Fox Media Inc.
Gods, men and monsters live side by side in Fox’s animated “Krapopolis,” produced by Dan Harmon.
CNN –
The lack of new scripted series due to the writers’ strike means that “Krapopolis” and “The Irrational” stand out on the major networks, but only in terms of novelty, not freshness. In fact, a tired Fox animated sitcom and a very popular NBC crime drama are just a reminder of what not to miss.
Although “Krapopolis” was produced by “Rick and Morty” actor Dan Harmon, it largely feels like a title in search of a series centered around a mythical Greek kingdom where humans, gods and monsters all live rubbing elbows without eliciting much laughter.
King Tyrannus (voiced by Richard Ayoade) is actually a fairly benevolent monarch, serving as the mortal son of the goddess Deliria (“Ted Lasso’s” Hannah Waddingham) and the centaur-like Shlub (Matt Berry), the latter cheerfully telling him, “Evil monsters kill.” People. Good monsters have sex with humans.”
For the most part, “Krapopolis” largely seems to exist to throw out cheeky names (Stupendous, Hippocampus, Asskill) and even broader references to the present of this completely over-the-top society where warring kingdoms hold games to promote harmony and people say things like ” Zeus forbid.” .”
While the first two episodes (premiering after NFL football before being sandwiched between “The Simpsons” and “Bob’s Burgers” next week) prove almost relentlessly flat – and just too often strange – the third offers a little insight into myself hope for something better and focuses on how these wild people domesticated wolves, in a not-so-subtle riff on how dogs became man’s best friends.
However, in most cases it is an outlier. And while it’s not advisable to judge a book by its cover, in this case it’s pretty easy to identify a television show that seems determined to live up to its title.
Sergei Bachlakov/NBC
Jesse L. Martin and Maahra Hill solve crimes in “The Irrational.”
As for The Irrational, Jesse L. Martin joins a long line of brilliant civilians who lend their crime-solving expertise to the police, making you wonder how the police ever got anything done without them.
In this case, Martin’s Alec Mercer is a renowned professor of behavioral sciences who has been called in to assist with a particularly challenging, high-profile case. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that he has some experience with the police, having been involved in his own investigation, which vaguely hangs around as an ongoing mystery in the series and contributed to his breakup with his ex-wife (Maahra Hill). , who also happens to be a detective.
A veteran of the CW’s “Law & Order” and, more recently, “The Flash,” Martin is good company to hold his end of the bargain, but only for those truly hungry for another variation on “The Mentalist” or “Castle.” , “Psych.” or “Numb3rs” – or maybe just something to watch after “The Voice” – will find plenty to get your teeth into here.
“I can find out what he’s hiding,” Alec assures the detectives in a later episode as they attempt to question a witness, almost as if he were performing a magic trick.
That he can do it. It’s just a shame that “The Irrational” doesn’t have a little more in store.
“Krapopolis” premieres September 24th at 8pm ET on Fox.
“The Irrational” premieres September 25th at 10pm ET on NBC.