I was once watching someone compare latter day Simpsons to latter day Family Guy and one point they made was that while the Simpsons had fastidiously updated its subject matter year after year, it hadn't update its humor.
And sort of like how Futurama was The Simpsons but based around speculative sociology and the work place instead of the traditional family, this (as I suspect a million and seven people have already suggested) could be considered historical- arama (or something cleverer...).
But it's not quite though. It's mostly that but the Groening mind has turned away from the sitcom (and eventual movie) formula and actually had the ambition to create what was more or less a serial. We are able to see a character grow and develop across the multiple instalments and with the same humor and inventivenss.
It's too bad that at the beginning it is WAY too much like just another animated sitcom. And a bit too much like a couple in particular. I like Tia, she's an intriguing character who has grown up in great politico-economic advantage but lives in immense quiet emotional desperation. I think she's a bit wasted on the first season but it is, thankfully, in the second season as we see the show really discover its own strengths as it finally tells THE story of Tia as the ground-work has now been lain.
Gradually, this goofy (and I mean REALLY goofy at times) show actually shows a lot of tenderness and very meaningful emotional conflict that actually doesn't feel mawkish or schmaltzy because they invested in the characters and made their breakthroughs believable.
King Zog might just be the best character for this reason. I especially loved an episode about him and a bear.
Now Elfo...I think they retooled him the moment they saw the pilot. At first he was cynical and adventure hungry but as soon as he leaves the shire he becomes a sort of SpongeBob parody except even more infantile. I like him and all and I really want him to get laid but they do paint him as the loser quite relentlessly.
The world building is extravagant and satisfying with a few surprises I won't ruin. Let's just say it takes us to a variety of contrasting landscapes and in time really works on a substantial historic background that fuels conflict between a numerous peoples, aesthetically in debt to other artists of course but they make it their own fair enough.
Ultimately this was more of a Saturday Morning show than a Friday night show but as imperfect as it is, I grew to be glad for it.
But seriously, a lot of the jokes are predictable.
