"Game Over" (2004) TV series

Creators:

Marcy Carsey
David Sacks

Release Date:

10 March 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Animation | Comedy | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Did you ever wonder what happens after the game ends? Welcome to the other side.

Plot:

The story of your mild-mannered family in a not-so-normal video game world. Mom is a Lara Croft rip-off, dad is a Grand Prix racer, the neighbors are Kung Fu monks and the kids... well, they try to be cool.

Plot Keywords:

Oddworld

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Elizabeth Daily	...	Billy Smashenburn / Zenna (voice) (as E.G. Daily)
Rachel Dratch	...	Alice Smashenburn / Mammoth (voice)
Artie Lange	...	Turbo (voice)
Lucy Liu	...	Raquel Smashenburn (voice)
Patrick Warburton	...	Ripley "Rip" Smashenburn (voice)
Marie Matiko	...	Dark Princess Chang (voice)
James Sie	...	Sam Chang (voice)
Marisa Tomei	...	Raquel Smashenburn (unaired pilot) (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Common	...	Common (voice)
Jennifer Coolidge	...	Ramona (voice)
Jessica Glassberg	...	Sylvie Glassberg (voice)
Barbara Heller	...	Cheerleader (2004) (voice)
John Michael Higgins	...	Sully / Various Characters (voice)
Jan Hooks	...	Nadine (voice)
Tom Kenny	...	Arthur / Various Characters (voice)
Danica McKellar	...	Elsa / Renee (voice)
James Arnold Taylor	...	Various Characters (voice)

Also Known As:

Meet the Breaknecks (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

USA:30 min

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Company:

Carsey-Warner-Mandabach

Trivia:

UPN launched an online PC game to coincide with this series.

Quotes:

Suki: My family needs me. It's Godzilla season. We must kill him many times.

Movie Connections:

Spoofs TRON (1982)

UPN's only prayer? Maybe... It has potential.

The series premiered last night, mostly to chilly reviews, but that should really come as no surprise. All of the subtleties would have been completely lost on the majority of television critics, who are well into their forties or older, and probably haven't played a video game since the first wave of Arcade Games hit the market, twenty-five or so years ago. Ironically, these are the same critics who laud and applaud The Simpsons for fast-as-lightning sight gags, and subversive humor. I'm sure that the series' target audience (gamers 15- 35) did enjoy it, and that demographic alone can probably sustain the show, but it will be a shame if that's the case. It's about time a show tackled the stereotypes of the games played by kids and teens (and adults -great Vice City gag last night!), and perhaps this will make certain adults aware of the content of the games that they blindly buy for their children, regardless of the age recommendation on the box. While it isn't necessary to have played any of the games being addressed, it certainly helps, and the obvious targets are plentiful; The buxom female action hero, and overly hip skater games took a punch last night, as well as DOA Volleyball, Pokemon, and the portrayal of Asians in VG media; and this was only the pilot. The opportunity to tackle current events hasn't even been addressed -can you image a CG Kobe Bryant pantomiming that ridiculous apology on the sidelines of an animated basketball game, while a young lady polishes a HUGE diamond ring, which happens to be the prize that Mom Smashenburn is seeking? Or a ski-masked #32 stabbing players in an animated football game, only to be arrested by a platoon of SOCom Navy Seals wearing George W. Bush masks as the real George W plays cheerleader at the John Madden Superbowl (I won't even go into the half-time show!)? And these aren't even my below-the-belt suggestions! (Producers take notice: I've got dozens of these gems -call me!) Celebrity cameos alone could be huge.

Marcy Carsey has previously helmed some amazing, groundbreaking shows, and this is a show where the possibilities are truly endless. That said, I was somewhat surprised by the level of violence (Thomas in the pet store for instance), and the language seemed a tad inappropriate for the time slot, but it does reflect the games portrayed, and I'm all for pushing the envelope if it's done cleverly.