Yakkity Yak (Nicktoons)

YAKKITY YAK relates the adventures of a teenage yak whose life dream is to be a comedian. His best friend is a hyper-intelligent kid with a pineapple for a head, and he lives with Granny Yak, who rents a room to a mad scientist with crazy hair who actually looks remarkably like a pineapple himself. Each 30-minute episode consists of two short segments, in which Yakkity tries to achieve something in the dumbest way possible, his friend Keo tries to rescue him, and both of them usually end up suffering for their schemes in one way or another. The day is never saved, and lessons are never learned.

This cartoon isn't quite ironic, isn't quite clever, and isn't quite funny. It's not a storytelling cartoon, an adventure, or filled with Looney Tunes-style antics. It isn't really quite anything. But it is a mild although mindless program -- there's no excessive violence, no swearing, no sexual overtones. Call it starter junk TV.