Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy (NR, 2009)

SETH MACFARLANE'S CAVALCADE OF CARTOON COMEDY may look, to a casual observer, much like a collection of classic animated short films from days gone by. There's the Roadrunner and the Coyote; Star Trek characters make a few appearances; wise-cracking animals abound, and there are even some fractured fairy tales. But these cartoons are definitely not for kids; instead of slapstick hijinks, expect characters who are more interested in drinking and sex. And when there is violence, it's more likely to be realistic and gory. Put it this way: the Frog Prince asks the princess to give him a lot more than just a kiss, and when the speedy roadrunner is crushed under a boulder, the result is an unpleasant puddle of bloody grossness.

Anyone familiar with MacFarlane's work (see The Family Guy, which is known for its adult take on the standard, family-oriented sit-com) will quickly recognize his unique sensibilities here. It's rude and crude, and in pushing the cartoon-shock value envelope can veer into territory that some viewers will probably find offensive (anyone up for graphic close-ups of animal genitalia?).

The main problem here isn't the raunch, however; it's the lack of laughs. McFarlane is trying so hard to be outrageous that the script just isn't that entertaining. His idea of humor is to start with a familiar situation and then tweak it by introducing a dose of realism, usually driven by lust or liquor, or both. Sometimes this works – after finally, amazingly, catching the Roadrunner, the Coyote finds he has no purpose in life. But many other sketches have little to sustain them – one short episode is based solely on the premise that Star Trek's Mr. Sulu probably sounds funny when he's having sex. He doesn't, and like too many of these animated shorts, it's not very funny to watch, either.