User reviews

Harvey Birdman attorney at law is a mixture of sophomoric and sophisticated humor that is pure genius. I admit I was skeptical at first but once I watched the show I thought it was hilarious and I couldn't stop laughing. The idea to reincarnate Birdman and other second rate H-B characters is brilliant, its like they grew up and got real jobs. The writing is excellent, and so is the voice work, Stephen Colbert is at the top of his game playing the roll of Phil Ken Sebben and my personal favorite Myron Reducto. Another standout performance is given by John Michael Higgins as Mentok the Mindtaker. A mixture of Sophomoric and sophisticated humor may make a great show but it doesn't necessarily mean great ratings which is sad. It seems that, like its title character, Harvey Birdman attorney at law is destined to relative obscurity. But if like me you're a fan of shows like "The Critc" and "Duckman" you'll love this show.

"Harvey Birdman : Attorney at Law " is simply one of the best shows of Adult Swim . The show takes an adult perspective of the Hannah Barbera characters in the most unexpected and unpredictable ways . The stories are very well written and many parts of the show made me laugh a lot . The characters are very likable ,the voices are good and everything in this show is very funny and original . From the first episode "Bannon Custody Battle " the show catch me .

I love the weirdness of this show .I guess that is one of the best things of the show ,for it unusual style of comedy . This is one of my favorite cartoons with "Aqua Teen Hunger " ,"Sealab 2021 " and "Space Ghost Coast to Coast " .

Introduction: No comedy is like "Harvey Birdman, Attorney At Law". Taking advantage of old Hannah Barbara characters that everybody has forgotten about, and makes something memorable and hilarious. This show is a master at running gags and joke, as well as just good comedy.

The Comedy: The comedy of this show can be analyzed. There are so many running gags and hidden jokes, that these jokes often conflict and get tangled with other jokes. Either: inside jokes, hidden references, or long running gags. You can pause any frame of this show, and find something to laugh at. And even with the kind of comedy, it is still able to deal with serious issues, such as, gun control, terrorism, and even gay marriage: while still tackling it in a way that it is still hilarious to watch.

The Characters: The show is not just funny for the running gags and references, but also the great characters. The interactions between them are some of the funniest moments on television. Out of all of them, my favorite character was Phil. Just the way he was so oblivious to everything and not aware of any real danger, creates hilarious antics. And I give similar praises to all the other characters.

The Animation: The animation of the show does a very good job resembling old Hannah Barbara cartoons. Letting me forgive the low quality of animation, as it's like that by design.

Conclusion: "Harvey Birdman, Attorney At Law" takes a crappy and forgettable cartoon from the 1960's, and creates a show that still in my mind, even a decade after it ended.

Many of my all time favourite TV shows haven't been the ones hyped to death, but the obscure ones that you "discover" for yourself. 'Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law' is a case in point. I don't know if it achieved any kind of audience in the US, but it suddenly appeared out of nowhere here in Australia and was shown at an odd time slot with little fanfare. A friend caught the Scooby Doo episode and when he described it to me, I knew this was a show I just HAD to see! So I managed to catch the "Unabooboo" episode, then the one where Jabbajaw and The Neptunes are accused of plagiarism, and last night I watched the Flintstones/Sopranos episode, which was pure genius! I am now hooked for life! For anybody who hasn't seen the show it features Birdman the 60s Hanna Barbera cartoon character reinvented as Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law. Each episode he defends a cartoon client accused of some crime e.g. Shaggy and Scooby Doo for dope, Fred Flintstone for racketeering. Plus there are lots of strange gay in-jokes and surreal bits and pieces which make it one of the most demented things I've seen since vintage 'Ren and Stimpy'. My favourite characters are Reducto and Birdman's nutty eye-patch wearing boss. This is an utterly brilliant show and I can't wait to see more episodes!

I first came across Birdman while on holiday in Majorca when I was 13. I remember vividly watching it with these 2 hot German twins and laughing whenever he shouted 'Bi-ii-irdMAN'. It was really, really corny. But this was back in the day when Cartoon Network didn't have much to show other than the really old-fashioned 1960's and 70's stuff. The last thing I ever imagined is that Birdman would come back in the 21st century to be re-invented as Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law at the Sebben and Sebben law firm.

He's a bit of a dunderhead. And a bighead and a sociophobe and rude but you can't help but love him. Avenger is still his sidekick (only cuter than he was previously) and his boss is Phil Ken Sebben, a one-eyed ladies man. Among the various, random people who work for the firm are Peanut (a Birdman wannabe), Peter Potamus, Reducto and a big cuddly bear who always seems to be smiling (and applauding all on his own at inappropriate moments). My fave character has to be Judge Mentok the Mindtaker (OOOOO-EEEEEE-OOOOOO-EEEEEE!!!!), he just really, really funny.

Harvey's typical cases involve him defending the likes of Shaggy and Scooby, Fred Flintstone, Boo-Boo and George Jetson. Getting in the way of cases going smoothly are and abundance of rapid-fire jokes that come at you from all angles and will probably disorientate you if you're not sure where they're coming from. Sometimes you might have to watch an episode twice as the the dialogue is usually delivered very quickly and you might lose your place among the cryptic references and wildly outlandish humor.

In truth, it's a show for Adults. Even though the jokes are only mildly suggestive there is no way a child could fully understand everything that is going on unless they are an uber-uber-geek. This is a show made for people who love stuff like Family Guy, not Spongebob Squarepants.

Oh, and I love that theme song. They must release some kind of soundtrack CD for this show. Why? Because Mentok WILLS it so!

An inspired piece of modern cartoon making that takes you back. A dimwitted but just Attorney Superhero defends cartoon criminals - Shaggy & Scooby for drugs offenses, fred flintstone for his mob connections. Dark, adult and very funny. If you like classic cartoons and some subtle or bizzare humor, you will love it

I didn't know what to expect from this show. I had seen a trailer for it and an episode on the special features of Robot Chicken, and like Robot Chicken it looked typical Adult Swim, with the obscure in-jokes and lighting quick pacing. Well, it was those things, but I really took to it, not least because of its sheer audacity and confidence in its own madness, but because I felt I could engage with the characters, even though I hadn't seen the original Birdman show. You got a true sense that this was an eclectic group of people who had been taken down a peg and left out to dry, but yet still retain that Hanna Barbara endearment which underlined the biting satire of the shows premise.

I had also seen an episode of Frisky Dingo with those special features, and while I could see how it could be funny, there was a sense that the creators didn't really care for the characters. With Harvey Birdman you could tell the writers had just explored every single avenue that they could take these people, and twisted every personality trait open to mockery and homage. I don't think I would've watched them all if i didn't find the characters so likable and chaotic.

I could go on for ages why I loved every character but I think seeing it for yourself will sum it up better.

This show is especially a treat for media savvy viewers, like me, who can do nothing but laugh at those very brief throwaway gags which reference shows like Quincy and Cheers. It's a nice touch to what is already a wild ride, a ride which is a hoot from start to finish.

I mean, I still don't know why the bear was there!

Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law is a great television series with well written episodes and a top notch voice cast. It is a really bizarre show that fans of both Adult Swim's content and Hanna Barbera cartoons will enjoy. The characters, most of whom are based off original HB characters, are terrific, with a lot of scope and personality put in to them in just 11 minute programmes, Harvey and Phil stand out in particular.

However, it does suffer from the same problem as most Adult Swim shows, in that it sometimes gets too convoluted for its own good. There are episodes that go to uncomfortable places that are not even humorous, more so just looking for a reaction.

The voice cast is all around tremendous, Gary Cole is top notch as Harvey, making his ridiculous dialogue always sound authentic, and Stephen Colbert knocks it out of the park in his various roles. There are also many great guest appearances throughout the forty episodes, a lot of whom reprise characters they voiced in the shows their from, such as Frank Welker as Fred Jones, Scott Innes as Shaggy & Scooby and Maurice LeMarche as Droopy, it was amazing to see how many people got behind this insanity.

Ridiculously weird and enjoyable. Strange from the get go, Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law certainly is not for everyone, but who it is for will love it.

A former superhero takes up a career in law to protect well known cartoon characters.

Best Episode: The Dabba Don / Worst Episode: Grodin

This is one of the true gems of cartoons- right up there with Dilbert and Futurama. It revolves around the stories of one Harvey Birdman; a lawyer for the firm Sebben and Sebben who every week has to deal with cases of Hanna Barbara indiscretions- including Secret Squirrel flashing his 'gadget', Shaggy and Scooby being pulled for drug abuse and Quick Draw being arrested on the charge of carrying a concealed guitar. Suffice to say this ain't a kids show and its all the better for it with all the voice talents being wonderful but its comedian Stephen Colbert who really goes to town as "Benevolent...ish Dictator" Phil Ken Sebben and maniacal nemesis Reducto.

It could be seen as Family Guy crossed with Boston Legal- and its better than both.

Harvey Birdman is a great parody of Hanna Barbera classics! You know you are not a true Hanna Barbera fan if you didn't laugh at the jokes and wacky humor behind this series! The characters are all lovable! I can't say much about the series but that it's one of Adult Swim's finest cartoons ever! You need to at least give it a look!

Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law is one nutty, wrong, but hilarious show. Featuring characters from the old Hanna-Barbera shows, this show doesn't fail when it comes to laughter. Harvey Birdman has given up being a superhero and is now a lawyer who defends many cartoon characters who run into the law. A few are Secret Squirell, Shaggy, The Flinstones, The Jetsons and Boo Boo. Many will enjoy the references to the old cartoons and the somewhat warped humour. The many homosexual underlinings of the characters is also quite funny. This show is recommended to everyone!! The randomness may not appeal to everyone, but the show is well worth at least one view.

5/5.

I discovered this late one night on Cartoon Network in 2003. It became my favourite show. Imagine my delight in 2019 to find it on Adult Swim. I wanted to love it again so bad, but it is terribly misogynistic. I tried to grin and bear it, because I love a good laugh and have a pretty strong constitution for the comedy of white dudes...but it was just too much horror in 15 minutes. Take the Native American character or the African tribesman for example....it's just....ice.

What the HELL did i just WATCH?? It was incoherent ramblings of several genres of Cartoons.. none of it made any sense? I missed the first 3 minutes.

For some reason, I loved this show from the first episode I saw. It is so interesting to see how many old Hanna-Barbera characters are getting in trouble with the law, and they need Harvey Birdman to bail them out! I remember one episode where Shaggy and Scooby-Doo get arrested for driving under the influence of marijuana and Birdman represents them. Of course, Birdman and his clients win in the end. Scrappy-Doo then makes a brief appearance at the end, but is then lifted up and carried away by Birdman's falcon sidekick. I thought "Goodbye Scrappy...and good riddance!"

To close off, here's a message to the show's creators. How about some new episodes?

This is a very funny show, the voices are great, I actually quite like the animation style and the humor is right up my alley. I'd call it masterpiece to be honest, the way it deals with both serious matters and just stupid, silly things, while making it all still fun and enjoyable. The show can organically move between topics like race, gender, sexuality, identity and a guy who likes to shrink things loving big butts.

I'd call this one of my favorite animated shows, sure it might not be the best or it might be forgotten, but it does hold a place in my heart as the show that showed me - a little, small, stupid child at the time, that it was completely OK to take cartoons seriously and really look at situations from all perspectives. That might not be what other people took away from it, but somehow it truly did affect me.

Also the humor is right up my alley.

Based on the 1960's Hanna-Barbera cartoon "Birdman and the Galaxy Trio" (and a spin off from "Space Ghost: Coast to Coast"), "Harvey Birdman" goes into some wonderfully surreal areas.

While it starts with Harvey taking cases for various Hanna-Barbera characters, that premise is slowly taken over by the brilliant side characters (Phil Ken Sebben, Birdgirl/Judy Ken Sebben, Peter Potamus, Peanut, Avenger) and old characters from "Galaxy Trio" (X the Eliminator, Myron Reducto, Mentok the Mindtaker). A lot of the episodes devolve into nonsense as the cases (which are often barely solved) are brushed aside in favour of surreal visual gags (you'll need to pay attention to spot all the random characters who appear) and meta humour.

The best meta joke is in season four: Phil's departure from the firm is a very thin metaphor for Stephen Colbert leaving the show to start "The Colbert Report", to the point there's a bus with a big ad for Colbert's new show, and an animated version of Colbert appears in an elevator.

"Harvey Birdman" uses modernised footage from classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons (including "Galaxy Trio"), often as a cold open to introduce the weekly cases.

There's some excellent voice talent too: Colbert as Phil Ken Sebben, Paget Brewster as Birdgirl, and Peter MacNicol as X the Eliminator. They all seem to have an absolute ball. Colbert is perfect as Phil - with his innuendo-filled 'Ha, ha!' catchphrases; Brewster gives 110% as Birdgirl, including her poor attempts to protect her secret identity; and MacNicol's X the Eliminator veers from down-on-his luck supervillian to being consumed by stealing the crest on Birdman's helmet.

If you love surreal humour that doesn't pretend to make sense, then you'll love "Harvey Birdman".

This is a series that, as with Robot Chicken and Metalocalypse and other Cartoon Network programs, never overstays its welcome. Even when not all of its silly jokes connect there's still a charm to the program, not as crude as 'Chicken' but with a similar aim: make it quick and fast and try and fill up the time with gags that are for anyone who has watched Hannah Barbera or Superfriends or any given number of 60s - 70s cartoons. Harvey Birdman is a cool kind of attorney who doesn't sweat the big case or challenge, even if it's Yogi Bear's Boo-Boo as the Unabomber (or "Unaboo-boo", ho-ho, really) or a divorce between... two "partner" characters? We get characters quite familiar (Scooby Doo) and kind of not well known (that "Huge" Indian is a great big genital joke if we've ever seen one, and it works). It also has some creative voice work to go with the animation (Stephen Colbert is fantastic as Birdman's boss for one), and we get some classic moments of awkward tension broken with the over-extended laughing by the characters or some totally zany shenanigans.

In short, watch it in its present state, which is an episode or two in-between longer programs, and you'll get some way better than average filler. Or, if you want that slightly twist on the repetitiveness of Law & Order, check out the warped and not-quite kid friendly spoofing going on with the resident Birdman.

Collecting episodes one through 13, or roughly one and a half seasons, this first DVD of Birdman's antics are for the most part a delight to watch. It's one of those shows that you either get the humor of or not (such as Arrested Development, Family, or pretty much any other Adult swim cartoon). I myself find it hilarious. And the legal adventures of Harvey Birdman, his pet falcon, assistant Peanut, and archenemy Reducto as they interact with 'cartoon classics' as clients, hits my funny bone every time I watch it. Standout episodes in this DVD would have to be the insanely great "Trio's Company", the "Deadomutt" 2-parter, and the now classic "Very Personal Injury", but all the episodes are very good. I highly recommend both the DVD and to watch the show on Cartoon Network

My Grade: A-

DVD Extras: Commentary on 'Very Person injury', 'the Dabba Don', 'SPF', 'Trio's Company', and 2 on 'the Devlin made me do it'; Deleted scenes for 'Deadomutt', and 'Trio's company', Live action opening; fake Harvey birdman theatrical trailer; Crew montage; Stephen Colbert and Todd Barry as Harvey Birdman; pencil test comparison for 'shaggy gets busted'; and Tab can song

I am a big fan of the Adult Swim line up, and Harvey Birdman makes me laugh the most, which is what I look for on Sunday's Adult Swim. This attorney takes on the oddest cases involving prior famous cartoon stars, and they go to court, and is set up as a sort of spoof on a soap opera that is insane and makes no sense. These anecdotes are made of antics that are just for laughs, and it completes that task in such an impressive manner. If you are looking for a show that you want to take seriously, this isn't for you. And if you like Space Ghost, you will like this, and vice versa.

Another interesting late night cartoon short. I first saw the episode that was the dual Flinstones/Sopranos parody. Hanna Barbera keeps throwing out great material, and much of it, like this, will never have a wider audience. That's kind of sad, but at the same time, kind of good, too. It makes it more special, to know that only a small group of people are watching this.

I was a huge fan of Space Ghost Coast to Coast when it was introduced back in 1994 (it has lost a lot since 2000). It was hilarious to see these 60's characters making references to their past incarnations (which were awful) and how they made fun of them. It was great to see Space Ghost believe he was greater than he actually was. I consider this aspect and the idea of the talk show with live action stars to be not only creative but also one of the most original and funny concepts ever.

Now we have Harvey Birdman, based on the same principle as Space Ghost C to C, but expanding on the "let's make fun of all the crappy Hanna Barbera animations of the 60's" concept, which is simply great.

The series were introduced in 2001 when Cartoon Network launched Adult Swim, but after a few episodes it disappeared. Thankfully, it wasn't because of low ratings but because they were making more episodes, and each one is even funnier than the one before.

The constant reference to old cartoons and characters is just amazingly funny and, contrary to what some people have posted here, I am well under thirty but I have seen all the re- runs from the original shows in CN, so I believe that it has a larger audience than some people give it credit for.

All the characters are great, starting with Birdman himself. I just finished watching one where the judge is Mentok. That character is hilarious. He is constantly trying to show how great his mental control powers are. It's crazy.

If somebody hasn't seen it yet, please give it a try. Cartoon Network has probably one of the funniest lineups with shows like this and Family Guy, all great and edgy animated sitcoms.

I'll admit not everything on adult swim tickles my fancy. I first stumbled upon it with friends on a Friday night in a hazy state of mind half way through an episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force. We believed to be a genuine cartoon and laughed hysterically. Needless to say the next week, stone cold sober, meatwad didn't quite have the same appeal. Harvey Birdman Attorney At Law, however, is downright hilarious. It has underhanded satire similar to a 'Family Guy' flashback. I believe this type of camp, sarcastic, pop humor only appeals to a limited audience, however if you don't find at least portions of this show amusing or clever then you're an empty cold shell of a human being.

The great appeal of the show is the cameo appearances of your favorite childhood cartoon stars. I guess I love to see Harvey Birdman ruin that childhood image. As I write this I picture the Jetsons overnight struggle to get to Harvey's desk without the aid of their futuristic travelators, half way through their plight Astro collapses and pleads with the rest of the family to go on without him. Besides, who doesn't want to see Shaggy and Scooby get busted? Hauled to jail because of the damning evidence in the Mystery Machine of empty pizza boxes and clips? Harvey Birdman Attorney at Law is definitely the best thing on adult swim, my only complaint is the episodes aren't long enough and it's not on DVD yet.

This is my favorite 15 minutes of the week! Hapless, second-rate H-B superhero Birdman is now a hapless second-rate lawyer, defending various twisted former H-B stars like the cast of Jabberjaw and the now clearly homo-erotic Jonny Quest, etc. Race Bannon (well, sort of Race Bannon) suing Dr. Quest for custody of Jonny, Hadji, and Bandit after a, uh, lover's tiff? Hapless and hyper-paranoid former Birdman antagonist Dr. Reducto opining over the good old days ("Back when I was a kid, if a someone brandished a Shrink Ray, he'd get some respect!"), becoming smitten with a witness ("No one told me your feet would be so - tiny!"), and threatening everyone in the courtroom to "Back Off! I'll make you travel size!"?

Most people would be completely mystified as to why this would be funny. I thought about it for a while, and I think unless you had watched the old series' on which this show draws, you would have no idea whatsoever what the heck was going on. You pretty much have to be a male between 38-42 to truly appreciate it. That's a pretty small target audience.

Even if you do recognize the characters, it's so surreal that you will be amazed. Seeing a giant grab and the mechanical spider/eyeball monster testifying to Race Bannon's bond with the kids defies description.

One odd thing about this series is that the characters are much better defined than the originals. Back in the 60's, the writing was almost non-existent. Somebody must have written up one or two story outlines, and just randomly used them to generate every episode of Birdman, Space Ghost, The Herculoids, etc, by substituting characters. Could have done it with a computer. This show fairly well written and I think this is what ultimately makes it funny - these absurdly flat characters you remember have internal lives, and for some reason this makes it funny.