It's fine. It's really fine. I went in expecting Bob's Burgers and, honestly, I think I did it a disservice in doing so.
If you're expecting Bob's, it's really not. Some of the same charm is there, some similar characters are there, some of the wit and wry humour makes its way across, but The Great North is not Bob's, in the same way that Futurama is not The Simpsons.
Do I like it as much as Bob's? Honestly, no. Bob's, in spite of a somewhat less polished first season, grew into its own surprisingly fast. The characters mesh in ways that most shows never manage to hit, with dry sarcasm and sometimes-not-so-subtle digs at eachother always giving way to a welcoming and upbeat family dynamic that is just heaps of charm.
The Great North does manage this to a certain extent. And it does it well, at times. The characters are charming. They work together like a sitcom family should ... at times warring, at times supportive, and always with a ready quip and a range of running jokes that feel rooted in deep family history.
The cast is fantastic, too! Weaving together many well-known actors with animation mainstays. Every single one of these people knows what they're doing and knows how to do it well. From Jenny Slate's eager middle-child sister, to Will Forte's endearingly naive older brother, all capped off with exactly like you'd expect from Nick Offerman as the head of the family, every character feels fully-realised, right out of the gate.
That said, where Bob's manages to combine purile humour with wry wit and jokes that take a little more time to pay off, Great North definitely leans more on rapid-fire purile quips.
I'd characterise the show more as that. A fast-paced family-themed animated comedy. The jokes come fast and furious, with much less breathing room between and during interactions. When it works, it works! When it doesn't, it can feel heavy-handed. At times coming across as those the jokes are being heaped at the audience to see what sticks, or to drown out the so-so with a potential gem.
Overall, it's really not a bad show, at all. It lacks the tight-knit feels and generally solid timing of Bob's, but still manages to charm with great characters and solid performances.
If you're expecting Bob's, it's really not. Some of the same charm is there, some similar characters are there, some of the wit and wry humour makes its way across, but The Great North is not Bob's, in the same way that Futurama is not The Simpsons.
Do I like it as much as Bob's? Honestly, no. Bob's, in spite of a somewhat less polished first season, grew into its own surprisingly fast. The characters mesh in ways that most shows never manage to hit, with dry sarcasm and sometimes-not-so-subtle digs at eachother always giving way to a welcoming and upbeat family dynamic that is just heaps of charm.
The Great North does manage this to a certain extent. And it does it well, at times. The characters are charming. They work together like a sitcom family should ... at times warring, at times supportive, and always with a ready quip and a range of running jokes that feel rooted in deep family history.
The cast is fantastic, too! Weaving together many well-known actors with animation mainstays. Every single one of these people knows what they're doing and knows how to do it well. From Jenny Slate's eager middle-child sister, to Will Forte's endearingly naive older brother, all capped off with exactly like you'd expect from Nick Offerman as the head of the family, every character feels fully-realised, right out of the gate.
That said, where Bob's manages to combine purile humour with wry wit and jokes that take a little more time to pay off, Great North definitely leans more on rapid-fire purile quips.
I'd characterise the show more as that. A fast-paced family-themed animated comedy. The jokes come fast and furious, with much less breathing room between and during interactions. When it works, it works! When it doesn't, it can feel heavy-handed. At times coming across as those the jokes are being heaped at the audience to see what sticks, or to drown out the so-so with a potential gem.
Overall, it's really not a bad show, at all. It lacks the tight-knit feels and generally solid timing of Bob's, but still manages to charm with great characters and solid performances.