Home Movies (TV series)

{{about|the animated series|the filmmaking method|Home movie||Home movie (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox television

| image = Homemovies sm.png

| caption = Left to right: Melissa, Brendon and Jason.

| runtime = 22 minutes

| genre = {{Plainlist|

}}

| creator = {{Plainlist|

}}

| developer = Tom Snyder

| director = Loren Bouchard

| voices = {{Plainlist|

Brendon Small
Paula Poundstone {{small|(1999)}}
Janine Ditullio {{small|(2001–04)}}
H. Jon Benjamin
Melissa Bardin Galsky

}}

| theme_music_composer = {{Plainlist|

Brendon Small
Loren Bouchard

}}

| composer = Brendon Small

| country = United States

| language = English

| executive_producer = {{Plainlist|

Loren Bouchard
Tom Snyder
Bonnie Burns
Mary Catherine Micka

}}

| producer = {{Plainlist|

Loren Bouchard {{small|(season 1)}}
Melissa Bardin Galsky {{small|(seasons 1-2)}}
Carl W. Adams {{small|(season 3)}}
Jack Ferraiolo {{small|(season 4)}}

}}

| company = {{Plainlist|

Burns & Burns Productions
Soup2Nuts{{efn|name=Soup2Nuts|Credited as Tom Snyder Productions from 1999-2001}}

}}

| network = UPN

| network2 = Adult Swim

| first_aired = {{start date|1999|4|26}}

| last_aired = {{end date|1999|05|24}}

| first_aired2 = {{start date|2001|09|02}}

| last_aired2 = {{end date|2004|4|4}}

| related =

| num_seasons = 4

| num_episodes = 52

| list_episodes = List of Home Movies episodes

}}

Home Movies is an American{{cite web|url=https://www.insidehook.com/nation/adult-cartoons-ranked|title=IN HONOR OF SOUTH PARK TURNING 20: THE 20 BEST ADULT CARTOONS, RANKED|publisher=InsideHook|date=August 11, 1997|access-date=April 1, 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://thepointmag.com/2014/criticism/homemovies|title=Home Movies|author=Williams, Ian|date=2014|publisher=The Point|access-date=April 1, 2019}} animated sitcom created by Brendon Small and Loren Bouchard.{{cite web|url=https://thepointmag.com/2014/criticism/homemovies|title=Home Movies|author=Williams, Ian|date=2014|publisher=The Point|access-date=April 1, 2019}} The show centers on an eight-year-old aspiring filmmaker, also named Brendon Small, who makes homemade film productions in his spare time with his friends Melissa Robbins and Jason Penopolis. He lives with his divorced mother Paula and his adopted baby sister Josie. He develops a skewed father-son-like relationship with his alcoholic, short-tempered soccer coach, John McGuirk.

Home Movies premiered on UPN on April 26, 1999. UPN cancelled the series after only five episodes due to low ratings, but Cartoon Network purchased the rights to the series, seeing potential in it; the show premiered as the first original program on their nighttime adult-oriented Adult Swim block on the night of the block's launch on September 2, 2001.{{cite book |last1=Erickson |first1=Hal |title=Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 |date=2005 |edition=2nd |publisher=McFarland & Co |isbn=978-1476665993 |page=413}} The series ended on April 4, 2004, with a total of 52 episodes over the course of four seasons. The show was produced by Tom Snyder.

Home Movies developed a cult following during its run, and is still considered a renowned cult show,{{cite web|url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/17088935/promo-pumps-cult-cartoons |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130404103934/http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/17088935/promo-pumps-cult-cartoons |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-04-04 |title=Promo pumps cult cartoons - Tags: CABLE television networks SMALL, Brendon |publisher=Connection.ebscohost.com |access-date=2014-04-29}} having been well-regarded by critics in the years since its run. Co-creator Small later helped create the Adult Swim animated series Metalocalypse and Bouchard later created the animated series Bob's Burgers for the Fox network, casting H. Jon Benjamin (the voice of Coach McGuirk, Jason, and Perry) as the voice of Bob Belcher.

Season plot summaries

= Season one =

Animated in Squigglevision and heavily using retroscripting, the first five episodes aired on UPN in 1999. The show introduced the main characters in this season, and mainly consisted of episodes revolving around Brendon's movies. Much of the style of the writing is loose and improvised. The season ends with Brendon saying hello to his erstwhile absent father on the phone.

= Season two =

Now animated in Flash, this is the first season commissioned by Cartoon Network as a result of mixed ratings of season one reruns. The episodes are now heavily scripted, but the creators now have much more freedom, allowing for creative episodes (“History”), introducing new characters (Fenton Mulley, the Adelbergs) as well as a multiple-story season arc, which includes:

Brendon meeting his father Andrew and his fiancée Linda, resulting in therapy sessions, leading up to a wedding.
Brendon develops a crush on Scäb choreographer Cynthia, and tries to win her over.
Paula loses her job and searches for a new one. Melissa's dad offers some advice.

The show also develops a writing device that carries through the next seasons, in which the plots of one episode usually all have an underlying theme. Emphasis on Brendon's movies becomes key here, and the subtext of their creation is finally discussed. At this point, Brendon is still enjoying his life making films and living in a fantasy world.

= Season three =

A bit looser than season two, the show loses the idea of a seasonal story arc, and many of the episodes air out of order. The episodes become racier, with more resounding sexual themes and cursing than before. Secondary characters, such as Fenton and Duane, are given more screen time, relative to the prior seasons. Another aspect is that the show begins to acknowledge actual movies more often than it had previously, and starts parodying them heavily. The season ends with Brendon's stepmother Linda having a child, but afterwards she and Andrew no longer make appearances in the show.

= Season four =

Many of the episodes are straight parodies of movies, including three allusions to Hitchcockian thrillers. The bulk of the episodes consist of plots that involve Brendon doing something other than making films. Part of this revolves around Brendon trying to figure out whether he still enjoys making movies, or if it is becoming more of a chore. An entire episode ("Curses") dealt with swearing and adult themes. The loose dialogue and long conversations lessen for humorous plot devices and a speedier delivery at jokes and gags. The final episode ("Focus Grill") was made in mind as a series finale, and brought back the long conversations and loose dialogue, as well as a resolution to the series as Brendon, Jason and Melissa finally make a conclusion to their first film, declaring their friendship before they come to the conclusion that their movies are not as good as they had always believed. Brendon accidentally drops his camera from a moving car while filming scenery in the final sequence and watches in distress as it gets run over, but is thereafter distracted from his grief by a discussion of fast food prompted by his mother and Coach McGuirk.

Characters

{{empty section|reason=A section must contain more than just a link to another article.|date=September 2020}}

Style

{{multiple image

| align = left

| image1 = Brendon Small by Gage Skidmore.jpg

| width1 = 182

| alt1 =

| caption1 = Brendon Small was a co-creator, writer, executive producer, composer and voice actor on the series

| image2 = Loren Bouchard by Gage Skidmore 3.jpg

| width2 = 156

| alt2 =

| caption2 = Loren Bouchard worked as co-creator, writer, executive producer, director and an occasional voice actor

| footer =

}}

In its first season, Home Movies utilized Soup2Nuts' Squigglevision animation but later abandoned that for the cheaper, more malleable Macromedia Flash animation.{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/before-tv-revivals-happened-every-day-adult-swim-turne-1826075574|title=Before TV revivals happened every day, Adult Swim turned Home Movies' camera back on|last=Adams|first=Erik|work=AVClub|date=May 17, 2018|access-date=December 5, 2018}} The switch was initiated for several reasons, including scattered negative response to Squigglevision from both critics and viewers, limitations in regard to movement (fluid motion is rare in Squigglevision), and the producers' view that since Squigglevision was inherent to Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist, Home Movies should develop its own unique style.Hansen, Tony (March 27, 2003) [http://en.allexperts.com/q/Dr-Katz-3117/Home-Movies.htm "Dr. Katz: Home Movies"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160104191117/http://en.allexperts.com/q/Dr-Katz-3117/Home-Movies.htm |date=January 4, 2016 }} Retrieved June 23, 2007.

The dialogue of Home Movies initially relied upon spontaneous or ad-lib creation by the actors. The scripts were purposely left vague, with the plot of a particular scene merely outlined, and the dialogue improvised by the actors, with the animation then created and matched to the edited soundtrack. Bouchard referred to this process as "retroscripting," a technique he had developed on Dr. Katz."{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2457&dat=19990426&id=B6JJAAAAIBAJ&pg=6241,3346972&hl=en|first=Dale|last=McCarrigle|date=1999-04-26|newspaper=Bangor Daily Times|location=Maine|title='Home Movies' a flat flop of a cartoon}}{{better source needed|date=August 2019}} The first episode was entirely improvised. Though retroscripting was used officially in only the first season, the dialogue in the following three seasons remained heavily improvised, with the written script serving mainly as a guide to fall back on for jokes if needed.{{cite news|title=Poundstone heads talented cast of 'Home Movies'|newspaper=Star-Banner|location=Ocala, Florida|date=1999-04-24|first=Cynthia|last=Werthamer|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1356&dat=19990424&id=_uFPAAAAIBAJ&pg=3788,5353392&hl=en}}{{failed verification|date=August 2019}}

All music for the series was written and performed by Brendon Small.{{cite web|url=https://marquettewire.org/3950209/ae/tracy-home-movies-and-its-sublime-weirdness/|title='Home Movies' and its sublime weirdness|last=Tracy|first=Dennis|work=Marquette Wire|date=May 7, 2016|access-date=December 5, 2018}}

Music

The soundtrack for Home Movies was released May 16, 2006, and includes fifty-two songs which were featured throughout the series.{{cite web|url=http://grooveshark.com/#!/album/Home+Movies+Bonus+CD/4803680 |title=Home Movies Bonus CD - Album by home movies |publisher=grooveshark.com |access-date=December 11, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140329002832/http://grooveshark.com/ |archive-date=March 29, 2014 |df=mdy-all }} The CD comes packaged with the DVD release of the show's fourth season box set.{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000EQ5PT6 |title=Home Movies - Season Four |website=Amazon |date=16 May 2006 |access-date=2011-08-31}} All music was written by Brendon Small.

Home releases

Season releases

DVD name	Release date	Ep #	Additional information
class="wikitable"
Season one	November 16, 2004	style="text-align:center;"\|13	This three-disc boxset includes all 13 episodes from season one. Special features include 10 commentary tracks, animatics, interviews with cast and creators, animation galleries, and short films by Brendon Small and Jon Benjamin.
Season two	May 31, 2005	style="text-align:center;"\|13	This three-disc boxset includes all 13 episodes from season two. Special features include commentaries and interviews with Brendon Small, Melissa Galsky and executive producer Loren Bouchard, Winner of the "Small Shorts" film contest, animatics, songs from the series, Landstander, and the Decide Your Doom interactive adventure video game. It also includes a “how-to” guide to playing the Home Movies theme.
Season three	November 15, 2005	style="text-align:center;"\|13	This three-disc boxset includes all 13 episodes from season three. Special features include commentaries, animatics and a featurette for “People who don't necessarily like Home Movies.”
Season four	May 16, 2006	style="text-align:center;"\|13	This three-disc boxset includes all 13 episodes from season four. Special features include 24 commentaries, animatics, and featurettes. Also included is the Home Movies: Bonus Soundtrack CD with 52 tracks composed and performed by Small for the show.
Home Movies 10th Anniversary Set{{cite web\|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001D2WUCK \|title=Home Movies 10th Anniversary Set [Limited Edition] [Deluxe Edition]: Brendon Small, H. Jon Benjamin, Paula Poundstone, Melissa Bardin Galsky, Loren Bouchard \|website=Amazon \|date=November 4, 2008 \|access-date=2014-04-29}}	November 4, 2008	style="text-align:center;"\|52	This 10th Anniversary thirteen-disc boxset includes every episode of Home Movies plus new special features, as well as the CD included in the Season Four boxset.

Shout! Factory, through Sony BMG Music Entertainment, released DVDs of Home Movies seasons, each on three-disc box sets. Each DVD has numerous special features and easter eggs. Shout! Factory later on released all of the Home Movies episodes on Amazon Video on Demand. Seasons 2 through 4 are available for free streaming with a public library card on the Hoopla app and website in the United States. Some episodes are able to be streamed through the Adult Swim official website and app on a rotating basis. The series also joined HBO Max on May 27, 2020.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/hbo-max-tv-shows-movies-originals-list|title = HBO Max: All the TV Shows, Movies and Originals You Can Stream Now - IGN| date=May 27, 2020 }}

Reception

The series has been highly regarded by critics upon and since its release.{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/home_movies/s01/|title=Home Movies: Season 1 |website=Rotten Tomatoes|publisher=Fandango|access-date=December 5, 2018}} In 2009, IGN included it on their list of the top 100 animated series of all time.{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/lists/top-100-animated-series/28 |title=Top 100 Animated Series - #28|publisher=IGN |access-date=2014-04-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130724071916/http://tv.ign.com/top-100-animated-tv-series/28.html |archive-date=July 24, 2013 |df=mdy-all }} While reviewing the first season, PopMatters noted that "The animation serves one of the most impressive aspects: the fact that it was largely improvised",{{cite web|url=https://www.popmatters.com/home-movies-season-1-dvd-2496227132.html|title=Home Movies, Season One|last=Hassenger|first=Jesse|work=PopMatters|date=December 27, 2004|access-date=December 5, 2018}} while Variety praised the show's dialogue and humor, saying "Home Movies manages to set itself apart, offering clever dialogue and sharp social commentary."{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/1999/tv/reviews/home-movies-2-1200457163/|title=Home Movies|last=Fries|first=Laura|work=Variety|date=April 26, 1999|access-date=December 5, 2018}}