Housebroken

In this highly engaging series, a riot of creatures great and small competing for the attention of the show’s star, who is, naturally enough, the group’s therapist. She’s a standard poodle (expertly voiced by Lisa Kudrow).

Disarmingly clever animated comedy. [21 Jun - 4 Jul 2021, p.11]

All the [animals] act about the way you’d expect, but these actors are sharp enough to make the characterizations more three-dimensional than first meets the eye. ... In the first two episodes, there’s barely enough time to get through all the facts of the cast, but a couple smart stories keep the show aloft.

The instantly embraceable animation and great vocal cast — Kudrow, DuVall and Webb were my early favorites — point to ample potential and the possibility that the show’s take on “This is what your pets are REALLY thinking!” might sooner or later advance into something more interesting (and a bit funnier).

Like a lot of the animated programs Fox has put out in the past 15 years, this one needs some patience. Perhaps the rapid-fire jokes we see in group will give way to these individual stories that will mine laughs from the characters. But right now, the show is so overpopulated it doesn’t give any of these characters room to explore.

Through four episodes, characters are still being honed, ideal dynamics identified, and a consistent sense of humor established (here’s hoping for at least 40 percent less poop jokes), but there are also enough solid cracks and relatable storylines to hope “Housebroken” finds its best self after a little more training.

One of the bigger problems of “HouseBroken,” aside from it lacking in surprising comedy, is that it can be annoying with how high-energy it is, with the pet friends whiffing one joke after the next. And then at the same time, the storylines are also not weird enough to really break out of the general premise’s bubble. ... "HouseBroken" is its own big, unfunny joke, to the point of surreality.

As more episodes are released, I will be updating this review. Check back every Tuesday! Ep 1: First impressions are everything, and believe me, Housebroken fails in nearly every category imaginable. From awful humor that feels like it’s written by out of touch millennials to inconsistent and-in-your face characters, pathetic pop culture inserts and a plot that goes nowhere, this first episode does not leave a good impression. Obviously, animated series more often than not begin ruff, but the future does not look bright in this instance. For the love of god stop lewding the dogs, it’s not even good. 2/10

Given that the cast is STACKED with comedy heavyweights, you kind of have to blame the writing for the fact that this show is so mercilessly unfunny and dull. It's over 50% unsuccessful potty humor and 100% low-effort garbage. The plotting is plodding, the character work is so thin that the words "character" and "work" should maybe never be used in relation to the show. But it's the comedy (or complete lack thereof) that's truly unforgivable.