Season Review: Housebroken Season One

 

 

Over the last few years, Fox has turned a corner when it comes to adult animation. Aside from bringing back the iconic Animation Domination Sunday night line-up, the network has invested in a collection of new animated titles. Each newly released series has been given more and more opportunities to succeed. That is until it came to releasing Housebroken.

It is safe to say that Fox didn’t have as much faith in this project about talking animals as it did for its other new franchises.  The Great North, Bless the Harts, and Duncanville all followed the same formula that has brought the network success in the past. Those shows each featured a family of cooky characters getting into thematic antics much to the same method The Simpsons developed decades ago.  

By premise alone, Housebroken is unlike anything ever attempted on Animation Domination before. Not that a talking dog is an original concept for an animated series. And the fact that the whole show would feature a collection of animals in therapy was not even the gamble.  

No, Housebroken is the first animated Fox show to jump on the train of serialized storytelling. Instead of resetting the show to a status quo at the end of each episode, as has been practised for decades, Housebroken would tell ongoing stories. Much to the same tune being utilized on streaming shows like Big Mouth.

It was evident from day one that Fox was uncertain of how fans would react to the relatively untested concept. For one, Housebroken had its premiere at the end of May when every mainstay franchise of Animation Domination annually wraps up. Where other new shows had the privilege of sharing a timeslot beside the flagship Simpsons, Housebroken was left to hope that Duncanville could draw in a crowd.

Probably the biggest challenge of finding viewers was Housebroken didn’t even get a Sunday night timeslot. The new Monday Animation Domination was not where fans typically searched for exciting new programs. In fact, for my local listings, Housebroken was hidden between old repeats of Mad About You and Seinfeld. 

Truly, expectations for Housebroken were low. Not just for the network but for the potential fans. Thankfully, the new series did have a few draws to make it a little more intriguing.  

The cast of animals is voiced by an incredible team of voiceover artists. Headlined by Lisa Kudrow, the ensemble cast is loaded with talented comedians. In their own right, Will Forte, Nat Faxon, Clea DuVall, Sam Richardson, and Jason Mantzoukas are all hilarious. And the list of guest stars helps to elevate things further with celebrities like Anna Farris, Ken Jeong, Nicole Byer, and Ben Schwartz.

Beyond a great cast, Housebroken did offer unique and relevant themes. Mental health is breaking through stigmas currently, and having a show centralized around group therapy is timely and much needed. But the show would cover a plethora of modern-day problems, including adultery, depression, and diversity.

Unfortunately, you would not know how complex and layered this series would be after watching the pilot episode. “Who’s a Good Girl?” succeeded in introducing its characters. However, the entire piece was saturated with predictable animal puns. Though in hindsight, it is evident that this was done to appease potential investors, and the series quickly finds its footing in the follow-up episodes.

It only takes a few episodes to get hooked on this series. Not only are there larger arcing plots that span the entire series, but there are also many others sprinkled throughout. Any of them could range from one episode, three, half, or even an entire season. And each unique character is put into a situation fitting for them and more ridiculous than the last. Whether it is a tortoise in a love triangle with the love of his life and a shoe or how one dog overreacts to Fourth of July fireworks, there is always something going on.

Housebroken takes the binge-worthy animated sitcom to a different level. Shows like Rick and Morty tamper with it lightly throughout their run.  Big Mouth goes all in and follows the misadventures of pubescent teens through their daily lives. Where Housebroken works progressively with large and small parts, much like in the real world.

The multiple layers help the show paint larger pictures. The main character, Honey, faces adulterous temptations all throughout the first season. Her uncertainty is toyed with in every episode until it finally climaxes in the two-part season finale. 

Additionally, that tortoise that is horny for a shoe is more than a one-off joke, but the theme is built upon raising the stakes further and further until a significant conclusion.

Needless to say, Housebroken exceeds expectations. Maybe it is not the next mega-hit to take over the world of adult animation. Still, it did deserve better treatment than airing during the offseason during television’s quietest night.

Truthfully, Fox’s Animation Domination is not the best place for a serialized show such as this.  Housebroken will likely find its audience once it is released in full on one of the primary streaming services. Audiences need to binge through the entire season to get the whole experience. It does not fit in with the Family Guy crowd, where fans can tune in regardless of whether they have kept up with the show or not.

Thankfully, Housebroken will have its chance. With a renewal for a second season, the network will see how well the show performs as a collective season and how that will generate new viewership. Additionally, the series will be able to expand on its original formula and make something new and exciting that much better.

The mixed reviews of Housebroken that are currently out there are understandable. This series attempts to do things a little differently, and for some, that take a learning curve and investment. However, it is a show worth putting the time into; a few episodes can change how you understand and receive the storytelling. Hopefully, more people will catch on that this is a remarkable cartoon that happens to feature some great talking animals with mental health issues.