Season Review: ‘Bordertown’ Season One

Why did Bordertown fail?

 

I think Seth MacFarlane has had more shows cancelled on FOX than any other producer I can think of, but this is the first time he’s had an animated comedy last one season (the first incarnation of Family Guy lasted TWO seasons before IT got the ax). Heck, even the constantly skewered The Cleveland Show had four seasons before FOX finally put that show to sleep, and at least THAT show’s got a syndication deal on Adult Swim.

As such, unless if a situation like American Dad! happens where the show gets a new life on another network, Bordertown will be Seth’s first animated blemish on his resume. Even in the UK where, Family Guy is seen as a religion, Bordertown ran for only FIVE EPISODES before TV2 decided to take it off. So, where did this show go wrong?

For my money, the premise was kind of tired after a few episodes. The borderline racially-charged motif has been a staple of American television since The Jeffersons (and probably others, but that’s the one I’m thinking about) and for the most part even Family Guy and South Park had pretty much used up the animated-turf that Bordertown was trying to put more sod on. And quite frankly, I never liked the idea of Hank Azaria and Alex Borstein playing most of the Buckwalds. Not that they aren’t talented, but because Alex and Hank already have shows that they work on (The Simpsons, Family Guy) and I would’ve liked to have seen more creative casting choices.

I’d be curious to see what Mark Hentemann does after this fiasco. This is the second time the show’s creator (the first being 3 South) has had a show cancelled after its first season, but when he works on Family Guy he’s always had good stuff, so hopefully he can do that. As for Seth, I can’t imagine him wanting to produce another animated comedy for FOX, but he very well might.

SCORE
5/10