The Brak Show (Cartoon Network)

THE BRAK SHOW -- a spin-off of Space Ghost: Coast to Coast -- is an animated comedy that airs as part of the Cartoon Network's late-night Adult Swim. It's a spoof on traditional domestic sitcoms like I Love Lucy (it even features a Cuban husband). The titular character (voiced by Andy Merrill) is a young alien boy whose friends include Zorak (C. Martin Croker), a fiendish alien praying mantis. Brak's traditionally styled mother (Marsha Crenshaw and, later, Joanna Daniel) -- who wears an apron and dishwashing gloves but has Brak's alien eyes -- spars frequently with her shrink-ray victim husband (George Lowe), who usually sits at the kitchen table reading a newspaper and is generally lazy and incompetent, sometimes making chauvinistic comments to his wife. The show's storylines are generally brief forays into the absurd (each is only 15 minutes long).

Jokes about sex, sexism, and beer -- along with twisted examples of family and friend relationships -- mean that this show isn't for young viewers. Teens with a twisted sense of humor might enjoy it, and most will understand the satirical elements. But parents might want to check in with teens about the less-obvious humor regarding gender.