"Cow and Chicken" (1997) TV series 1997-2001

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Creator:

David Feiss

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 4 | unknown

Release Date:

13 January 1997 (UK)

Genre:

Animation | Comedy

Plot Keywords:

Surrealism | Anthropomorphic | Chicken | Animal In Title | Cow

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 3 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Charles Adler	...	Chicken / ... (15 episodes, 1995-1999)
Candi Milo	...	Mom / ... (11 episodes, 1997-1999)
Dee Bradley Baker	...	Dad / ... (11 episodes, 1995-1999)
Michael Dorn	...	I.M. Weasel / ... (10 episodes, 1997-1999)
Howard Morris	...	Flem / ... (9 episodes, 1997-1999)
Dan Castellaneta	...	Earl / ... (8 episodes, 1997-1999)

Runtime:

Argentina:30 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:TV-Y | USA:TV-Y7 | Netherlands:AL | Australia:G | Brazil:Livre | Argentina:Atp

Company:

Cartoon Network

Trivia:

The episode "Buffalo Gals" was banned after its first airing due to sexual references and lesbian stereotypes. The episode involved a pack of biker girls whom wore buffalo hats (hence the name) busting into Cow and Chicken's house and tearing up the place. The leader takes a liking to Cow and they kidnap her, which means Chicken must go to her rescue.

Quotes:

Chicken: That's it? Stupid change machine! A put in two dimes, and a nickle, and it gives me one quarter! What a gyp!

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Kung Pow: Enter the Fist (2002)

Soundtrack:

Cow and Chicken

¡Super Cow al rescate!

I love this cartoon. It's one of a number of delightful and ingenious cartoons I first discovered a couple years ago on the Cartoon Network. The humor is absolutely zany. There are a lot of wonderfully quirky things about the show, but I think one of my favorites is the incongruous endings. The episodes will often end immediately at the point of climax. The first few times this happened, I sat there for a second or two, confused and disturbed and caught by surprise, and then I laughed uncontrollably. The two episodes I remember most distinctly in which this happens are the one where Chicken has his neck stretched so he'll be tall enough to ride the rollercoaster, and the episode where Chicken eats too much "caffeine flakes(?)" cereal, and eventually ends up without any feathers and horrifically bloated after being shot full of Cow's milk to help him sleep.

I also recommend Dexter's Laboratory, and 2 Stupid Dogs/Secret Squirrel, both of which are cuter than Cow and Chicken (and all three of which I think are more humorous and clever than Johnny Bravo or the Powerpuff Girls, although the latter are in the same eye-pleasing visual style). The I.M. Weasel show is ok too, but I like the Cow and Chicken characters better. The "naked Red Guy" makes appearances on I.M. Weasel as well.

Over at the user reviews of 2 Stupid Dogs, many people were comparing it to Ren & Stimpy, but Cow and Chicken is much more similar to R&S in its visual style and gross-out-ness. And in my opinion it's a lot funnier. Cow and Chicken is probably the most irreverent of all the shows on the Cartoon Network, and I'd personally have reserves about letting my kids watch it if I had kids. And furthermore, I don't know if most can appreciate a lot of the satire and outright ridiculousness as much as older "kids" can.

'Shut yer pie hole' and see these shows!