Season Review: Jeff Dunham’s The Cars That Drove Us Season One
Overview (Spoilers Below):
Jeff Dunham explores the history of the iconic automobiles from his own collection. Joined by his puppets, Dunham covers the untold stories behind cars like the Vector, DeLorean, Trans Am, and Corvette.
Our Take:
Jeff Dunham has been widely known for pushing the boundaries of comedy through his distinctive puppets and topics, making him one of the most well-known comedians to step foot on stage. But there’s actually one side of him that we didn’t know about until now: he’s also a massive fan of automobiles. This is evident in the latest documentary miniseries on Discovery, which features Dunham taking his comedic skills from the stage to the driver’s seat as he explores the vehicles he has collected. Whether they’re current, old, or even out of the ordinary, these cars shape the world we live in, leaving their marks on the road in real life and even on the screen.
I was only familiar with Jeff Dunham through word of mouth about his brand of humor, yet I haven’t seen a single one of his performances. Given that he is not holding back on specific topics or his puppets, it leaves me wondering why I haven’t done so. This made The Cars That Drove Us my first exposure to the comedian, which piqued my curiosity about his approach to the format, despite my lack of interest in vehicular history. While I do occasionally admire the cars’ designs, I honestly don’t have the patience to learn every detail about their origins. Thankfully for me, The Cars That Drove Us managed to retain my interest throughout its seasonal run, not just for the episode choices but also for Jeff Dunham’s charismatic narration, which carries its basic documentary format.
However, those hoping to see Dunham’s adult-rated nature shine in the vehicle-based series would likely be disappointed with its tone. Unlike Dunham’s stand-up performances, The Cars That Drove Us was designed to reach a broader audience, particularly those who aren’t old enough for his characters’ raunchiness. As for his puppet allies, they only appear during the intro sequences and the stop-motion segments highlighting specific vehicular facts in a humorous, light-hearted manner. Luckily for them, the stop-motion animation for these segments was pretty solid in capturing the puppets’ designs and the series’s humor. Besides that, it’s just Jeff Dunham hogging the spotlight, which is good enough to inject some fun and interest into the show’s vehicular education.
Jeff Dunham’s The Cars That Drove Us was an interesting change of pace for the well-known comedian. While not as wild and immature as Dunham’s inappropriate ventriloquist acts, it’s a light-hearted, well-paced approach to the standard documentary format that respectfully introduces the comedian to a young audience. More importantly, it surprisingly sparked my interest in the vehicles it offered, especially those that made an impact on cinema, such as the Batmobile and the DeLorean. I was concerned that I wouldn’t be engaged in the miniseries, given my lack of experience with cars. Fortunately, I started to come around after the first two episodes, thanks to Dunham’s electrifying narration, visual gags, and pacing. It certainly makes me want to buy one of its vehicles myself. That is, if I have the money to afford it.
