Dylan Calvert
New member
I was gonna post that as another example, but by the time season 3 rolled around the show pretty much stopped being a comedy.
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Comedies with Continuity and Canon
- Thread starter Pauline !!!
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matthewfein
New member
Stroker & Hoop and Archer have continuity.
I'm not sure if I would say that Invader Zim has continuity. Sometimes it does but what about the time they both ended up as lunchmeat or something? I remember watching that episode with someone that said, "They can't end it that way!" after it was over.
I'm not sure if I would say that Invader Zim has continuity. Sometimes it does but what about the time they both ended up as lunchmeat or something? I remember watching that episode with someone that said, "They can't end it that way!" after it was over.
tweekduece
New member
Oops! I saw this title not thinking about what folder it was in, thought I'd mention that show if it hadn't been mentioned, and was in a hurry so I just skimmed through the posts to see if I noticed it. Maybe if I took my time reading each post I'd have noticed it was just animation (and of course if I paid attention to the thread folder).
If Baby Blues had continued, we would have likely seen their kids grow up, since it’s one of the few strips where that happens.
Family Guy is brazen in throwing out continuity.
Peter had a father who hated him, and a black ancestor. Now he is an Irish bastard born in Mexico.
Quahog was founded by Chatterbox, but now it was founded by some sort of past Peter.
And how many versions of their wedding vows have we seen over the years?
But if they think they can get some mileage out of it, someone will keep a grudge about something that happened way back.
The Simpsons continuity is being crushed under the weight of their own years.
Every nitch they fill in of Homers and Marge’s pre-married life happened in a different decade.
There are a few times I where you wonder if they just forgot the show’s history, like just recently when Homer would have been lost to Marge if he took just one swing at a golf ball. Never mind that he has proven himself a terrific golfer long ago.
And then there’s the problem of maintaining the nuclear family. Bart is forever stuck in the 4th grade despite numerous Christmas vacations, and Apu’s kids will graduate from college before Maggie talks.
But I may be mistaking continuity with development. They are somewhat intertwined.
I’m reminded of the episode where Homer tries to marry off Patty.
At the end I think it was Lisa that says “Well, that’s the end of dad’s marriage business.” to which Bart replies “Why?”
Well, the reason is the only thing they are going to want to reference again from that episode is that Patty is a lesbian.
The other developments aren’t really negated, there’s just no need to reference them again.
Homers being a minister in a ridicules religion, Springfield being a mecca for gay couples, and all the rest are irrelevant for their further wacky adventures.
Family Guy is brazen in throwing out continuity.
Peter had a father who hated him, and a black ancestor. Now he is an Irish bastard born in Mexico.
Quahog was founded by Chatterbox, but now it was founded by some sort of past Peter.
And how many versions of their wedding vows have we seen over the years?
But if they think they can get some mileage out of it, someone will keep a grudge about something that happened way back.
The Simpsons continuity is being crushed under the weight of their own years.
Every nitch they fill in of Homers and Marge’s pre-married life happened in a different decade.
There are a few times I where you wonder if they just forgot the show’s history, like just recently when Homer would have been lost to Marge if he took just one swing at a golf ball. Never mind that he has proven himself a terrific golfer long ago.
And then there’s the problem of maintaining the nuclear family. Bart is forever stuck in the 4th grade despite numerous Christmas vacations, and Apu’s kids will graduate from college before Maggie talks.
But I may be mistaking continuity with development. They are somewhat intertwined.
I’m reminded of the episode where Homer tries to marry off Patty.
At the end I think it was Lisa that says “Well, that’s the end of dad’s marriage business.” to which Bart replies “Why?”
Well, the reason is the only thing they are going to want to reference again from that episode is that Patty is a lesbian.
The other developments aren’t really negated, there’s just no need to reference them again.
Homers being a minister in a ridicules religion, Springfield being a mecca for gay couples, and all the rest are irrelevant for their further wacky adventures.
elkstar900
New member
One thing you have to give Family Guy credit for, is that they at least acknowledge the old before they retcon it away.
"Miles Chatterbox Musket? He was just a legend. This is how it really happened......"
"Miles Chatterbox Musket? He was just a legend. This is how it really happened......"
Ahmad Wakiyuddina
New member
No one was comparing it to Avatar or other action animation. I was thinking of stuff like Ned's Declassified, which is just as goofy and slapstick as an actual cartoon, but there's an actual story there leading up to the final episode, which is why I liked it so much; I felt that story enhanced the characters and comedy that happened in the show and made them feel more alive and the characters more likable. I'd love to see more animated comedies like that. Midori Days is another good example, a short 13 episode comedy cartoon with a funny and sweet story. Both good examples of how a comedy show can be more than just episodic slapstick adventures.
joebanks2020
New member
Crayon Shin-Chan
aslenderhelen
New member
?Mucha Lucha! seems to follow continuity in some ways, it's not required to watch every episode to understand the series, and nothing really contradicts anything, but sometimes a sequel is made to a previous episode. I remember Mysterioso Grande terrorizing Penny Plutonium's dream, and then he came back in a later episode, and the characters all seemed to recognize him (Rikochet making references to having "beaten him before").
The Angry Beavers played with it a little. The first episode was the first episode, that pretty much explains the show. Of course, some events don't make sense if you look back on previous episodes, but sometimes an event is brought up (I remember Dag's list mentioned in a few episodes, as well as the running Muscular Beaver thing, each of which built off previous episodes).
The Angry Beavers played with it a little. The first episode was the first episode, that pretty much explains the show. Of course, some events don't make sense if you look back on previous episodes, but sometimes an event is brought up (I remember Dag's list mentioned in a few episodes, as well as the running Muscular Beaver thing, each of which built off previous episodes).
It sounds to me like you just have something against 'episodic slapstick adventures'.
Just because some people prefer shows that tell a singular finite story across several episodes doesn't mean that the other way is somehow wrong or inferior. Both styles can work, as long as they're well-written and entertaining.
Just because some people prefer shows that tell a singular finite story across several episodes doesn't mean that the other way is somehow wrong or inferior. Both styles can work, as long as they're well-written and entertaining.
Chocolate Chica
New member
Forgive me if this was said already, but the debate going on was interesting and I wanted to chime in:
To start with, I believe what the OP was (gathering from the responses I've been reading) asking was for comedies with an actual story, including a beginning, middle, and end. Unfortunately what most here have been giving examples of were shows that merely reference past episodes and have a backstory (The Simpsons, Futurama, King of the Hill, etc.). I don't believe (and forgive me if I was reading in too deep). That is not the same thing. Instead, like some have already acknowledged, what he seems to be asking is for comedy cartoons like Avatar: The Last Airbender, with a definitive beginning and end, a story and plot twists, and that picks up from where each previous episode left off. Unfortunately there's very little of that in Western animation. That's not to say that there haven't been well-written and genuinely hilarious comedy cartoons that are episodic, but I can see where some might be coming from. Some may not be satisfied with seeing the same premise over and over again, week after week, where the status quo is almost always upheld (The Simpsons is notorious for this). It's just not the type of show for them.
I'm afraid I'm just as in the dark as the one who posted first about actual Western animation of this kind. I'd like to see more variety in these things myself. But I understand that there are reasons for this: one reason that shows like these opt not to go in that direction is because it makes them harder to syndicate (please correct me if I'm wrong on this). A show like Spongebob Squarepants can be watched in any order and understood because the main characters have fixed residences, occupations, and personalities. Whereas one cannot watch the final episodes of Avatar without knowing what has occurred before. Neither of these methods make a show 'bad' (there are continuity-based shows that are downright terrible). It just might not be that person's cup o' tea.
I hope that makes sense.
To start with, I believe what the OP was (gathering from the responses I've been reading) asking was for comedies with an actual story, including a beginning, middle, and end. Unfortunately what most here have been giving examples of were shows that merely reference past episodes and have a backstory (The Simpsons, Futurama, King of the Hill, etc.). I don't believe (and forgive me if I was reading in too deep). That is not the same thing. Instead, like some have already acknowledged, what he seems to be asking is for comedy cartoons like Avatar: The Last Airbender, with a definitive beginning and end, a story and plot twists, and that picks up from where each previous episode left off. Unfortunately there's very little of that in Western animation. That's not to say that there haven't been well-written and genuinely hilarious comedy cartoons that are episodic, but I can see where some might be coming from. Some may not be satisfied with seeing the same premise over and over again, week after week, where the status quo is almost always upheld (The Simpsons is notorious for this). It's just not the type of show for them.
I'm afraid I'm just as in the dark as the one who posted first about actual Western animation of this kind. I'd like to see more variety in these things myself. But I understand that there are reasons for this: one reason that shows like these opt not to go in that direction is because it makes them harder to syndicate (please correct me if I'm wrong on this). A show like Spongebob Squarepants can be watched in any order and understood because the main characters have fixed residences, occupations, and personalities. Whereas one cannot watch the final episodes of Avatar without knowing what has occurred before. Neither of these methods make a show 'bad' (there are continuity-based shows that are downright terrible). It just might not be that person's cup o' tea.
I hope that makes sense.
Creaky Jeep 06
New member
Yeah, there are a few western animated series that have strong continuity. They are dwarfed in number by cartoons with not-so-strong continuity, however.
Does there really have to be a reason to want more other than "we like it, so we want more of it"? It's entertainment. The whole point is to watch something you like. Technically, nothing about cartoons is "needed".
That's fair enough. I never meant to sound like I was saying that every show needs strong continuity (I do actually think a loose long-term goal in a show like Futurama would be kind of cool, but I agree that's it's not necessary for the show to enjoyable). Though I don't think continuity necessarily has so much to do with realism, as it has to do with a feeling of cohesion and maybe progression. Real life tends to be pretty repetitive, after all, so a feeling of progression isn't necessarily the same thing as a mimicry of real life (which is more realistic, Spongebob's daily routine or Aang's amazing quest to save the world?).
As for Spongebob, I think that's a good example of how some continuity is better than none. The early, pre-movie episodes actually maintained a reasonably consistent continuity, with things being introduced and kept later on (Would "Band Geeks" have been quite as awesome if Squidward had not had a pre-established rivalry with Squilliam?). Whereas the post-movie episodes each seem to pretty much ignore each other, and lose something because of that.
Does there really have to be a reason to want more other than "we like it, so we want more of it"? It's entertainment. The whole point is to watch something you like. Technically, nothing about cartoons is "needed".
That's fair enough. I never meant to sound like I was saying that every show needs strong continuity (I do actually think a loose long-term goal in a show like Futurama would be kind of cool, but I agree that's it's not necessary for the show to enjoyable). Though I don't think continuity necessarily has so much to do with realism, as it has to do with a feeling of cohesion and maybe progression. Real life tends to be pretty repetitive, after all, so a feeling of progression isn't necessarily the same thing as a mimicry of real life (which is more realistic, Spongebob's daily routine or Aang's amazing quest to save the world?).
As for Spongebob, I think that's a good example of how some continuity is better than none. The early, pre-movie episodes actually maintained a reasonably consistent continuity, with things being introduced and kept later on (Would "Band Geeks" have been quite as awesome if Squidward had not had a pre-established rivalry with Squilliam?). Whereas the post-movie episodes each seem to pretty much ignore each other, and lose something because of that.