DVD Review: Duckman Seasons 1 And 2
CBS, Paramount Animated Show Starred Jason Alexander, Nancy Travis
Oct 27, 2008
Nostalgia can be a harsh mistress. When reviewing an old fave that's been recently released on DVD, reactions can go one of two ways.
The first can be one of unbridled bliss as the DVD takes the reviewer back to his younger self and he rediscovers the magic that thrilled him long ago. He briefly becomes a kid again, bouncing up and down on the couch with glee, enthralled by something he had thought forever lost.
The second reaction to an old TV show or movie is shocked disbelief, as the warm glow is ripped away, replaced by the horrific realization that it really wasn't very funny to begin with. The reviewer is left with cold coffee and stunned silence, contemplating the abyss with those fateful words ringing 'round his brain: "What the %&#! was I thinking!"
Lump Duckman Seasons 1 and 2 DVD into the second category. It's an animated sitcom from the mid-1990's that isn't very funny.
What's Duckman About?
Based on the Dark Horse comic created by Everett Peck, the show followed the misadventures of the titular character, a private detective and family man who's lousy at both jobs. Voiced by comedian-of-the-moment Jason Alexander (who pulled double duty by portraying a remarkably similar character on the live-action sitcom Seinfeld, which ran at the same time), Duckman is selfish, lazy, incompetent and obnoxious. He's despised by his sister-in-law Bernice (Nancy Travis) and disrespected by his kids: slacker Ajax (Dweezil Zappa) and conjoined twins Charles and Mambo (Dana Hill, then Pat Musick, and Elizabeth Daily).
The only people who apparently care about Duckman are his cutesy, unkillable office assistants Uranus and Fluffy, and his extremely competent partner Cornfed (Gregg Berger), who usually solves the cases despite Duckman's "assistance."
DVD Extras
There's a fair bit here. "What the Hell Are You Staring At" interviews members of the cast and crew as they reminisce about working on the show. There's a fair amount of ego-stroking (naturally), but there's also some trivia tidbits for fans.
"Designing Duckman" is an interview with Everett Peck where he shows how the character was created. There's also the interactive "Six Degrees of Duckman" and audio commentary by Peck and Alexander.
The Final Analysis
Duckman suffers from two major issues. The first is Jason Alexander's take on the main character: Alexander carved out a career in the mid-90's by playing obnoxious losers with an inflated opinion of their own importance, and Duckman is yet another entry in that canon. Plus, Alexander's over-the-top voice acting gets old fast.
The second problem is that the jokes really don't fly. The multiple fart gags (courtesy of Duckman's comatose mother-in-law) have a limited lifespan, and there's always an inherent difficulty in making an obnoxious asshat (to use Alexander's memorable phrase) someone that audiences would like to watch for more than a few episodes. Duckman lasted for 4 seasons, but it was difficult to last 3 DVDs with a central character you wish would just shut up and go away.
Some fans of the show during its 1990's tenure might rediscover the magic on DVD. However, others may not. Buyer beware.
Duckman Seasons 1 and 2 gets a 4/10.
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