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The Freak Brothers

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The Freak Brothers
The show's name is written in gold letters against a white background.
GenreAdult animation
Animated sitcom
Based onThe Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers
by Gilbert Shelton
Developed byDaniel Lehrer
Jeremy Lehrer-Craiwer
Courtney Solomon
Alan R. Cohen
Alan Freeland
Voices ofPete Davidson
Woody Harrelson
John Goodman
Tiffany Haddish
Liza Del Mundo
Andrea Savage
La La Anthony
Phil LaMarr
Adam Devine
Blake Anderson
Theme music composerRay Vaughn
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes16
Production
Executive producersCourtney Solomon
Mark Canton
Alan R. Cohen
Alan Freeland
Woody Harrelson
Tiffany Haddish
Pete Davidson
Adam DeVine
Blake Anderson
James A. Fino[a]
Simon Ore Molina[a]
Casey Rup[a]
Joshua R. Wexler
Sanjee K. Gupta
Gilbert Shelton
Manfred Mroczkowski
Top Dawg
Daniel Lehrer[b]
Jeremy Lehrer-Craiwer[b]
Jeffery S. Edell[c]
Boyce Bugliari[d]
Jamie McLaughln[d]
Production companiesLionsgate Television
WTG Enterprises
Pure Imagination Studios
Starburns Industries[a]
Original release
NetworkTubi
ReleaseNovember 14, 2021 (2021-11-14) –
present

The Freak Brothers is an American adult animated sitcom based on the underground comic The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers by Gilbert Shelton. The first season was aired from November 14 to December 26, 2021 on the streaming service Tubi and featured the voices of Pete Davidson, Woody Harrelson, and John Goodman as the titular Freak Brothers. Tiffany Haddish voices the brothers' cat. In May 2022, the show was renewed for a second season which aired on June 25, 2023.[1][2]

Synopsis

In 1969, during Woodstock and the "Summer of Love",[note 1] three stoners living in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco, Phineas, Franklin, and Fat Freddy, manage to obtain a chemical that will supposedly bring them to a new and ultimate high. The resulting high leaves them in stasis for just over fifty years and they wake up in the year 2020. While they are initially startled to discover that the three had been living under their home, the current homeowners, Harper and Noah Switzer, allow them to remain and acclimate themselves to the vast amount of changes that have occurred over the years. During this time Franklin slowly develops a romance with Gretchen, Harper's sister who also lives on the property.

Cast

Development and release

Plans to create a series based on Gilbert Shelton's underground comic The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers were first announced at Comic-Con in 2019, where it was also announced that Davidson, Harrelson, and Goodman would voice the titular characters.[3] The series was greenlit by WTG Enterprises and would be made up of eight episodes, each of which would be 22-minutes long. The series was shopped around to various networks before it was picked up by Tubi, making it the first original animated series released by the platform.[4][5] The show's theme was composed and performed by Ray Vaughn.[6] In April 2021, it was announced that Lionsgate Television has picked up the series, with Savage and Anthony joining the cast.[7]

While developing the first seasons writers and crew noted that there were elements of the original comic book series that needed to be toned down for the modern day. They used the "fish out of water" concept to create a commentary that executive producer Courtney Solomon has described as using the Brothers to look at "what's actually more screwed up now than it even was back then” and vice versa." Solomon also noted that they wanted to proceed with caution when it came to some topics and humor, something that they planned on changing with future seasons.[8] In May 2022, the show was renewed for a second season.[9]

Release

The first two episodes of The Freak Brothers premiered on Tubi on November 14, 2021. The remaining six episodes were then released on a weekly basis every Sunday.[5]

Episodes

Series overview

SeasonEpisodesOriginally released
First releasedLast released
Shorts3May 6, 2020 (2020-05-06)October 13, 2020 (2020-10-13)
18November 14, 2021 (2021-11-14)December 26, 2021 (2021-12-26)
284June 25, 2023 (2023-06-25)
4September 24, 2023 (2023-09-24)

Shorts

Prior to Tubi picking up the series three minisodes were released. Written by Daniel and Jeremy Lehrer, the minisodes were released starting on May 6, 2020.[10] Scenes from the minisodes can be seen in the opening credits for the series and the song featured in the third minisode was reused for the pilot.

No.TitleOriginal air date
1"Kentucky Fried Freaks"May 6, 2020 (2020-05-06)
Having woken up 51 years in the future, the three Brothers learn that the recipe for Kentucky Fried Chicken has changed. Learning that Donald Trump has the only bucket of the true original recipe, they go to the White House and demand that he hand over the chicken. A fight ensues, during which time nuclear weapons are launched upon Washington DC. The episode ends with them gaining the chicken and eating it on top of the White House as the surrounding area is destroyed.
2"Ryan & The Reefer Factory"July 14, 2020 (2020-07-14)
The Brothers are given the ability to tour Ryan's Reefer Factory, where they were planning on stealing the "Everlasting Doobie". They're greeted by Ryan Seacrest and distract him by pushing him into his ganja river. They make it to the doobie but set off a weight sensitive alarm. They're confronted by Seacrest's forces, led by Peter Dinklage. Franklin unintentionally angers Dinklage, who attacks them with a sword. They are able to escape, but land in raw sewage. Seacrest briefly retrieves the doobie before it's retaken by Kitty.
3"Are You Ready For An Edible"October 13, 2020 (2020-10-13)
In 1969 the three smoke a concoction created by Phineas, which physically teleports them to 2020. They immediately enter a dispensary, where they learn that weed is legal. They then take part in a song and dance routine about the joys of legal weed. The episode ends with them getting tasered by the police, revealing that they had ransacked the store while they imagined the song.

Season 1 (2021)

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
11"Pilot"Dominic PolcinoUnknownNovember 14, 2021 (2021-11-14)
Franklin, Phineas, Freddy, and Kitty are hippies living in San Francisco during 1969. The four travel to Woodstock in search of Swami Bhajan, who is believed to hold the secret to the ultimate high. They obtain an elixir from him and return to their home in San Francisco, where they apply it to some weed and smoke it in their secret room, after which they go into a catatonic state for 51 years. When they awaken they discover that everything has changed and their home is now owned by Harper and Noah Switzer. They are thrown out of the home, despite the protestations of social-advocate lawyer Gretchen, Harper's sister who also lives on the property's guest house.
22"Squatters Rights"Jeanette Moreno KingUnknownNovember 14, 2021 (2021-11-14)
Now at risk of becoming homeless, the trio approach Gretchen for assistance remaining in the home. She files a legal case, arguing that as they remained on the property all this time, that they are entitled to squatter's rights. Meanwhile, the trio decides to try traveling back in time by re-growing the weed they smoked years ago and obtaining the elixir from the Swami, who now works as a greeter at a local big-box store. While they are successful in obtaining the weed and elixir, the attempt ultimately ends with them discovering that the combination only put them in stasis and did not cause them to time travel. Their appeal through the court is also met with failure and Harper is allowed to evict the trio. This causes some momentary strife between Harper and Gretchen, which is only broken when Phineas comes to Harper's defense, stating that she is only doing this to protect her family. This compassion sways Harper, who allows the Brothers to remain tenants as long as they pay rent and remain in their underground room.
33"The Expendables"Juan Jose Meza-LeonUnknownNovember 28, 2021 (2021-11-28)
In order to gain rent the Brothers go out in search of jobs. Through Kitty's trickery, they end up gaining employment as astronauts with Jeff Bezos's Blue Origins, unaware that he plans on sending them on a one-way trip.
44"Son of a Freak"Dominic PolcinoUnknownNovember 28, 2021 (2021-11-28)
While attending a UFC competition Phineas discovers that one of the fighters bears a strong resemblance to him. After learning that the fighter has a lucrative career and is unaware of his father's identity, Phineas is more than happy to assume that the fighter is a child he fathered during the 60s. The fighter then spends a large amount of time around the Switzer household, in the process developing a sexual relationship with Gretchen. This angers Franklin, as he has been developing feelings for Gretchen, which are implied to be mutual. Ultimately he submits the fighter's DNA to a genealogical service, which matches him with his true father. The fighter then abandons Gretchen and Phineas, the latter of whom had been training him up to this point, in favor of his biological father.
55"Bo-Freakien Rap-Sody"Dominic PolcinoUnknownDecember 5, 2021 (2021-12-05)
While in search of weed, the Brothers meet the rapper ScHoolboy Q. Their encounter is initially positive, however, it quickly turns sour when Freddy crashes ScHoolboy Q's solid gold golf cart into a lake and the rapper swears revenge until they have paid off the cost of the cart. This ultimately culminates in ScHoolboy Q kidnapping Kitty and several other cats Gretchen obtained for use in a therapy program involving ex-convicts. Hoping to impress Gretchen, Franklin pushes for the trio to raid ScHoolboy Q's yacht. They are inevitably caught and forced to roll joints until they have paid off Freddy's debt. They make short work of their task, impressing ScHoolboy Q. This peace is short-lived, as the Brothers end up sinking the yacht, reviving the rapper's grudge. Despite this, the Brothers manage to return the cats and save Gretchen's event.
66"Gender No-Binary"Joe EkersUnknownDecember 12, 2021 (2021-12-12)

Phineas and Freddy attend a tech convention, where one exhibitor is promoting their line of detailed robot girlfriends that can provide companionship and sex. One of the robots, Tess, goes AWOL after seeing Phineas, who is initially unaware of her true nature and quickly falls in love with her. When he discovers Tess's robot nature Phineas is shocked, but ultimately determines this is irrelevant as he enjoys her company. This joy is short-lived as the exhibitor eventually reclaims and reprograms Tess, removing any memories she may have of Phineas. During this, Freddy starts a relationship with a sex worker claiming to be a robot, eventually admitting to her own façade when she discovers that her treatment is not worth any potential money, which she also learns she will never receive from Freddy.

Meanwhile, Franklin has joined Gretchen's book group in an attempt to attract her attention but instead ends up sexually attracting all of her friends. Noticing her nonchalance at discovering him in a sexual situation with one of the women, Franklin pursues sexual relationships with the other book group members. This eventually turns exploitative, as all of the women see him as a tool to be used for their sexual pleasure as opposed to a person. Gretchen ultimately comes to his rescue and scolds the others for treating him as a "dildo in a cowboy hat". When pressed about her own feelings, Gretchen admits her attraction to Franklin.
77"The Candidate"Dominic PolcinoUnknownDecember 19, 2021 (2021-12-19)
Harper and Gretchen find themselves at odds due to San Francisco's mayoral race, as each backs an opposing candidate. Gretchen finds herself without a candidate when hers withdraws, as he is canceled by the public after a compromising photo is discovered. Freddy, at Franklin's insistence, ends up becoming the new party candidate after a video of him bathing goes viral. Phineas is irritated by the entire process and refuses to vote, claiming he was soured to politics in the 1960s due to Bernie Sanders co-opting his idea for democratic socialism. He is reluctantly pulled into the party, only to leave in favor of backing Harper's candidate Dennis Chang when the others ignore him. The political race comes to an end when Freddy is himself canceled due to his skin yellowing, as his campaigning was done entirely via a portable bathtub. The public assumes that he is adopting yellowface to mock Chang and abandon his campaign. Ultimately neither candidate wins and the mayorship is won by Pimco, a handicapped minor character who had thus far in the series been part of a series of running jokes.
88"Freakchella"Dominic PolcinoUnknownDecember 26, 2021 (2021-12-26)
The Brothers attend a music festival, where Phineas and Freddy discover that Jim Morrison is still alive and is posing as a hologram. He informs them that he time travels using a portal located at the Four Corners, inviting them to return with him. Franklin is reluctant to return as he has started a relationship with Gretchen as well as a new job as the muse of performer Taylor Swift. He ends up driving them to the portal using Swift's tour bus when they learn that ScHoolboy Q is intent on murdering them all, in the process learning that their old nemesis Norberg the Narc is also on the bus. The trio evade death when ScHoolboy Q and Norberg are sucked into the portal along with Jim Morrison but are unable to enter it themselves before it disappears. They return home, where they are horrified to learn that this had a butterfly effect on history, as weed is now illegal. Kitty then wakes from a nightmare, implying that the last part did not happen. The episode ends with the portal reopening in their backyard and ScHoolboy Q returning from the past, informing them that he is now back.

Season 2 (2023)

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date [11][12]
91"Whack Shack"UnknownUnknownJune 25, 2023 (2023-06-25)
102"True Freak-Tectivel"UnknownUnknownJune 25, 2023 (2023-06-25)
113"High School Reunion"UnknownUnknownJune 25, 2023 (2023-06-25)
124"The Freaks Go to Washington"UnknownUnknownJune 25, 2023 (2023-06-25)
135"Trans Trans Am"UnknownUnknownSeptember 24, 2023 (2023-09-24)
146"Pet Condoms"UnknownUnknownSeptember 24, 2023 (2023-09-24)
157"Meataverse"UnknownUnknownSeptember 24, 2023 (2023-09-24)
168"Freaking Bad"UnknownUnknownSeptember 24, 2023 (2023-09-24)

Future seasons

In an interview with Animation World News Solomon and Mark Canton stated that there were plans for a second and third season of the show and that the second season would introduce new characters.[8] On May 2, 2022 Tubi announced that they had officially renewed the show for a second season, marking the first series renewal for the service. The second season is to be made up of eight episodes.[13] It was originally slated to be released in December 2022 but the first four episodes of season 2 were released on June 25, 2023.[14][2] The remaining episodes were released on September 24, 2023.[11]

Reception

Viewership

Tubi has reported that the pilot episode was the most heavily watched episode on their platform,[15][16] based on total viewer time, and that the show as a whole was the second most popular series on Tubi during the first seven weeks of release.[13][17]

Critical reception

Upon release the show was reviewed by multiple outlets. Decider praised the decision to cast Davidson, Harrelson, and Goodman as the show's titular Freak Brothers, a sentiment shared by Den of Geek.[18] CBR also had praise for the voice acting and the chemistry between the cast, while also noting that the cast helped elevate the show "from being just a cartoonish, drug-oriented sitcom."[19]

Common elements of criticism centered upon humor and animation. Den of Geek felt that the animation was "a little too slick for what The Freak Brothers is trying to capture" and that lower quality animation "would have worked better, giving the series more of an alternative entertainment glow over the easy-to-visually-digest clean lines."[20] Texas Monthly was critical of the series, advising readers to skip the series and read the original comics instead as they wrote that "There’s something lazy about the show, a sense that all you need to do is roll out the boys, tell a few weed jokes, and get some easy laughs."[21] In a review for a Fantagraphics Books published collection of the original comics, The Comics Journal expressed a similar statement that the animated series was inferior to the original works.[22]

Per Solomon and Canton, they showed the episodes to Shelton, noting his response that "What he said was, "I'm mostly happy." And that was a big compliment. Somebody who's worked with him for 50 years told us, "That's as big as it gets with Gilbert. That's it." So, Mark and I are sort of the same way. We're mostly happy, but we're never going to get too entirely happy. We just keep trying to make it better."[8]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d season 1 only
  2. ^ a b Credited as co-executive producer.
  3. ^ co-executive producer; season 1
  4. ^ a b Credited as co-executive producer; season 2-present

References

Notes

  1. ^ The pilot episode names 1969 as the "Summer of Love"; the social phenomenon is historically considered to have occurred during 1967.

References

  1. ^ Petski, Denise (2022-05-02). "'The Freak Brothers' Renewed For Season 2 By Tubi; Pete Davidson, Tiffany Haddish Among Voice Cast Set To Return". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
  2. ^ a b Milligan, Mercedes (May 22, 2023). "Season 2 of 'The Freak Brothers' Lights Up Tubi's Summer Lineup June 25". Animation Magazine. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  3. ^ Pedersen, Erik (2020-05-07). "'The Freak Brothers': Woody Harrelson, John Goodman, Pete Davidson & Tiffany Haddish Set As Leads For Toon Series Based On Cult Comics". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
  4. ^ Pedersen, Erik (2019-07-13). "'Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers' Set As Adult Toon Series From Mark Canton & Others; 'Workaholics' Duo Leads Cast". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
  5. ^ a b Porter, Rick (2021-10-19). "Fox's Tubi Snags 'Freak Brothers' Animated Series". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
  6. ^ Amorosi, A. D. (2021-04-20). "TDE's Anthony 'Top Dawg' Tiffith, ScHoolboy Q Join 'Freak Brothers' Reboot (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
  7. ^ White, Peter (2021-04-12). "'The Freak Brothers': Andrea Savage & La La Anthony Join Animated Series As Lionsgate Boards Adaptation Of Cult Comic Starring Woody Harrelson, John Goodman, Pete Davidson & Tiffany Haddish". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
  8. ^ a b c "'The Freak Brothers': This is Your Humor on Drugs". Animation World Network. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
  9. ^ Burton, Carson (2022-05-02). "'The Freak Brothers' Renewed for Season 2 at Tubi in Streamer's First Ever Renewal". Variety. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
  10. ^ Schwarz, John (April 12, 2021). "Lionsgate Gets the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers as the Cast Adds Two". Bubble Blather.
  11. ^ a b "The Freak Brothers: Season 2 Exclusive Red Band Trailer - IGN". 16 June 2023.
  12. ^ "Shows A-Z – The Freak Brothers on Tubi". The Futon Critic. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  13. ^ a b Burton, Carson (2022-05-02). "'The Freak Brothers' Renewed for Season 2 at Tubi in Streamer's First Ever Renewal". Variety. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
  14. ^ "TUBI'S HIT SERIES "THE FREAK BROTHERS" RETURNS FOR A SECOND SEASON, MARKING STREAMER'S FIRST-EVER SERIES RENEWAL". TubiTV Corporate. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  15. ^ Barnes, Jess (2021-11-22). "Tubi's 'The Freak Brothers' is Most Watched on the Free Streaming Service". Cord Cutters News. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
  16. ^ Schwarz, John (2021-11-23). "Ratings Report 11/23: FOX's AniDom Ratings Success Extends To Tubi's The Freak Brothers; New Clip For "The Great North"". Bubbleblabber. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
  17. ^ Zahed, Ramin (2021-11-24). "'Freak Brothers' Exec Producers Canton and Solomon Take Us on a Wild Ride, Man!". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
  18. ^ Budowski, Jane (2021-11-15). "'The Freak Brothers' Tubi Review: Stream It Or Skip It?". Decider. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
  19. ^ Zachary, Brandon (2021-11-14). "The Freak Brothers Brings the 60s Stoners Into the 21st Century - And It Mostly Works". CBR. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
  20. ^ Sokol, Tony (2021-11-12). "The Freak Brothers Review: Tubi Series Updates Some Old Gold". Den of Geek. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
  21. ^ Vognar, Chris (2021-12-08). "Skip 'The Freak Brothers,' and Read the Original Comics by Its Texan Creator Instead". Texas Monthly. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
  22. ^ Mautner, Chris (August 4, 2022). "The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers: The Idiots Abroad and Other Follies". The Comics Journal. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
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