Committed (Canadian TV series)
Committed is a Canadian animated sitcom based on the comic strip of the same name by Michael Fry.[1] Produced by Nelvana and Philippine Animators Group, the series aired on CTV from March 3 to June 8, 2001, and was broadcast by WE: Women's Entertainment in the United States.[2]
| Committed | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Animated sitcom |
| Created by | Michael Fry Mary Feller |
| Based on | Committed by Michael Fry |
| Developed by | Howard Nemetz |
| Written by | Michael Fry |
| Directed by | Dennis Miller |
| Voices of | Eugene Levy Catherine O'Hara Andrea Martin Dave Foley Annick Obonsawin Charlotte Arnold Cole Caplan |
| Theme music composer | Steve Mooney |
| Opening theme | Trisha Yearwood |
| Country of origin | Canada Philippines |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Annie Groovie |
| Producer | Frank Saperstein |
| Editor | Kelly Vrooman |
| Running time | approx. 23 minutes |
| Production companies | CTV Philippine Animators Group Nelvana |
| Release | |
| Original network | CTV |
| Original release | March 3 – June 8, 2001 |
Content
The show is based on the comic strip of the same name. It features father Joe Larsen, his wife Liz, their children, Tracy, Zelda, and Nicholas; and their pet dog, Bob. The show's comedy focuses on the parents' attempts to balance their careers and personal lives while raising their children. Interludes of the cartoon feature Bob acting as a Greek chorus.[3] Bob also breaks the fourth wall throughout the series.
The show features celebrity voice talents such as Eugene Levy as Joe Larsen, Catherine O' Hara as Liz Larsen, Andrea Martin as Frances Wilder, and Dave Foley as Bob the Dog.
Cast
- Eugene Levy as Joe Larsen
- Catherine O'Hara as Liz Larsen
- Andrea Martin as Frances Wilder
- Dave Foley as Bob the Dog
- Annick Obonsawin as Tracy Larsen
- Charlotte Arnold as Zelda Larsen
- Cole Caplan as Nicholas Larsen
- Oscar Hsu as Gary Wong
- Ron Pardo as Cal
- Linda Kash as Val
- Len Carlson as Additional Voices
- Greg Spottiswood as Additional Voices
- Adrian Truss as Additional Voices
Episodes
| No. | Title | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Liz's Choice" | |
| When the babysitter quits, working parents Liz and Joe Larsen have to scramble to find childcare for their two-year-old potty training Nicholas. | ||
| 2 | "Time Waits For No Mom" | |
| Liz faces a performance review at work, while trying to keep track of three sick kids and a husband facing a writing deadline. | ||
| 3 | "Mom On Strike" | |
| Liz comes home from work to find the house a mess and her family oblivious. | ||
| 4 | "My Daughter The Star" | |
| After ten-year-old Tracy gets a part in an experimental school play, Joe and Liz disagree about how to best encourage her new-found interest in acting. | ||
| 5 | "Two Minutes to Paradise" | |
| Having scheduled a romantic date night, Liz ends up reassessing the state of her marriage while waiting for Joe to watch the last two minutes of a championship basketball game. | ||
| 6 | "www.joie-de-tot.com" | |
| Joie de Tot, Nicholas' daycare center, has just installed a web cam so the parents can watch their kids during the day. | ||
| 7 | "Life Goes On, Bra" | |
| When Tracy decides she needs a bra, Liz is forced to face the reality that her little girl is becoming a pre-woman. | ||
| 8 | "Who Wants To Be A Crillionaire?" | |
| On a field trip, an eight-year-old Zelda's bus has a minor accident. | ||
| 9 | "Be My Guest" | |
| The new next-door neighbors ask the Larsens to dog-sit in their all-new, cutting edge computer controlled home. | ||
| 10 | "Married To The Mob Rat" | |
| Liz discovers that Zelda's Girl Tracker cookie drive is not only controlled by the mob, but that the cookies are made by her company. | ||
| 11 | "There Must Be a Pony" | |
| Liz suggests to a bored Zelda that she throw herself into hobby. | ||
| 12 | "The College Slush Fund" | |
| After a career day at school, Zelda and Tracy discover that going to college costs money. | ||
| 13 | "Beauty Is In The Eye of the Beholden" | |
| Liz questions her attractiveness when Joe is picked to judge "The Miss Downloadable" beauty contest. | ||
Critical reception
Lynne Heffley of The Los Angeles Times gave the show a mostly-negative review, stating that "Not even the show's few moments of genuinely resonant parental reality can overcome forced plotlines".[4]
References
- Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. p. 210. ISBN 978-1476665993.
- "WE: Women's Entertainment Enters the World of Animation With October 6th Premiere of 'Committed' – AMC Networks Inc".
- "Levy Committed to comedy". Montreal Gazette. Canadian Press. March 10, 2001. pp. D7. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
- "'Committed' feels like a sentence". The Los Angeles Times. October 5, 2002. pp. F22. Retrieved April 27, 2022.