Moonbeam City
Moonbeam City | |
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Genre | Comedy Adult animation Mystery Science fiction |
Created by | Scott Gairdner |
Directed by | |
Voices of | Rob Lowe Elizabeth Banks Kate Mara Will Forte |
Theme music composer | Night Club |
Opening theme | "Another One" (Instrumental) |
Composer | Night Club |
Country of origin | United States Canada |
Original language | English |
No.of seasons | 1 |
No.of episodes | 10 |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Producers |
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Editors |
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Running time | 22 minutes |
Production companies |
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Original release | |
Network | Comedy Central |
Release | September 16 December 9, 2015 | –
Moonbeam Cityis anadultanimated sitcomthat was created byScott Gairdner,and starred the voices ofElizabeth Banks,Rob Lowe,Kate MaraandWill Forte.It premiered onComedy Centralon September 16, 2015.[1]On March 30, 2016, the series was cancelled after one season.[2]
Characters
[edit]- Dazzle Novak (Rob Lowe): Protagonist and Moonbeam City P.D. detective, despite being especially unqualified for the job due to poor impulse control, horrendous reasoning skills, ridiculous libido, and ego, and (often) even worse aim. He gets sidetracked from assignments to tend to anything he finds far superior. Any success is normally due to luck or the assistance of others (usually his junior partner, Chrysalis). Has an odd talent for invention and design, and is the son of stuntman Razzle Novak. Dazzle's mother died fromcancerwhen he was a child. He has personal animosity towards Rad in his attempts to outdo him as a cop—-even embarrassing him on a personal level.
- Pizzaz Miller (Elizabeth Banks): Police chief, and Dazzle's irascible supervisor. Though she is sometimes at odds with Dazzle due to his shoddy police work and defiance of authority, she fails to harshly discipline him for even the most severe infractions due to an intense mutual attraction and affection between the two.[3]It is later learned that Pizzaz is an heiress (and eventual sole inheritor) to Moonbeam City's founder, laser prospecting mega-millionaire, Vector Azimuth Miller. Pizzaz also has four abusive and conniving sisters: Charisma, Panache, Sophistica, and Accoutrement.[4]When passionate or angry, Pizzaz narrows her eyes and a slanted window blind-like shadow appears over her face and body, regardless of the location and ambient lighting.
- Chrysalis Zirconia Tate[5](Kate Mara): Dazzle's rookie colleague. A former lab tech, Chrysalis is the polar opposite of Dazzle (competent, level-headed, responsible), and often the unintentional victim of his irresponsibility and poor impulse control. Chrysalis' job usually entails the detective work and technical aspects of the job, and she is often blamed by Pizzaz for Dazzle and Rad's inept behavior. Chrysalis is the daughter of eccentric Naval Commander Blade H. Tate.[6]
- Radward "Rad" Cunningham/Manning (born: Gregory Manning) (Will Forte): Dazzle's equally incompetent, yet even stupider childish rival/teammate from Canada[7][8]in the Moonbeam PD. He fears authority more than Dazzle, and is prone to even greater lapses of judgment, usually when trying to outdo or outsmart Dazzle. While initially seeming fierce and threatening in the Pilot episode, Rad is eventually shown to be incredibly cowardly and immature, though not without moments of unexpected (and ill-timed) bravery. The series finale reveals (through Chrysalis' detective work) that Rad is the biological son of the billionaire computer founders of Canadian computer companyFlamingo Computers,but was kidnapped as a toddler by the con artist couple who raised him (he later changes his name to "Radward Manning" to distance himself from them). He has a unique condition called "Mono-Toeism" which causes his right foot to have only one giant toe.[9]He is shown to be very poor as well as perverted.
- Genesis Jones (Scott Gairdner): News anchor who appears in every episode. He often acts as more of a shameless announcer or sensationalist rather than a real journalist.
- Mayor Eo Jaxxon (Powers Boothe): Mayor of Moonbeam City who acts as a lecherous tyrant. He speaks in a slow raspy register. He has an especially dark infatuation with Chief Pizzaz Miller. He uses his authority to continuously threaten to shut down the Police Department, and move the employees into the far more competent and successfulFire Department,to extort Pizzaz into having sex with him. He has afoot fetishand always travels with a pair ofleopards(which he says can tell when people are lying). He has at least one son, who becomes addicted to thedesigner drug"Glitzotrene". His name is a reference to the 1986 short filmCaptain EOand its lead actor, American pop singerMichael Jackson.
Production
[edit]Aparodyof 1980s cop shows such asMiami Vice[10]andCity Hunter[citation needed],the show was sponsored by theCanadian governmentand animated byToronto-based studio Solis Animation usingAdobe After Effectssoftware.Moonbeam Cityfeatured a distinctive 80s-influenced futuristic visual style with heavy use ofneon lighting,inspired by media such asTron;character designs were similar to the style of the artistPatrick Nagelwho famously designed the cover toDuran Duran'sRio (Duran Duran album).[11]Asynthwavesoundtrack was performed byNight Club.[12]
Episodes
[edit]No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | US viewers (millions) |
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1 | "Mall Hath No Fury" | Mark Brooks | Scott Gairdner | September 16, 2015 | 101 | 0.61[13] |
An incompetent police detective named Dazzle Novak promotes ashopping mallsinging sensation, while a petty thief Dazzle let slip through his fingers creates a cocaine empire and proceeds to overrun Moonbeam City, a crime-ridden beach city based on Miami in the 1980s. Guest starring Nick Corirossi andCree Summer. | ||||||
2 | "Lights! Camera! Re-enaction!" | Mark Brooks | Ryan Perez | September 23, 2015 | 104 | 0.52[14] |
While DJing for a mandatory month underage rave, Dazzle becomes famous for stopping a juvenile bike thief and creates an over-the-top re-enactment segment forCrimezappers,Moonbeam City's premier crime show. Guest starringJohn O'HurleyandAllison Janney. | ||||||
3 | "The Strike Visualizer Strikes Again" | Juno Lee | Tommy Blacha | September 30, 2015 | 105 | N/A |
Dazzle, Chrysalis, and Rad track down the murderous "Moonbeam Maniac", while Dazzle confronts a childhood hero. Guest voices includePeter SerafinowiczandCree Summer. | ||||||
4 | "Quest for Aquatica" | Mark Brooks | Scott Gairdner | October 14, 2015 | 102 | 0.53[15] |
Dazzle is tasked by Chrysalis' father with finding a missing dolphin, but falls in love with one named "Splasha". Guest starringPatrick Warburton. | ||||||
5 | "Glitzotrene: One Town’s Seduction" | Juno Lee | Andrew Weinberg | October 21, 2015 | 107 | N/A |
To prevent Mayor Eo Jaxxon from dismantling Moonbeam City's police department, the police hook the entire city on the synthetic drug "Glitzotrene", creating a drug epidemic. Guest starringPowers Boothe,Trace Adkins,andCarlos Alazraqui. | ||||||
6 | "Lasers and Liars" | Juno Lee | Andrew Weinberg | October 28, 2015 | 103 | N/A |
When the team gears up for the Laser Ball, Dazzle and Pizzaz become entangled with her hyper-wealthy (and despicable) family, while Rad's lies become increasingly ridiculous while trying to join a yacht club. Guest starringKate McKinnon,Paget Brewster,andKevin McDonald. | ||||||
7 | "Cop Con" | Mark Brooks | Ryan Perez | November 11, 2015 | 106 | N/A |
At the 3-day "Cop Con" event, Dazzle and Pizzaz enjoy their annual passionate tryst. Meanwhile, Chrysalis avoids an obsessed fan, a frustrated Rad starts "Rad Con", and a cop-free Moonbeam City undergoes a community renaissance. Guest starringJohn O'Hurley,Allison Janney,Cree Summer,and Nick Corirossi.[16] | ||||||
8 | "Stuntstravaganza" | Mark Brooks | Scott Gairdner | November 18, 2015 | 108 | N/A |
Bitter in defeat from a racing challenge, Dazzle seeks out his estranged father to help him perfect a car stunt. Meanwhile, Rad faces the consequences of misplacing his parking validation card. Guest starringAdam West,Paul F. Tompkins,and Nick Mundy. | ||||||
9 | "The Legend Of Circuit Lake" | Juno Lee | Tommy Blacha & Ryan Perez | December 2, 2015 | 109 | N/A |
To get revenge, Rad attempts to dig up embarrassing footage of Dazzle from the police records room. But things go awry, rendering Rad trapped in its virtual reality computer system. Dazzle ends up being accused and convicted of Rad's presumed murder, gets sent to prison, and ends up having relations with its computerized artificially intelligent security system. Guest starringTom Kenny,Susan Sarandon,andMolly Shannon.[17] | ||||||
10 | "The Wedding of Rad (Lie)" | Mark Brooks | Scott Gairdner | December 9, 2015 | 110 | N/A |
In the series finale, Dazzle hooks up with the daughter of a crime lord. Meanwhile, Rad's family coerces him into a bizarre arranged marriage to con the entire Moonbeam City police department. Guest starringKate McKinnon,Catherine O'Hara,andAndy Richter.[18] |
Broadcast
[edit]Internationally, the series premiered in Australia on November 15, 2015, onThe Comedy Channel.[19]
Reception
[edit]On December 1, 2015,Moonbeam Citywas nominated for anAnnie Awardfor Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production, but lost toThe Simpsons.[20]
The first season holds a 29% onRotten Tomatoesbased on 14 reviews. Its consensus states: "Moonbeam Citywildly overestimates the effectiveness of its attempts at over-the-top humor, leaving viewers with little more than a derivative disappointment ".[21]OnMetacritic,the series holds a 52% indicating mixed or average reviews.[22]
Mike Hale ofThe New York Timesstated that "the look ofMoonbeam Citymay catch your eye, but after a while, you may be tempted to say, I will bury you so deep the world's smartest worms couldn't find you ". He also stated that the pop-culture references and satire were forced and the dialogue" tries so hard you can see it sweat ".[23]Daniel Fienberg ofThe Hollywood Reporterclaimed that the show would be able to stand "in a world withoutArcher"and called it thin and with limited potential.[24]Bob Sassone ofThe A.V. Clubgave it a C+, calling it "more clever than funny withArchervibes ".[25]Brian Lowry ofVarietyclaims that the show settles more for being puerile than clever, making it "less than dazzling".[26]Katy Waldman ofSlate's review was scathing, stating that the series "is so willfully dumb that it might make you wonder if it is meta-dumb".[27]
References
[edit]- ^Soules, Conor (14 July 2015)."Watch: Prepare to be Dazzled by 'Moonbeam City,' Comedy Central's New Animated Series".Indiewire.Retrieved16 July2015.
- ^Andreeva, Nellie (March 30, 2016)."'Moonbeam City' Canceled By Comedy Central After One Season ".Deadline Hollywood.RetrievedMarch 30,2016.
- ^"Moonbeam City Season 1".Zap2it.Archived fromthe originalon November 23, 2015.RetrievedOctober 18,2015.
- ^"Lasers and Liars".Moonbeam City.11 minutes in.
- ^"Quest for Aquatica".Moonbeam City.18 minutes in.
- ^"Quest for Aquatica".Moonbeam City.2 minutes in.
- ^Miller, Pizzaz. "Mall Hath No Fury".Moonbeam City.9 minutes in.
- ^Cunningham, Rad. "The Strike Visualizer Strikes Again".Moonbeam City.7 minutes in.
- ^Cunningham, Rad. "The Wedding of Rad (Lie)".Moonbeam City.15 minutes in.
- ^Hale, Mike (15 September 2015)."Review: Comedy Central's 'Moonbeam City' Recalls the World of 'Miami Vice'".The New York Times.Retrieved24 March2023.
- ^Miller, Liz Shannon (2015-09-16)."'Moonbeam City' Creator Scott Gairdner Reached For the Stars, and Got Rob Lowe ".IndieWire.Penske Business Media, LLC.Retrieved10 June2021.
- ^Edwards, C. (30 July 2014)."Watch: Comedy Central Teases 1980s Crime Show Parody 'Moonbeam City'".Cartoon Brew.Retrieved30 July2014.
- ^Dixon, Dani."Wednesday Cable Ratings: CNN's Republican Debate Tops Night + 'Anderson Cooper 360' 'House Hunters', 'Little Women LA', 'Property Brothers' & More".TV by the Numbers.Archived fromthe originalon September 19, 2015.RetrievedSeptember 17,2015.
- ^Kondolojy, Amanda."Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'South Park' Tops Night + 'Worst Cooks in America', 'Pardon the Interruption', 'The League' & More".TV by the Numbers.Archived fromthe originalon September 25, 2015.RetrievedSeptember 24,2015.
- ^Porter, Rick."Wednesday cable ratings: 'American Horror Story' and MLB lead, plus 'South Park,' 'Teen Mom II'".TV by the Numbers.Archived fromthe originalon October 17, 2015.RetrievedOctober 15,2015.
- ^"Moonbeam City Season 1 ep 7".Zap2it.Archived fromthe originalon November 23, 2015.RetrievedOctober 18,2015.
- ^"Moonbeam City Season 1 ep 9".Zap2it.Archived fromthe originalon December 8, 2015.RetrievedDecember 2,2015.
- ^"Moonbeam City Season 1 ep 10".Zap2it.Archived fromthe originalon December 8, 2015.RetrievedDecember 4,2015.
- ^Purcell, Charles (6 November 2015)."New This Week (Nov 9): Mr. Robot, Nashville, Legends, Rousey v Holm and live sport".The Green Room. Archived fromthe originalon 7 November 2015.Retrieved7 November2015.
- ^"43rd Annual Annie Awards Nominees".Annie Awards.Retrieved1 December2015.
- ^"Moonbeam City".Rotten Tomatoes.
- ^"Moonbeam City".Metacritic.
- ^Hale, Mike (15 September 2015)."Review: Comedy Central's 'Moonbeam City' Recalls the World of 'Miami Vice'".The New York Times.
- ^"'Moonbeam City': TV Review ".The Hollywood Reporter.15 September 2015.
- ^Sassone, Bob (16 September 2015)."Moonbeam City has Archer vibes and Rob Lowe, but it's more clever than funny".The A.V. Club.
- ^Lowry, Brian (15 September 2015)."TV Review: 'Moonbeam City'".
- ^Waldman, Katy (16 September 2015)."Moonbeam City".Slate.
External links
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/34px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png)
- 2015 American television series debuts
- 2015 American television series endings
- 2010s American adult animated television series
- 2010s American animated comedy television series
- 2010s American comic science fiction television series
- 2010s American mystery television series
- 2010s American parody television series
- 2010s American sitcoms
- 2015 Canadian television series debuts
- 2015 Canadian television series endings
- 2010s Canadian adult animated television series
- 2010s Canadian animated comedy television series
- 2010s Canadian comic science fiction television series
- 2010s Canadian sitcoms
- American adult animated comedy television series
- American adult animated science fiction television series
- American adult animated mystery television series
- American animated sitcoms
- American detective television series
- American flash adult animated television series
- Canadian adult animated comedy television series
- Canadian adult animated science fiction television series
- Canadian animated mystery television series
- Canadian animated sitcoms
- Canadian flash animated television series
- American English-language television shows
- Comedy Central animated television series
- Comedy Central sitcoms