The Oblongs Explained

Runtime:	22 minutes
Opentheme:	"Oblongs" by They Might Be Giants
Composer:	David Michael Frank David Schwartz
Country:	United States
Company:	Oblong Productions Film Roman Jobsite Productions Mohawk Productions Warner Bros. Television
Network:	The WB
Network2:	Adult Swim
Num Seasons:	1
Num Episodes:	13

The Oblongs is an American adult animated sitcom created by Angus Oblong and Jace Richdale. It was Mohawk Productions' first venture into animation. The series premiered on April 1, 2001, on The WB, and was cancelled due to low ratings on May 20, leaving the last five episodes unaired.^[1] The remaining episodes were later aired on Cartoon Network's late-night programming block Adult Swim in August 2002, with the series premiering on the network in production order. The series is loosely based on a series of characters introduced in a picture book entitled Creepy Susie and 13 Other Tragic Tales for Troubled Children.^[2]

Three networks had a bidding war to win the rights to turn Angus Oblong's characters into a series: Fox, the WB, and ABC. Warner Bros. won the bidding to turn Oblong's characters into a series; and thus, the series was submitted to the WB. The show was produced by Film Roman, Oblong Productions, Jobsite Productions and Mohawk Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, and the theme song for the series was composed and performed by They Might Be Giants. This was the only animated series to date to have been produced by Bruce Helford under Mohawk.

A total of 13 episodes were produced. All thirteen episodes of The Oblongs were released on DVD on October 4, 2005.

Setting and premise

The series focuses on the antics of a mutant family who live in a poor valley community. As a result of pollution and radiation exposure, they are all either disabled, deformed, or mutated. The pollution is the direct result of the lavish lifestyle of the rich community known as "The Hills", whose residents exploit and harm the valley residents with absolutely no regard for their safety or well-being.

Many reviewers and fans see the series as a commentary on social stratification.^[3]

Characters

The Oblong family

• Bob Oblong (voiced by Will Ferrell) – Born with no arms or legs, Bob works at a poison factory called Globocide. Despite his deformities, he is very chipper and has a happy-go-lucky attitude. He is married to Pickles and is the father of Biff, Chip, Milo, and Beth. He mostly uses his mouth for tasking and moving his torso in ways that can help him get around.
• Marie Kay "Pickles" Oblong (voiced by Jean Smart) is a chain smoking alcoholic who was originally a Hill resident but moved to the valley after marrying Bob. Due to the hazardous atmosphere of The Valley, all of her hair has since fallen out (something which is usually hidden by an extremely tall blonde beehive wig), and she is now regarded as an outcast by her former Hill friends. While not bitter about losing her privileged life, she often expresses disdain towards her self-centered former neighbors in the Hills. She is the mother of Biff, Chip, Milo, and Beth, whom she loves dearly as much as she does her husband.
• Biff Oblong and Chip Oblong (voiced by Randy and Jason Sklar respectively) are 15-year-old conjoined twins who are attached at the waist and share a middle leg. Biff is a hard worker obsessed with sports while Chip is more laid back. It is frequently implied that Biff is gay and attracted to their unnamed gym teacher.^[4]
• Milo Oblong (voiced by Pamela Adlon) is the youngest son who is afflicted with numerous mental and social disorders. Despite his afflictions, he is a very forthright and benevolent boy, though he envies the Hill lifestyle and wishes to rise above his economic status. He has a single hair sticking up on his head, a squint in one eye, and wears a shirt that says "NO".
• Beth Oblong (voiced by Jeannie Elias) is the youngest child and only daughter, she has a warty, elongated growth growing out of her head. Despite her appendage, she is shown to be better adjusted than the rest of her family.

Recurring characters

• Helga Phugly (voiced by Lea DeLaria) is an overweight, toad-like girl who holds the delusional belief that she is pretty and popular.
• Creepy Susie (voiced by Jeannie Elias) is a melancholic goth girl who speaks with a deadpan French accent and appears to float instead of walk as her legs are never shown.
• Peggy Weggy (voiced by Becky Thyre) is a girl who has one breast and lacks a lower jaw, causing her to spit and talk with a lisp. Despite her deformities, Peggy is cheerful and upbeat.
• Mikey Butts (voiced by Jeannie Elias) is a boy saddled with a dangling, doubled posterior.

Broadcast

The show premiered on April 1, 2001, on The WB but failed to find an audience. On May 20, 2001, The WB aired "Disfigured Debbie", the second episode produced, as the season finale, leaving five episodes unaired. Reruns of the first eight episodes, and the five remaining episodes, premiered on Cartoon Network's late-night programming block, Adult Swim, from August 4 to October 27, 2002, and the entire series was rerun on the block until December 26, 2015.

In Canada, the series aired on Teletoon as part of "Teletoon Unleashed". In Australia, the show premiered on the Nine Network on December 8, 2001,^[5] however due to insufficient ratings, it was withdrawn after one episode,^[6] but was eventually shown in a late-night/early morning time slot. The series aired from November 5, 2004 to September 29, 2006, on TBS's late-night programming block, Too Funny To Sleep. The series aired on TBS again from April 15, 2013 to February 20, 2015.

Home media

The entire series was released on two-disc DVD set in the United States on October 4, 2005.

Awards and nominations

The Oblongs won the Artios award in 2001 for Best Casting for Animated Voiceover – Television Mary V. Buck Susan Edelman.^[9]

Notes and References

1. Book: Erickson, Hal . Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 . 2005 . . 978-1476665993 . 2nd . 593–594.
2. Book: Perlmutter, David . The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows . 2018 . . 978-1538103739 . 434.
3. News: Mink . Eric . March 30, 2001 . 'The Oblongs' Shapes Up As a Toxic Treat . November 26, 2012 . New York Daily News.
4. Web site: Howe . Nicholas . September 28, 2019 . 10 Jokes from The Oblongs That Have Already Aged Poorly . live . https://archive.today/20210922020514/https://screenrant.com/oblings-jokes-not-funny-outdated/ . September 22, 2021 . September 21, 2021 . Screen Rant.
5. Web site: Nine's Summer Programming Blitz . December 2, 2009 . Encore Magazine.
6. News: Off-Beat Cartoon Gets Chop. . December 2, 2009 . The Mercury.
7. Web site: Kim . Mike . 4 October 2005 . The Oblongs – The Complete Series (2001) . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20110505231124/http://www.amazon.com/Oblongs-Complete-Mike-Kim/dp/B000ABKHZC . 5 May 2011 . July 6, 2011 . Amazon.com.
8. Web site: Lacey . Gord . May 12, 2005 . The Oblongs – Oblongs Back Shot and Specs . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121019211644/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Oblongs/3408 . October 19, 2012 . July 6, 2011 . TVShowsOnDVD.com.
9. Web site: Artios Award Winners . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120409212716/http://www.castingsociety.com/press/42-artios-awards/80-previous-artios-awardr-winners#2001 . April 9, 2012 . July 6, 2011 . Casting Society of America.