ABC Television goes green (or tries to) with ‘The Goode Family’

Meet The Goode Family

With standards always changing, no matter how hard you try to be good, it’s virtually impossible these days. . . especially for the Goode family. “The Goode Family” is a new animated series from Mike Judge, which premieres tonight on ABC, and will air Wednesdays from 9-9:30 pm.

Meet Gerald and Helen Goode, a couple who live by the motto WWAGD (“What Would Al Gore Do?”). Gerald, a college administrator, and Helen, a community activist, are determined to obliterate their carbon footprint on the planet: They’re zealous vegans, they drive a hybrid, and they recycle everything possible. Even the family dog, Che, is (supposedly) vegan. In the words of Helen, all the Goodes want to do is buy organic apples and call minorities by their right names. But despite their best efforts, something always goes haywire with their politically correct plans. If you’re familiar with the television shows “King of the Hill,” and “Beavis and Butt-head,” you might have a good idea where this one is headed.

According to a review at The Wall Street Journal, “They feed their dog, Che, only veggies (much to the pet’s dismay) and Mr. Goode dutifully separates sheets of toilet paper when his wife accidentally buys two-ply. And, of course, the family drives a hybrid.” The excellent review also provides a great amount of insight into the background of creator Mike Judge (who also developed “King of the Hill,” “Beavis and Butt-head,” and “Office Space”), saying his interest in animation was sparked by a traveling cartoon festival.

No matter how hard they try, the well-intentioned family is having a hard time living up to their own expectations. Says Jamin Brophy-Warren, “They are a perfect target for the 46-year-old Mr. Judge and his two longtime co-writers, John Altschuler and Dave Krinsky (also known for “King of the Hill,” and “Blades of Glory”), who have made careers out of finding humor in the follies and pretensions of everyday people.”

Take, for instance, The Goodes’ adopted son Ubuntu: Gerald and Helen thought they were doing the right thing by adopting a baby from Africa, only to learn that Ubuntu was South African . . . and white. Now a teenager, he eagerly tries to embrace the Goodes’ love of things like crafts and organic gardening, even though deep in his gene pool is a drive towards such blue-collar pursuits as driving fast, using tools and violent sports.

Teenage daughter Bliss is constantly mortified by her parents. In the premiere episode, she becomes fed up with her mother’s frank discussions about sex, and joins an abstinence group.  Even Che is rebelling against his owners – he’s secretly depopulating the neighborhood of every stray squirrel, cat, rabbit, and bird in search of a square meal.

Their kids and dog aren’t the only ones who find the Goodes hard to understand. Helen’s SUV-driving, meat-eating dad, Charlie, thinks her efforts to save the planet are just a waste of time. Neighbor Ray Johnson is bemused at the Goodes’ attempts to refer to him by the right ethnic catch phrase (“African American”? “Person of Color”?) and the constant drama unfolding right next door.

“The Goode Family” is voiced by Mike Judge as Gerald, Nancy Carell as Helen, Dave Herman as Ubuntu, Linda Cardellini as Bliss and Brian Doyle Murray as Charlie. John Altschuler, Mike Judge, Dave Krinsky, Michael Rotenberg and Tom Lassally are executive producers of the series, which is produced by MRC and 3 Arts Entertainment.

If you miss it on television, episodes of “The Goode Family” will be available on abc.com the day after airing on the network for users to watch online.

By Brandy Schaffels
eCycle Cafe Contributor

Tags: Carbon Footprint, Eco-friendly, Just For Fun!, Sustainability, Television