Archer: Season 1 (2009)

Archer is from the same artists behind Sealab 2021 and Frisky Dingo so if you're an Adult Swim fan (esp. also of The Venture Bros. and Assy McGee) you should enjoy this new offering. Top agent Sterling Archer (H. Jon Benjamin, also the voice of Coach McGurk in Home Movies) sounds a bit like Patrick Warburton with ADD and has ribald scenes in the pilot episode (such as "Hello, my cayenne kitten!" where he admits shooting but not with his high-powered rifle). Working for his mom as the top agent at ISIS, Archer recently broke up with sexpot agent Lana Kane (Aisha Tyler), who is now with Comptroller Cyril Figgis (Chris Parnell), whom Archer must train as an agent. Trouble is, Archer is usually so drunk or devil-may-care that he can be deadly to anyone within his line-of-sight (or a ricochet). Sexual comments, double entendres, and scenes of languorous women abound. (And wow, Lana has some pretty sick fantasies.) It's all a spoof of the James Bond scene so enjoy the laughs. The artwork and voice talent are very realistic and en pointe. Archer is about as rapid-fire and funny as Robot Chicken. The fifth episode is more cohesive and much funnier than the pilot and first two episodes though as hypermacho Archer banters through a mission to seduce a gay Cuban subversive while countering two gay Miami assassins. Episode 1: Training Day, 2: Mole Hunt, 3: Diversity Hire, 4: Killing Utne, 5: Honeypot. (6: Skorpio will air Feb. 11. This review will be updated.) 4 stars. (1-14 updated 2-4-10)