Back at the Barnyard: When No One's Looking: Season 1 (2007)

TV. Back to the Barnyard is a hilarious animated series for the kiddos but with plenty of comedy to entertain parents too. An animated Mr. Ed meets Hogan's Heroes on goofy pills, it was my youngest son's favorite cartoon show until the Penguins of Madagascar got their own gig. Building on the movie (Barnyard: The Original Party Animals) but in my opinion much funnier, Steve Oedekerk (screenwriter for Bruce Almighty, Evan Almighty, and the Thumb movies such as Frankenthumb) delivers a Nickelodeon production that is full of manic action, chuckles, and guffaws. (You do have to accept, for simplicity's sake, that Otis the cow has an udder. Get over it. He's by far the funniest character in the show esp. as chief prank instigator -- "Sweet crispy cud!" -- as well as the superhero Cowman -- "Lacto powers, lactivate!") The voice talent is distinctive and quite good with Chris Hardwick as Otis the cow, Wanda Sykes as Bessy the cow, Leigh Allyn Baker as Abby the cow, Jeffrey Garcia (Sheen Estevez in Jimmy Neutron) as Pip the mouse, Tino Insana as Pig, Dom Irrera as Duke the dog, Cam Clarke as Freddy the ferret, Rob Paulsen as Peck the rooster, Steve Oedekerk as Mr. Beady, Maria Bamford as Mrs. Beady, and Mark DeCarlo (Hugh Neutron in Jimmy Neutron) as Bingo the space chimp. Only the first Season 1 disc has been released so far with the first eight episodes: The Good, the Bad, and the Snotty (The animals prank the farmer into attending a two-day turnip convention but the neighbors' nephew Snotty Boy puts a crimp in their party plans so they prank him too), Escape from the Barnyard (The farmer gets a grill, sending a frisson of fear down every animal's spine as they investigate the farmer's true intentions), Cowman and Ratboy (Otis and Pip go on a rampage of do-gooding and superhero campiness), Cow's Best Friend (After Otis saves Duke's life, Duke fawns over Otis until something has got to give), Chez Pig (Pig's family recipe for truffle pies finds fame, tempting the animals with riches as great as "a million bajillion dollars" -- but will they bite?), The Right Cow (Bingo the space chimp lands in the barnyard and schemes to stay after taking over as alpha male), Saving Mrs. Beady (Nosy neighbor Mrs. Beady finally gets committed for her claims of talking animals so the barnyard crew poses as a brain surgeon and a head case to break her free), and The Farmer Takes a Woman (The animals post an online personal ad to find the farmer a wife then dress up Pig as a billionaire to chase off a goldigger). 5 stars.
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Here is a partial season/episode list adapted from imdb.com that promises plenty of movie spoofs! 1/5: Hypno-a-Go-Go, Fowl Play, 1/7: Lights! Camera! Moo!, Animal Farmers, 1/12: A Barn Day's Night, Meet the Ferrets, 1/13: Tale of Two Snottys, Snotty's New Pet, 1/14: Home Sweet Hole, Otis' Mom, 1/15: Barnyard Games, 1/16: Hypno-A-Go-Go, 1/17: Raging Cow, The Great Sheep Escape, 1/18: The Big Barnyard Broadcast, 1/19: Otis' 11, 1/20: Otis vs. Bigfoot, 1/22: School of Otis, 1/23: Top Cow, 1/24: Otis for Mayor, 1/25: Dummy and Dummier, 1/26: Some Like It Snotty, 1/27: The Uddered Avenger, 1/28: Pig Amok, 1/29: Sun Cow, 1/30: Doggelganger, 1/31: Save the Clams, 1/32: Adventures in Snotty Sitting, 1/33: Cowdyshack, 2/1: Wild Mike's Dance Party, 2/2: Buyers Beware, 2/3: Anchor Cow, 2/4: Abby and Veronica, 2/5: Bling My Barn, 2/6: Udderado, 2/7: Cupig, 2/8: Happy Animal Fun Time, 2/9: Dream Birthday, 2/10: Lord of the Beavers, 2/11: Little Otis, 2/12: Kids in the City, 2/13: Snotty & Snottier, 2/14: Treasure Hunt (plus other episodes such as Barnyard Idol, Big Top Barnyard, Brave Udders, Chronicles of Barnia, Otis Season, Dead Cow Walking, Pigmalion, The Haunting, and War of the Pranks). 5 stars.