shows have been on for a long time (Bob’s Burger’s premiered more than a decade ago, and The Simpsons is old enough to have given birth to Bob’s Burgers). The Great North is new and fresh and hilarious and lovely, Fox should be holding it up as the flagship show of the Sunday night block to encourage people who may be sick of the Animation Domination vibe to give it a chance. Then, when everyone’s used to it in 10 years and The Simpsons is approaching season 50, some new show can come along and revitalize the whole Sunday lineup all over again.
42 Comments
I don’t hate this article (I do actually think The Great North is probably the best of Fox’s Sunday lineup, and the fact it had to wait until January to premiere was a travesty), but I don’t think it will ever be the “flagship” show, if you define it as the show that leads off the night. That will always be The Simpsons, sitting there in the 8/7c spot.
Love The Great North and hope it doesn’t go away anytime soon, but agree that it doesn’t quite seem like a flagship show. “That will always be The Simpsons”Ugh. Always? Please put The Simpsons in a quiet nursing home for aging animated TV shows already, if anything just to free up some of those funds to spend on even more animated shows that could produce a proper successor. As for Krapopolis — not particularly impressed with that one so far.
I’m not wild about modern Simpsons (although I’m not one of those who’s “Anything after season 8 is garbage”, and I do enjoy some of the modern ones that could hang with the early work), but The Simpsons has the politician stance when it comes to Sunday. They may not be doing as much anymore, but they’ll always get the vote of confidence from the people (the people in this case being Fox executives).Krapopolis, I don’t hate, but this is not Dan Harmon’s best work. I’m going to give Grimsburg a few episodes, but boy it should not have gotten a renewal before it aired. I wouldn’t be shocked if Grimsburg eventually got the 6:30 slot of death.
I don’t think Fox is hurting for funds to make new animated shows given that they literally have too many to air on a single night anymore. They greenlit THREE SEASONS of Krapopolis before the first episode even aired. That is not the action of a network that’s strapped for cartoon money.
Quality aside, The Simpsons is one of the most popular TV shows in the entire world. It continues to do just fine in the US, but its ratings in many foreign markets are insane. It’s not a drain on Fox’s animation finances; quite the opposite, actually.
Please put The Simpsons in a quiet nursing home for aging animated TV shows already”.Thankyou for not discussing outside network scheduling.
Krapopolis is less than the sum of its parts, so it’s hard for me to diagnose its problem. The voice cast is stacked as fuck. I could listen to Matt Berry and Hannah Waddingham chat with each other about literally anything all day long, and Waddingham’s Deliria in particular is, to steal a phase, the perfect bitch. Plenty of the clever asides work. The writing is fairly intelligent overall. It’s even pulled off two or three moments of legitimate pathos.I’d suggest that its satire’s field of view zooms in and out too frequently and abruptly — especially those wretched and too-on-the-nose ending summations it’s settled upon — but is that really something that can hurt a show like this so badly?
I agree. The Simpsons may not be what it once was, but it will always be the top of the Animation Domination heap.
I bounced off this show after season 2. It’s clever, and kind of funny, but had me looking at my phone much more than Bob’s Burgers or even its sister show Central Park. Great voice acting all around, but it’s too similar in its humor to shows a lot like it to get me invested. Good to hear people are still enjoying it, though.
Central Park is legit bad. Bailed after about 4 episodes. Which was more attention than it deserved.
I mostly didn’t care for its emphasis on breaking into song.
I mean I can’t get enough as Stanley Tucci as a 2 foot tall rich asshole old lady, so maybe I’m biased
I think I lasted the whole first season, but booooy was it a struggle.
Ah, was cute and fun. But it helped that I was living a few blocks from the park at the time, and they did a surprisingly good job of grounding that show in the real space.And I look musicals.
it’s too similar in its humor to shows a lot like it to get me invested.Same. Didn’t dislike it, but felt too similar to Bob’s, but not as good.
I don’t know if Great North has quite surpassed Bob’s Burgers, but I do love them both. It’s an excellent addition to the lineup and a perfect pairing with Bob’s. (I have no interest in Krapopolis or Grimsburg or whatever the hell they’re called, The Simpsons is long past its prime and I detest Family Guy).
Everyone has always tried to get me into Bob’s Burgers, and despite liking almost all of the creative people involved, it’s never really clicked with me.But the Great North definitely has. “Cozy” is exactly the right word here, it’s a very warm show (despite the cold setting). It’s always good for some clever chuckles and usually at least one really laugh out loud moment per episode.
My personal favorite is when Beef’s awkwardness around women comes through, like when he walks a date to her “car”, at which point she remarks “That is a large rock.”
I love Bob’s Burgers. But for two things:1) I’m a little bit oversaturated by hearing H. Jon Benjamin’s voice everywhere.2) Teddy and Bob, but especially Teddy make their own problems. We need more Mort.I’m really happy with The Great North. It’s got the odd-stories storytelling that Bob’s Burgers has. It is a super-inclusive show and has Nick Offerman’s voice; which is like liquid cocaine for me to listen to.
2) Teddy and Bob, but especially Teddy make their own problems. We need more Mort. Looks like working around Andy Kindl;er’s scheduled is as difficult as avoiding H. Jon Benjamin.
I gave this show a few eps and it just never hit for me. I’m not as huge of a fan of most of the voice acting like I am with Bob’s Burgers (there’s that very funny comedian, she just did a funny guest spot in What We Do in the Shadows, but I cannot STAND her voice as a VA).
The first few episodes are very focused on Jenny Slate’s character, but by season 2 it becomes much more of an ensemble show.The VA also suffered a bit in the first season because (I suspect) COVID-19 interfered with table reads and recording sessions.
It’s Aparna Nancherla I just can’t enjoy. It’s better when she does standup and I see her face. Animated…it’s just a voice I’d rather not hear.
Yeah, Moon is my least-favorite character. It feels like it should work — his lack of empathy and inflated sense of self should be okay since he’s the youngest and just a little kid. I think it’s just that Aparna Nancherla is just too good at deadpan, and when it doesn’t come with her face and the adorable set of her jaw it comes through too hard. She was the best thing about Corporate, which was (often) a very good show.
This was the exact reason I never checked out season 2. Maybe I will now.
I never seem to hear or read about it from anyone else, so I suppose I’m in the minority, but I loved Duncanville, and I’m still stewing that Fox canceled it. It legit made me consistently laugh, not just watch with quiet amusement like with most animated sitcoms. In my world I would have promoted the crap out of it and replaced The Simpsons with it.
It was a lot better than most of the newer animated shows they’ve tried out over the years. Duncanville and The Great North are both good then its been a big drop off (jury is still out on Grimsburg)
Duncanville was hilarious and went before its time.
“while dealing with a deep well of trauma”oh phew thank god, the characters have trauma
Its an odd line because the trauma is isolated mostly in the pilot. They had a crazy partying alcoholic mom who cheated on their dad and ran off, but basically every character points out how they’re better off without her around. There’s a few times it comes up like the oldest being sad his mom wasn’t at his wedding even though he didn’t want her there, but its not brought up a ton. The dad is also only a little messed up post divorce, most of his issues are just him being insanely introverted and bad at socializing in all areas.
I kind of like Krapopolis because nothing with Matt Berry and Richard Ayoade could be less than stellar.
Its better than I thought it’d be. Still lots of dumb humor, but some smarter jokes about ancient Greek gods and early human society than I was expecting. Also a far more entertaining family dynamic than other shows like it. I thought it was just going to be solid low-brow stuff all the way through. The voice cast is pretty damn stellar all around, but Matt Berry’s constantly horny but insanely wholesome Mantitaur dad is just amazing. (manticore mixed with centaur)
It’s a lot better than I thought it would be. Matt Berry of course being incredible throughout it. I also like the “world building” of the show – it definitely builds up the supporting cast and I love the whole “Gods being petty” portions.
I’d read so many so-so things about Krapopolis that it lowered my expectations and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoy it. It’s not my favorite but it’s comfortable.
The Great North is my favorite TV show that’s currently airing. I love the twists on the typical sitcom family (single dad, weird/absent mom, gay kid, younger married couple), the Alaska setting, the queer inclusivity. It’s a breath of fresh air.
“In 10 years….” – lol like there will actually be an “In 10 years”- you’re funny
You’re so edgy.
“which can turn aggravating when the kids act too much like kids”….wut?
Don’t get me wrong, The Great North is a solid show but it should have been Bless the Harts. S2 was better than all of Great North’s seasons.
Not always.
Has it improved since the first few episodes?
I love The Great North but Bob’s Burgers, is still successfully reinventing itself. They have experimented a lot over the past two years. Look at last year’s Christmas episode or the episode, The Amazing Rudy. I still think BB is better than TGN.