Review: Corner Gas “Bone Dry”

It is the official return of what is arguably the greatest sitcom to come out of Canada.  Corner Gas, which ran for an impressive six seasons, and even has its own feature film, makes an animated comeback 14 years after its original debut.

Corner Gas features a middle of nowhere small town in Saskatchewan, Canada- if you have ever been to Saskatchewan, you know it is, in fact, the middle of nowhere.  The premise of the show follows the locals of Dog River as they try to entertain themselves and everyone is in everybody else’s business. The original series won multiple awards and aired in 26 countries, easily making it one of the most successful sitcoms to come from the Great White North.

There has been a lot of hype leading to the premiere of the new Corner Gas animated series.  The new sitcom boasts the entire cast returning to reprise their original roles.  Fans got their first look at the animated Dog River during this year’s Super Bowl and had been counting down the days to the premiere since.  Nobody has been anticipating the release more than show creator and star Brent Leroy who says, “I am very, very, very excited. That’s three “verys,” so you know I mean business.”

“It’s been over two years in the making, and I couldn’t be more proud of the funny, colourful world we call CORNER GAS ANIMATED,” said Leroy in a release.  “Nor could I be any more excited to finally turn it loose into the homes of comedy fans across the nation (and perhaps, beyond)…”

So, with all of the experience, credentials, and hype, how did the first episode of Corner Gas Animated hold up?

Overview:

The series opens with life in Dog River as we have come to know it- with everyone bored out of their minds.  However, things shake up quickly as the titular gas station runs out of gas. Brent’s father, Oscar, is quick to remind his son that without gas, he is just running a station.  Oscar decides to teach Brent a lesson on responsibility, by way of stealing all of the food from Corner Gas.  The town falls into a panic and soon all of the local business’s sell out of food.

The locals take things into their own hands as Wanda and Hank decide to make their own fuel out of fermented cabbage- what could go wrong?  And, Ruby Café owner, Lacey takes the opportunity to bring some new flavours and culture to Dog River by cooking up some quinoa and Osso Bucco.  The show ends the only way it could; someone has to make a trip to the city to get some food and gas.

Our Take:

Honestly, Corner Gas Animated surprises just like Corner Gas did all of those years ago.  When you read the premise of a comedy sitcom based on nowhere, Saskatchewan, it doesn’t sound like an enjoyable ride.  However, 14 years ago audiences fell in love with the premise instantly, and have enjoyed the ride ever since.  The same goes for the animated series; my first thoughts were “why would they animate a show where not much happens?” But, again, they pull it off by raising the bar and bringing the comedy that won us over, to begin with.

I heavily appreciate the effort that has gone into lifting the comedy for an animated media.  Some things can be done with animation that was unrealistic with live action television.  Corner Gas Animated delivered in the first episode with Mad Max references and Sgt. Davis making out with a badger.

I am happy to say that Corner Gas is still relevant, witty, and seemingly bottomless when it comes to ideas.  I wanted to make the easy quip about the first episode being “out of gas”, but the truth is their tank is full.  We can all look forward to laughing at the Dog River locals commentary on life and culture once more.  This was a promising kick-off to, hopefully, yet another, long run.