Common Sense Media Review
By Sierra Filucci
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
A bizarre blip in the quasi-cartoon universe.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
What's the Story?
Live-action comedy series SAUL OF THE MOLE MEN follows a geologist/explorer named Saul (Josh Gardner) who's stranded in the center of the earth. After his drill ship crashes and most of the passengers die gory, comic deaths, hapless bespectacled Saul explores his underground landing site. Along with his fellow travelers -- a grumpy robot and a pod-encapsulated transvestite -- Saul discovers that this subterranean world is populated by human-sized mole creatures who interact with each other in a variety of ways. One mole-father tries to teach his mole-son to dig in the dirt using their large claws, while another duo, an adult male and female, engage in a version of a sexual encounter involving a pineapple. Filmed primarily against a green screen, the show takes its inspiration from classic sci-fi shows like Land of the Lost and Star Trek.
Is It Any Good?
With a wink toward the 1970s shows it parodies, Saul's sets, props, and costumes look altogether fake. No Matrix-like special effects here: Rocks that supposedly crush crew members look as light as papier-mâché, and the Mole Men's costumes might have been picked up in a fabric store bargain bin.
This bizarre show is part of the Cartoon Network's late-night, grown-up-oriented Adult Swim programming. Tweens and teens might enjoy the show's strange humor, but parents may want to preview it for sexual content before giving it the OK. Some sexual innuendo may fly over younger kids' heads, but jokes about amputated genitals will be perfectly clear (although the actual genitals are blurred).
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the show's brand of humor. Do you think the show is funny? In general, do the younger folks in your family find the show funnier than the adults do? If so, why do you think that is? What kind of humor does the show rely on? What's unique about the comedy in this show? Who do you think the show is trying to appeal to? Why?
TV Details
- Premiere date : February 11, 2007
- Cast : Frank Potenza , Hugh Davidson , Josh Gardner
- Network : Cartoon Network
- Genre : Comedy
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 20, 2019
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