36 replies to this topic

[Sark2.0]

Has anyone else seen the animated spy series on FX? I've seen the first two episodes and thought they were hysterical.

Here's the official website. Watch a few clips if you haven't seen it yet.

[The Shark]

Any links for non-US viewers?

[bondrules]

I saw ep. 2. They try too hard for a laugh. That I think is the show's achilles heel. I didn't think it was funny at all.

[dinovelvet]

Yeah I wanted to like it but I just didn't find it funny.

[Mr. Blofeld]

I dunno; it seems like Shark's kind of show...

[The Shark]

I dunno; it seems like Shark's kind of show...

In what way sir?

[Mr. Blofeld]

I dunno; it seems like Shark's kind of show...

In what way sir?

Winkingly misogynistic, in that Fleming-esque way you seem to adore.

[The Shark]

I dunno; it seems like Shark's kind of show...

In what way sir?

Winkingly misogynistic, in that Fleming-esque way you seem to adore.

Thank you. But remember, my girlfriend's a feminist.

[Sark2.0]

Any links for non-US viewers?

I'm not sure how I'd know if non-US viewers could watch a particular link?

[Mr. Blofeld]

I dunno; it seems like Shark's kind of show...

In what way sir?

Winkingly misogynistic, in that Fleming-esque way you seem to adore.

Thank you. But remember, my girlfriend's a feminist.

Life must be hell for you, then...

[Von Hammerstein]

You gotta let Archer grow on you. The first one was ok. The second one where ISIS needs a diversity hire was funny. Archer blurts out "I vote hot Asian chick." But his Mom, (taking the Judy Dench M character into very uncomfortable territory) hires a black Jewish guy who introduces himself as "Stern, Conway Stern." The rest is pretty cool as Archer tries to expose him, not for the double agent he turns out to be but just so he can get his shot at the hot Asian chick they might hire next. You have to look at it through a skewed corporate eye, what if all intelligence services were businesses, with their budget fold backs, there diversity rules, their constant image grooming and product enchancement. Besides the sniping between Archer and his former squeeze Lana borders on priceless from time to time. Stick with it. It's fun.

[Revelator]

Incidentally, the art for the DVD of series one is a direct homage to the poster for Live and Let Die. As for the show, it's good enough to the point where if enough people watch it they might have trouble taking James Bond seriously the next time they see him.

[Brisco]

I love Archer. Love, love, love it! And I think today's season premiere was probably the best episode yet. If you haven't seen the show yet, I recommend this one as a jumping on point. Archer rivals the recent OSS 117 movies as my favorite Bond parody ever.

Incidentally, there's more cool Bondian artwork for this season, though not as direct a McGinnis homage. You can actually download a full-size poster of the new art from the official Archer website.

[Chief of SIS]

Great show. It's crass sometimes but jeez is it funny. I love Jon H. Benjamin. The only voice actor I know who has mastered monotone comedy. I didn't get to watch the season 2 premiere last night but I'm looking forward to it when it's up on FX or Hulu. I'll have to call Kenny Loggins...because the show puts me in the danger zone (gosh, that's a hilarious bit).

[Mr. Blofeld]

It had to be said...

DAAAAN-GERRR ZOOOOONE!!!

[Jeff007]

[Matt_13]

Love Archer, though last nights ep was hit and miss. It's funnier when you watch it with a group. Good stuff

[Binyamin]

As for the show, it's good enough to the point where if enough people watch it they might have trouble taking James Bond seriously the next time they see him.

I have to disagree -- Archer will not make it harder to take Bond seriously. Unlike Austin Powers, for example, Archer shows a genuine appreciation for Bond and respects the source material. It has more in common with the Brosnan era Bond than the Craig era. The show does not try to directly parody Bond, but goes in its own direction.

[Matt_13]

Yeah outside of the title sequence there's not much here that spoofs the spy genre (it definitely does, but by and large the humor is derived from other places). Really cool art in the show, though. Voicework is really top notch.

[Revelator]

The show's creator Adam Reed has discussed the Bond influence a number of times, specifically that of the books.

From an interview with GQ:

Reed: But years and years ago, a friend gave me a collection of all the James Bond novels, original first-edition paperbacks, with these lurid pulp covers on them. And I started reading those, and I had never read them before, and it was like, page one—this guy is a dick! He's a troubled man, and he's incredibly misogynistic. There's one scene—-I forget which book it's from, but basically what happens is rape. It's like, "She protested, but then Bond twisted her hand behind her back and took his reward." Like, what the ?!
So that got the wheels turning. I was like, "How can I make a spy character the tiest dude in the world—-that you still really sympathize with and root for?" That's been sort of the driving thing.

GQ: So you're doing the Ian Fleming version of Bond, who was a nastier guy than the movie version...

REED: Yeah, but amp that up, so it's like, even Bond would be repulsed by this guy.

GQ: The books are a totally different experience. There's one where it starts with him lighting "the first of his sixty cigarettes of the day." Which is awesome.

REED: And Bond drank way too much. There's the whole vodka versus gin martini thing, bu—I think this is in Dr. No—-his martini was gin and vodka, and Lillet Blonde. It's like, just get a Long Island iced tea, buddy!

GQ: I feel like a lot of guys go through that thing where they decide to order James Bond's drink, and then they have two of them, and basically have to be hospitalized.

REED: I have to go home now.

GQ: "This is a giant glass of alcohol, with nothing else in it."

REED: And all he's had to eat that day is sixty cigarettes.

From an interview with Small Screen Scoop:

SmallScreenScoop:Adam, is Archer how you wish all James Bond movies had been?

Adam Reed: No, I don’t. He’s not a good guy. I love James Bond as who he is. I wouldn’t want to mess with those movies. But when I was doing research for this spy business, I watched everything from the “Bourne” movies to “Johnny English”. [ I ] read tons of books all the way back to “Greenmantle” by John Buchan. And I read a lot of the James Bond novels, which are a lot darker than the movies. They really sort of put a smile on that guys face. In the novels he’s pretty misogynistic. There’s definitely some racist tones in those novels. And so that was part of the inspiration… trying to see how much of a jerk I could make this guy and still make him likable. I don’t know if ‘likable’ is the right word. Maybe ’sympathetic’ – even though he’s a total tool.

From an interview with The Sound of Young America:

I started doing a lot of research and one of the things that I had, somebody had given me years ago, every single one of the James Bond paperbacks, which had these lurid Pulp Fiction covers of James Bond assaulting a woman somehow while playing cards. I started reading those, and they’re really dark. James Bond in those novels is not the happy-go-lucky Roger Moore “James Bond”, he’s a bit of a bad guy. He’s a racist, definitely misogynist, and in every novel James Bond commits some sort of sexual assault. So that was inspiring to send me down the path of having Archer be a jerk. Not of the sexual assault kind of jerk, but as jerky as possible while still being sympathetic. I was spinning my wheels on that, and then it clicked when I was watching the James Bond reboot with Judi Dench as M, and then I thought what if M was James Bond’s mother, and what a weird dynamic that would be, and what if they were both horrible people.

[Matt_13]

Season 2 of Archer is buzzing along quite nicely. Genuinely funny stuff. They have some episodes on the website for those of you who haven't seen it yet. Give it a go and see what you think.

[jaguar007]

I just watched season 1 over the past week, I can't wait to get into season 2. It's like James Bond meets the crudeness of South Park.

[Mr. Blofeld]

I've been keepin' up, every week; it's been a hell of a ride... and for those interested, here's a pretty good interview with the creator, Adam Reed: http://www.avclub.co...dam-reed,52336/

(Note: Reed also does the voice of Gillette, the gay equipment manager on the show.)

[Matt_13]

Really nice bit in tonight's episode where Archer discusses his suits from Turnbull and Asser and Saville Row. Great reference.

[Jeff007]

Missed tonights episode but loved the previous one in Monte Carlo where they spoofed Le Chiffre's name and had Archer playing Baccarat. At one point he gives the Roger line "Unlucky at cards....."

[Jeff007]

Archer's Ring Tone is a available on the website.

[Attempting Re-entry]

Archer's just absolutely amazing.

I'd love a Family Guy or Robot Chicken take on the Bond series a la their Star Wars specials.

Edited by Attempting Re-entry, 26 July 2011 - 05:03 PM.

[Miles Miservy]

Archer does to 007 what The Family Guy does to The Simpsons.

Funniest 30 minutes on television. PERIOD!

[marktmurphy]

Very much loving Archer- makes me laugh out loud every week.

[Harmsway]

ARCHER is very much a guilty pleasure of mine.