Surprise Review: The Annoying Orange Season One

So, I got asked to review The High Fructose Adventures of Annoying Orange Season One DVD set.  I'm never one to turn down a review copy of something, so I decided to give it a shot.

I actually enjoyed it.  Obviously, this Cartoon Network show is meant for kids, but I found a lot to enjoy, myself. Orange can certainly be annoying, but I think the show does a good job of taking him to "the line", and then pulling it back. Not that he lived up to his name every episode, but the odd time when he did, it was tolerable.  Toby Turner's "Nerville" is the only human character, and he does the comedy a little broad (see video clip)-- but I really do admire his commitment to the part. It isn't easy acting alone on a green screen, but he did a good job. And I could tell from some of the bonus material as well as some of the credit sequences that he's got a knack for improv with some of the alternate lines he was coming up with.

The standout character for me has to be Marshmallow; I just loved his high-pitched voice (thankfully, not overdone) hollering "Yaaay!" one second, and then being fatalistic another. I wish I could remember a specific line, but it would usually go something like, "Yaaaay! I like to watch things burn!"

I found many of the jokes to be rather witty, and I liked how the plots were all over the place from episode to episode. They'd do a little bit on the Revolutionary War in one episode, then a riff on Star Trek in another; from a road trip to a vineyard, then holding off an invasion of vegetables.  If you don't like one episode, they're only about ten minutes long, and there's good odds you'll enjoy the next one.

My nine-year-old just loves the Annoying Orange You Tube series, so he and I knocked-out this DVD set with all 30 episodes in about a week.  The total run time on the 4 discs is 339 minutes, so they obviously didn't utilize the full capacity of DVD. But I am going to assume the first three discs with episodes are the same discs previously released singly. The fourth disc with bonus features is pretty light; maybe a half hour of content.

But if your kids are fans of Orange, this isn't a bad deal. It's a little over my price point ($30 retail; places like Amazon has it for $25 right now), but kids DVDs are typically a little on the pricey side. Wait a bit, and the price will probably drop below $20; then I'd bite.   Cartoon Network hasn't been overexposing this show, only airing one or two half-hour episodes a week, so you can't say it'd be a silly purchase because it's for free on cable.

As a grownup, I give it a B-. I think most kids would give it more like a B+. My super-fan son gives it an A.

Here's a taste of some in-episode footage:



And here's some green screen work from the bonus materials:

Monday, 6/10

Switched at Birth; ABC Family. 7 pm CST. Mid-season Premiere.

Major Crimes; TNT. 8 pm CST. Season Premiere.

King & Maxwell; TNT. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Jon Tenney and Rebecca Romijn star as two disgraced Secret Service agents who go into private investigating.

Street Outlaws; Discovery. 9 pm CST. Series Premiere.
Underground racers in Oklahoma City star in this docuseries.

John Oliver takes over the host's spot this summer on The Daily Show (Comedy Central; 10 pm CST) while Jon's off being a director.


Tuesdays, 6/11

Pretty Little Liars; ABC Family. 7 pm CST. 4th Season Premiere.

Twisted; ABC Family. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.

Who Gets the Last Laugh? (TBS; 9 pm CST). Season Finale.

Awkward (MTV; 9 pm CST). Season Finale.


Wednesday, 6/12

Royal Pains; USA. 8 pm CST. Season Premiere.

Necessary Roughness; USA. 9 pm CST. Season Premiere.


Thursday, 6/13

Save Me (NBC; 7 pm CST). Season Finale.
(I'm guessing it's actually a series finale.)

Sullivan & Son; TBS; 9 pm CST. 2nd Season Premiere.


Friday, 6/14

Magic City; Starz. 8 pm CST. Season Premiere.

Vice (HBO; 10 pm CST). Season Finale.


Saturday, 6/15

Zero Hour burns-off the episodes in the can on ABC at 7 and 8 pm CST.

AFI Lifetime Achievement Award (for Mel Brooks); TNT. 8 pm CST. Special.


Sunday, 6/16

Inspector Lewis; PBS. 8 pm CST (check local listings). Season Premiere.

True Blood; HBO. 8 pm CST. Season Premiere.

The Client List (Lifetime; 8 pm CST). Season Finale.