Sunday, May 8, 2016

Toons After Dark: Game Over (2004)

Ever wonder what would've happened if video game characters actually had lives of their own?

Game Over was one of the last series produced by Marcy Carsey & Tom Werner's production company, and lasted barely a month on UPN in 2004. The network didn't do the show any favors by bouncing it around the schedule, clearly with no confidence in the series.

Patrick Warburton, now starring in the NBC sitcom, Crowded, when not shilling for National Car Rental, and Lucy Liu (currently on Elementary) are husband and wife on this show, with Artie Lange (ex-MadTV) putting the sounds in the family dog.

Worth noting is that Liu almost didn't get her part. Oscar winner Marisa Tomei (currently in "Captain America: Civil War") had recorded the role for the pilot, but due to scheduling conflicts, couldn't continue with the series. Anyway, let's scope out the opener.



Couldn't get into this at all, as the characters actually lacked personality. 

Rating: C.

2 comments:

Goldstar said...

"Game Over" was definitely a case where the idea was better than the show. While the series sported an impressive voice cast (including the aforementioned Patrick Warburton, Lucy Liu and Arte Lange, as well as SNL alum Rachel Dratch as the daughter and voice actress E.G. Daily as the son), the stories were just lackluster and the series barely took advantage of it's fantastic premise and setting.

Ironically, Disney studios would years later produce their own take on the personal lives of video game characters, which of course ended up being the far better "Wreck-It Ralph".

hobbyfan said...

Perhaps this should be filed under "ahead of its time", then. UPN botched it with Gary & Mike and Dilbert, so there was some concern from certain corners going in.