I don’t think “Grimsburg” will be joining Fox stablemates “The Simpsons,” “Family Guy” or “Bob’s Burgers” in the network’s “Animation Domination” pantheon anytime soon.
The new series, starring Jon Hamm (who’s also an executive producer), is well-intentioned, boasts an all-star cast and has been renewed for a second season ahead of its Jan. 7 premiere.
So, there’s that … but not a whole lot more in the ‘toon, at least not yet. It strives too hard to mimic the metaverse of “Family Guy” with a plethora of pop-culture references and asides that mostly fall flat and fail to hit their marks. Perhaps it will hit its stride as the season progresses.
Here’s the setup: Det. Marvin Flute (Hamm) has returned to the town of Grimsburg to fight crime after suffering a nervous breakdown. Physically, he’s reminiscent of private detective Frank Cannon (William Conrad) from ABC’s’ 70s series “Cannon,” down to his bad mustache and gut-busting shirt. (Hamm lowers his voice for the role, which is a nice touch).
Marvin, who “painstakingly” crafts “mid-century modern dollhouse furniture,” is supremely confident in his abilities to solve murders — though not as comfortable in his private life, which includes ex-wife Harmony (Erinn Hayes), a local TV reporter who was raised by wolves, and his preteen son, Stan (Rachel Dratch), who only wants some attention and validation from slovenly dear old dad and has an imaginary sidekick: a chatterbox skeleton named Mr. Flesh (Alan Tudyk) with eyes of fire.
Marvin is paired with good-natured cyborg Det. Greg Summers (Kevin Michael Richardson) — who had “74.2 percent” of his body ripped away in a carnival accent; the cast is rounded out by Tudkyk as Dr. Rufis Pentos, a former Grimsburg school teacher and convicted criminal who helps Marvin on his cases; and their supervisor, Lt. John Kang (Greg Chun).
(Celebrity voices include Rosie Perez, Tim Meadows, Rosie Perez, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Jaime Camil, Hamm’s “Mad Men” co-star Christina Hendricks and Patton Oswalt.)
Flute’s cases all involve grisly murders — lots of stabbing, the occasional power saw, the works — “There’s just never a right time for a double-teen homicide” — one of the characters says, but it’s all broadly cartoonish in nature so not offensive in that regard (heck, even Bugs Bunny and the Trix Cereal rabbit are not spared).
The series is rife with sophomoric humor: The Puttit Inn, a serial killer nicknamed The Boner … like that … and the aforementioned pop-culture references, which are, occasionally, spot-on, including mentions of “Succession” star Jeremy Strong and his method of acting — “incredibly irritating to everyone around you” — and Miles Teller (“He’s the mustache guy right now”).
These come so fast and furious that they’re lost in translation. YouTube, progressive SKA, Costco, Dianne Wiest, Martin and Charlie Sheen, Pete Davidson, Bennifer … all get shout-outs, and even the amphibious creature from the 2017 movie “The Shape of Water” puts in an appearance (don’t ask).
These types of fast-and-furious quips would work in “Family Guy,” with its sharply delineated characters and ultra-clever writing — here, it just kind of flails around looking for a home. I will say that “Grimsburg” shows signs of life as the series continues, and Fox, obviously, has faith it will find an audience.
The network has put its promotional might behind the series — but whether that’s enough remains to be seen.
“Grimsburg” premieres Sunday, Jan. 7 at 8 p.m. on Fox.