Father of the Pride (2004–2005) User Reviews

Probably one of the most underrated animated shows from the recent years

[Rectangular_businessman · 7/10 · 18 January 2007]

"Father of the Pride" was another of those good shows which unfortunately didn't last very much. And that is pretty sad, specially considering that worst shows are still on air (Like for example, 2Jersey Shore")

I admit that are many similarities between "Father of the Pride" and "The Simpsons", but despite those similarities, the show have it own merits. While the animation is just decent without being incredible, the characters from this show are likable enough to make this a worth-watching experience.

The jokes were effective and funny, and even when the humor from this series isn't the most original thing in the world, this series is still something very amusing and interesting to watch. I just understand why it gets so much hate.

Brought me back to network TV

[Kazriko · 8/10 · 19 October 2004]

At least for a half hour a week. I haven't been interested in anything on the big 3 networks (ABC/CBS/NBC) in years. All of the lions are interesting, although Larry can get annoying at times. I really like the Middle earth action figures they bring in with Hunter. Most of the other characters are interesting as well. The sideshow of Siegfried and Roy is entertaining at times, too. The animation is top notch, and definitely the best CG that has been done on a weekly TV show. Usually when they hire big names to star in a show, they're trying to hide a poor script or characters. Not entirely true in this show though, There's a couple characters that were weak and improved by the voice acting, but overall the characters stand on their own.

This is definitely for 16 and up. There's nothing here that most kids haven't already heard before though, and most of the jokes would probably just fly right over their heads. It's definitely not as crude and edgy as South Park, but does bring some of the same "Bash everyone" feel to it. One example is that it makes fun of both Dick Cheney and Barbara Streisand at the same time in one episode.

Father of the Pride and other Dreamworks productions like Shrek also feel like the spiritual successors of Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, and Freakazoid. It's the same type of humor grown up. It may not be as witty as Spielberg's classic TV series, but it's still good.

I hope that it finishes this season off well, and is renewed for future seasons. Otherwise I may never find a reason to watch the big 3 again.

Good Show!

[Scrugulus · 7/10 · 17 February 2006]

I don't know why some people criticise that show so much.

It is a great, funny show - probably not the right material for mainstream prime-time, but still...

The family dynamics are funny, and all in all the same you see in most comedy shows. The supporting characters are absolutely hilarious. The plots of the individual episodes and the frequent Siegfried & Roy jibes are only just above average, but ever so often you have sub-plots or one-liners that make you roll on the floor laughing.

This show was well worth the 8 Pounds I paid for it.

rating: 8/10

NBC = Nothing But Crap

[thulium-1 · 1 February 2005]

Let me see if i got this straight... Father Of The Pride Airs, but then a month later, it gets canned so that "The Biggest Loser" can air for 90 mins. Then after more than a month, Father Of The Pride" gets put back on. & in 2 weeks, airs the last 5 episodes, only to cancel the show due to low ratings, leaving 2 episodes un-aired... Who was the fool at NBC who is responsible for this? How can you remove a series to air another series, then cancel series due to low ratings? Were you trying to use Father of The Pride to sell The Biggest Loser? Whats the real story for a 90 min series about fat people losing weight? who ever heard of a 90min series? But then again, what can you expect. This is NBC, the same network who canned Baywatch. One of the most popular shows on the planet. I guess this is what happens when Network Exces hire relatives. One last note to Dreamworks: Don't give up on the show! Market it to other networks, don't let the fools at NBC Kill FOTP! a show should run at least 1 full season before being canned. & NBC didn't even give you that. please reconsider!

Fine Satire Cartoon

[brooklyn-schuster · 7/10 · 8 December 2007]

Father of the pride is a pleasant surprise: It is funny, witty and features some great voice acting. The show is about the family of a Lion who is acting as the attraction of Siegfried & Roy shows. Indeed all of them are stereotypes but that's what makes them so funny. FOTP is not a kiddie-cartoon it includes some crude adult humor but in a very mild way. It is full of popculture references and celebrity cameos and most of them are very well executed. I'd say I'll give the show a 7 out of ten because it is nice fairly well executed but not very original, I've seen most of those stereotypes many times before, even in that particular order!

Great show

[pgear83 · 10/10 · 14 June 2005]

Father of the Pride was the best new show to hit television since Family Guy. It was yet another masterpiece from the talented people at Dreamworks Animation. Like The Simpsons, the show centers around a nuclear family (of white lions, in this case). It also contains many memorable supporting characters including Roger the surly orangutan, Vincent the Italian-American flamingo, the eccentric white tigers Blake and Victoria, the faux patriotic Snout Brothers and Chutney the elephant. The other stars of the show are the Sigfreid and Roy. They are incredibly eccentric and do everything in a grandiose manner, making the most mundane activities entertaining. The combination of cute animal characters with very adult dialog and controversial issues (drugs, prejudice, etc) is the source of the program's brilliance.

The blame for this show's failure lies with NBC. They opted to broadcast the episodes in no particular order (perhaps being influenced by which guest stars they could promote) rather than the more logical production order. Several times, the show was preempted for an extra half-hour of such dreck as The Biggest Loser (as if 60 minutes of that was not enough)! It is indeed an ill omen for the future of television as art if an original and daring show like this fails while Fear Factor and American Idol dominate.

Luckily, the complete series was released on DVD and the show now has an opportunity to gain a larger following. 10/10

Made TV worth watching for at least a little while...

[stripeymaney · 10/10 · 14 June 2005]

I had watched as much of the series as I could manage to watch on television, but unfortunately, started a job that got me working evenings. I managed to catch some recordings of it, at least... and, of course, purchased the recently released DVD of the complete series. Watching the DVD, you can see that the animation was a bit more crude at first, but they ironed out a fair number of the flaws after the pilot was done. The voices are well suited to the characters, and the writing is excellent. It's rather refreshing to see animation getting back to it's roots by reintroducing adult themes. Thing is, with the way society has come in the last century, you need to be a bit more blatant about it by today's standards in order to be recognised as an adult-oriented show. The characters have very realistic personalities and are placed in situations that parallel what we often face in real life. It's your typical sitcom in that regard, but the humor is more like what you'd expect from late night television like a talk show skit or Saturday Night Live... back when SNL was actually funny. Good job, Dreamworks. Perhaps you need to work with one of the more liberal networks to keep this series going... and also improve the marketing of merchandise for the series to help defray it's high costs. It's a challenge to do this for a cartoon of a mature nature though. Hmm...

Mediocre

[Josephpr1990 · 2/10 · 3 May 2023]

I used to watch this 2000s American adult animated TV sitcom when I was a teenager. It was shown on Sky 1 (now Sky Showcase) and RTÉ 2 in the middle of the 2000s. I thought I found it very entertaining and funny but it's not really good as the other American adult TV animated sitcoms such as The Simpsons and Family Guy. It's kinda mediocre. It's probably one of worst 2000s cartoons of all time.

At least the voice acting is kinda decent like John Goodman.

I used to have it on DVD when I was a teenager but I decided to get rid of it years ago.

Thankfully it has been cancelled due to its negative reviews and I'm sure it will never be on telly again.

I am not going to watch this again ever.

Roar

[rbnlrk · 9/10 · 29 May 2022]

This would had been an classic cartoon TV show for 18 and up if only the Siegfried and Roy tragedy did not happen. This is about a lion family and their neighbourhood friends that makes classic parodies and sketches, as there are loads of cameos and pop culture references that are dated, not known for us Europeans but at times they are hilarous. Go get this on DVD if you love 2000s furry movie comedies and the boat load of streaming adult comedies these days.

Watch One Episode and You'll Understand Why It Cancelled

[Smitteh · 1/10 · 7 May 2010]

The animation is subpar and story lines and "humor" are predictable and stale. The main character of "Father of the Pride" is presented as the stereotypical Hollywood interpretation of the middle-class, lazy, dufus, husband/father. Most higher-thinking audiences have tired of the clichéd idiot male whose main goals in life are to drink beer and sleep. The writers' attempt to inject this otherwise clichéd character into Vegas as a lion in the Sigfreid and Roy act, to me, just doesn't work. An animated Married With Children or Rosanne is how I would best describe the humor. I gave this show a chance: I watched every episode of FOP and didn't crack a smile let alone a chuckle. For reference purposes, sitcoms I personally find funny are Seinfeld (Seasons 3 and later), The Office (Seasons 1 thru 6), and Scrubs. I'm surprised FOP made it past the 2nd episode. The animation is lackluster at best and comes across as 2-dimensional even on a high-def television. And I'm not exactly sure how they accomplished this but the voices/audio just don't seem to be in synch or don't mesh with the motion of the characters. The whole production just seems forced and unfunny. Sorry

Nice

[Wassup2 · 1 September 2004]

From what I've seen this is a good show. I was dying of laughter at what was happening. John Goodman once again proves that he is great at comedy. Cheryl Hines as his wife has a great personality that works well with Goodman's which will help the show. Carl Reiner as the father-in-law definitely stands out with his wisdom and sarcastic wit. I know this episode was before Roy Horn's unfortunate accident, but I think that they might enjoy this show. I know that the critics have been giving this show a hard time, but who cares about what they think. Can't wait for the episode that is coming up that features Eddie Murphy guest starring as Donkey.

Simply mind-blowing

[igornovikov · 10/10 · 1 September 2004]

One word: suPURRRRb! I don't think I have see anything like this in a long time on network or cable television. Watching this show was like taking a breath of fresh air amid TV schedule filled with reality shows and boring re-runs.

I have to say I had my reservations. After all, critics were almost unanimous in crying foul and downgrading the show. But when half an hour was over (by the way, thank you, NBC, for running a commercial-free show), I was left with the feeling of instant love, love at first glance, the true love that one feels in his guts. Everything about this show screamed EXCELLENCE.

Graphics in this show were at least as good as Finding Nemo and Shrek. No small feat considering those movies took years to be developed.

Cast was marvelous. I am partial to John Goodman's voice, but the rest of the team certainly were on par with John. Special mention: Lisa Kudrow's guest appearance. She was on top of the game creating neurotic, pudgy, and lovable panda with a Jewish streak in her. (Panda from Brooklyn? Only in this show.)

Script was funny, with a lot of inside and adult jokes which were sharp, yet not tacky. A note for all parents: this is NOT for children. This show was never advertised as such, and there's a reason why it's set for 9PM, not 8PM. So if you'd like to complain about "objectionable context", save your breath. Adults deserve a comedy made just for them, and Father of the Pride is it.

Not everything was perfect. I was a bit puzzled by Siegfried and Roy's characters. Do I sense "stereotype" when it comes to them? Yes, they are gay. Yes, they are flamboyant. Yes, they speak with German accents. But that's yesterday's news. Give us something new, something fresh, something funny. Putting the old jokes in a new show is definitely the wrong approach. I understand that the creators of this show wanted to use the "star power" that these guys have. That's fine by me. But please don't dwell on something everybody already knows by heart. Hopefully, the rest of the show is not going to play the same old record over and over.

In general, the show is definitely a Must-See-TV. Funny, witty, with a few unexpected twists here and there -- there haven't been a comedy this good since Seinfeld. I am certainly looking forward to the next episode.

I really really wish it had been continued.

[mauhyr · 9/10 · 31 October 2006]

I never saw it on TV but rented the DVD through Netflix as soon as I found that it was available. I had high expectations, and was not disappointed. It's funny, and the animation is excellent. That level of quality I would only have expected from feature films, so I'm surprised at some of the bad comments on it. Maybe the DVD release had improved animation? One bonus to the DVD is that it was fun to see both versions of the pilot. I'm an adult, and I really appreciate that it is for adults. It isn't only kids who like cute animated characters. It is nowhere near "raunchy" as some have claimed, but I can see where some parents wouldn't want their young children to see it. I'm very disappointed that it was cancelled. I wish they would produce more episodes. Or perhaps a movie.

A copy of ''The Simpsons''

[moviemaniac008 · 3/10 · 19 October 2008]

It was 9:30 PM last night at my friend's camping trailer and we were so hyped to watch South Park (a new episode). The thing is, in my country, South Park airs at 10:30 PM and we decided to kill time by watching the show now airing, Father of the Pride. I'll start by saying that I have only watched to episodes. The first time I watched it, I found it unfunny and crude for nothing, so I thought ''Holy sh*t, I have a football game early tomorrow, so I have to stop watching stupid cartoons''. But yesterday, I tried to give Father of the Pride a second chance. I find that it's a complete rip-off of The Simpsons, only replacing yellow human characters by lions instead.

The second thing is I wonder why it got it's TV-14 rating. I find The Simpsons a lot more vulgar, and the only real vulgarity in this show is a few homosexual (unfunny) jokes. The Simpsons is also a lot more violent (Halloween specials) and crude. I also heard that the creator of the series has also directed Shrek 2, well I've got news for him: Shrek 2 was way better and I think he stayed too much in the family thematic. However, I must admit that Father of the Pride did make me smile (even burst out laughing once) three or four times.

All in all, I don't mind Father of the Pride. I don't hate it, but I don't like either. I've seen way better from ''The Simpsons''.

3.5/10

As Good as Family Guy

[dan-lach · 10/10 · 21 January 2021]

If you enjoy Seth Macfarlane's type of humour you will love this. A real hidden gem, certainly hilarious, off colour and non PC. Not for kids. Trust me, you will not be disappointed. Seek this out.

Forced, unfunny and predictable- sadly a failure

[TheLittleSongbird · 1/10 · 23 January 2011]

I really wanted to like Father of the Pride, as it did have an interesting premise. Sadly, the show doesn't live up that premise, in fact sorry but I found this show painful to watch. I had mixed feelings on the animation, the colours were alright, same with the backgrounds, but the character designs were often blocky. I wasn't that receptive to the music either, it was decent enough I suppose but it was forgettable too sadly. The real disappointments though were in the writing, humour and stories. The writing was very unfunny and forced, while most of the jokes fell flat. The stories were repetitive and predictable and while the characters had their moments they are in general badly written and unlikeable. The voice acting is okay at best, some of it is expressive but some doesn't fit with the characters. It also doesn't help that the lip movements range from just adequate to disastrous. All, had potential, but sorry it wasn't my cup of tea. 1/10 Bethany Cox

Hilarious!

[kim-343 · 28 December 2004]

I absolutely love FOP! Any show that can make me laugh for 30 minutes is priceless. I do watch it with the closed captioning so I can catch all the little jokes. Siegfried and Roy can be hard to understand. But, when you can understand them they are hilarious!

I don't know anybody who could watch the scene with Kate and Larry high on catnip and not laugh uncontrollably. Or the episode when Hunter went berserk after discovering his inner warrior, hanging poor little Snack from the back of his door.

The first episode was a bit of a snooze, which may be why it is doing poorly in the ratings. I highly recommend everyone give it another chance.

i like it

[toonlets · 17 October 2004]

I just started watching this show, and I think it's pretty funny. The animation is nothing to get excited about, but it's satisfactory. Personally, I think the writing is snappy, a bit edgy, amusingly crude at times, and absurd. If you're looking for family entertainment you're going to be disappointed, but if you're looking for slightly more adult oriented satire, I think FATHER OF THE PRIDE is good stuff. My favorite parts generally involve Siegfried and Roy, their extremely pampered outlook on the world, and the ridiculous situations they get themselves in. My feeling is that DreamWorks animation, in general, writes more for a grown animation audience and in that, it risks alienating those who still believe animation is only for kids. Seeing Sieg and Roy mock Dick "The Chainsaw" Cheney and "douchy" Al Gore, watching them speed off on their Segways, or turn a Big Gulp dispenser into a Las Vegas extravaganza is funny stuff. If you're 16 or older and like your humor sarcastic, give FATHER OF THE PRIDE a chance. It's got some really good moments.

Excellent

[whochoseiki · 9 November 2004]

I have seen every episode of this show and every one of them is hilarious. The cast is amazing, and star studded. I especially love the Sigfried and Roy characters, who are always soo funny. It's like the Lion King meets Las Vegas. I can't see how this show won't go on to have many seasons. I am very impressed with this show's humour, it's characters, and most of all, the pixar-style animation which I so dearly love.

The whole show pleases me to no end. I wish it all the best in the future. I hope audiences find and love this rare gem of an adult cartoon.

Loved It!

[jerisummers · 6 September 2004]

I thought it was funny and will be waiting for the next episode! Sure it has some adult humor and sarcasm, but it's an adult oriented animated show! I love it that S & R are willing to allow the writers to poke a little fun at them and give them kudos for being good sports! Shrek had similar humor (doesn't anyone remember Donkey's dream?) and I'm sure the uptight right was offended by that too. Bottom line, don't like it, change the channel, but don't try to get it canceled and ruin it for those of us who do like it and can appreciate tongue-in-cheek humor and fantastic animation! Please keep making this series! I loved it! I can't wait to see what new characters are introduced next! By the way, there really is an elephant with a bird living in his enclosure in S & R's Secret Garden animal sanctuary!

It's Better than People Tell Me

[alex_scales5 · 13 October 2004]

So, I'll be as honest as a taxi driver. I never saw the first two episodes of this show, and I have no idea what they where about. But darn it, I've seen every episode from 3 till 6, so I'll pretend I know all about the series!

Let's face it, sure, it's not the funniest show on earth. But I hear nothing but negative reviews about the show, and I'm still completely baffeled as to why that is. I mean, one review I saw was written before the writer even saw the show! How in the world can you hate a show before you even see it? Impossible! (Unless it's MTV, of course) I especially have no idea why NBC green-lit this show, my guess being their executives thought "Darn that cartoon network and their ratings! We need an adult oriented cartoon! .... And someone get me a new reality series." But instead they got Father of the Pride, which I'm thankful for since to be honest, it isn't at all that bad! ..oh, and I can't stand reality shows.

But, come ON. The show has plenty of funny moments, and to me feels like The

Simpsons meet Dinosaurs! I mean, come on, I've never watched NBC before, and now I have a reason to. I'm not saying the series is gold, but heck, the movie has all sorts of hilarious references, and the episode where Larry and Kate do Catnip was fine! Even if the show isn't to your liking, you have to respect the awesome animation. Done by Dreamworks (Hey, I bet you didn't know that!), the animation is top-notch and to my understanding where very expensive (1.9 million per episode?), so you really can't say it's a waste of time. So, give the show a chance. If you don't like it, fine, but there's a hundred worse shows that need to go first. Like Veronica Mars!

Hilarious, but not for kiddies. I still like it though ^.^

[BlazeFox · 13 November 2004]

Father of The Pride is the creation of Dreamworks, the same people behind Shrek. But FoTP is no children's show. Its an edgey, irreverent animated comedy meant for an audience mature enough to understand it, this is why its on at a late spot. Even though there are only a handful of episodes I put this up there with the likes of The Simpsons, Dinosaurs (jim henson creation w/ a Homer-ish T-rex, his family live in the great continent "Pangea"), Family Guy and other such satires. This show speaks to many audiences; ravers, music/movie buffs, furries and just about anyone seeking a good chuckle.

My two favorite episodes are "Nip Heads," where Larry and his wife Kate find "nip" (their version of weed) in their daughter Sierra's room. They ground her, she sneaks away, they think she went to a rave so they go and she's not even there. Larry and Kate eat a nip necklace they picked up at the rave not knowing what it was. They get blitz'd and make complete arses of themselves while Sierra is trying to have an interview with a teacher from the school for the gifted.

Kate: Your father and I were very furried about you. *giggles* Hey Larry, check it out, I just said furried.

Larry: Heh, furried... That's awesome... umm, who are you? *makes cross-eyed face*

(a definite nod to those of us in the fur fandom, who incidentally, make up the most of the fanbase for this show and other anthro-animal related programs =P)

The nip turns out to be the grandfather's and of course Sierra feels alienated by her parents not trusting her in the first place when she told them it wasn't her's.

The second one that I really enjoyed was the episode where Hunter locked himself in the bathroom and is being ansgty (depressed), Sierra runs to the living room to tell her parents "Maaaaawwwwm! Hunter's listening to Tori Amos in the bathtub again **cut to Hunter singing along to "Silent All These Years"** The Grandfather then responds "Are we still pretending he's not gay?" The Grand-pappy lion then takes it upon himself to straighten the kid up, so he takes him out to the forest with his "tribe" to hunt elk. (kinda like the Simpsons eppie where Homer tries to make Bart shoot a dear to prove he's not homosexual)

I thought that was cute, I am male Tori fan, and yes. I am gay =P Trent Reznor and Tori should hook up.

There is also another ep in which the Shrek Donkey (who is a big celebrity to them) comes to town to shoot a commercial. Larry thinks that if he can get the celeb to come to Hunter's show and tell it will impress him. He accidentally kidnaps Donkey's very gay sounding stunt-double. VERY VERY FUNNY!!!!

Don't watch this show unless you've got a TOLERANT sense of humor. Otherwise you will just end up hating it like all the other "liberal" television shows people like to bash, like Will & Grace and Queer as Folk. And for those who say Dreamworks shouldn't have made an adult humored show fearing they will mistake it for "wholesome" Shrek, FoTP was on at a time most of you put your kids to bed. And even still there is the V-Chip, try looking at the little rating in the corner of your TV, OKAY???

-Kitsune =^.^=

Father of my Heart!

[mwc993 · 17 June 2005]

This show was the best. Although it has been canceled due to low ratings and Roy's very unfortunate accident, the show is out now everywhere on DVD. It contains all the episodes and never before seen episodes. About the show itself, I have to say I love it. It has all types of humor and every character I find hilarious. My favorite must be Larry and Hunter. Those two really crack me up. The whole cast is wonderful and I personally saw this show making it as a "green Light" show. I think it was mainly based on the fact that for being NBC's near most expensive show to run, they didn't put any money or time into it's advertising. If they did that the show might still be on. Anyways, buy the DVD and trust me on it, it is worth it. So with that, I bid you all a good day. Father of the Pride ROCKS!

One of my favorite shows of 2004!

[SonicStuart · 5 January 2005]

Father of the Pride was one of the most funniest shows of 2004! This show was made by DreamWorks Animation and the same people who did Shrek! This CGI-animated series is about a The show stars Larry (voiced by John Goodman), a hard-working white lion in the revue with his wife Kate (voiced by Cheryl Hines), a white lioness. Sarmoti (voiced by Carl Reiner), another white lion who is Kate's father - and Larry's father-in-law - clashes with Larry on every subject imaginable. Rounding out the group is Snack (voiced by Orlando Jones, the guy from the old 7-UP ads), a mischievous gopher and Larry's best friend. I first heard about this show when I was reading The Kansas City Star newspaper (this article was back in late 2003 or early 2004) and I saw this article about this series and that it was coming to NBC, Fall 2004. When the show debuted in late August 2004, it got off to a good start with strong ratings. The ratings continued to show good promise for the show through early September 2004, until the ratings started to rapidly decline. The show faced more trouble when it was pulled from November 2004 sweeps, undoubtedly signaling the end was near. In early December 2004, Jeffrey Katzenberg, DreamWorks Animation CEO and show creator, announced that the show was canceled. A few of the remaining episodes were burned off in late December 2004. This show also had special voice acting appearances by Eddie Murphy, Danny DeVito, Christina Applegate, Lisa Kudrow, Andy Richter, Wendie Malick, David Spade, Jennifer Coolidge, Tress MacNeille, John DiMaggio and Greg Cipes. But sadly NBC canceled! But who knows? It might get picked up my the FOX Network since that network is better at holding on to adult animated shows.

User Rating: 10/10

BOTTOM LINE: BRILLIANT!

Very funny!

[grantk · 23 September 2004]

Yes, it is lowest common denominator humor. It is DEFINITELY not for kids. But it is still funny! I like the characters and there are several funny jokes on each show. "It may be 9 o'clock Eastern, but here it's Mountin' time"...No show is for everybody, but this one is funny. They follow the standards for family sitcoms, with a large father who wants to do the best for his kids, a mom trying to keep everyone happy, a smart-alec teenage girl and a peksy little brother. Many inter-species relationships are hinted at (or discussed openly), that if you really dissected it would probably disturb you, but if you treat it lightly as they seem to intend, it is just good fun.