Kid Notorious (TV Series 2003) Poster

(2003)

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Great stuff
wmattifo5 November 2003
Everyone has heard about the amazing life of Robert Evans and this makes for great possibilities in this show. This show is a great spoof of "Hollyweird" and how movies and TV shows are really made. inside info and references make this a great show. I hope this show gets a chance to have a good long run for many years. There is nothing better than intelligent TV and this is one of the best.
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Funniest Thing on TV
clarkca19 February 2004
I agree, Kid Notorious is so good I wonder if it will catch on. I'm recording as much as I can before they yank it like they did Dr. Katz. The first one I saw was with Jacques Chirac and it just railed on the French, talk about timely! I laughed so hard and was hooked. Only the coolest show would have Chirac, Rumsfeld, Kim Jung Il and Slash in it. As for the racial stereotype, lighten up, Tully Mae is one of the best characters. Besides, everyone is stereotyped just as they are on the Simpsons and South Park. "Ain't it Great! You bet your ass it is!"
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As slick and cool as Evans himself...
kylebengel23 October 2003
Let's get right to the point: This is a very funny and slick show. 'Kid Notorious' is the new program from Comedy Central (the folks that brought you 'South Park' and 'Primetime Glick'), produced and created by ultimate Hollywood insider Robert Evans. The animated series follows the adventures of Bobby "Kid Notorious" Evans as he moves and shakes deals all over Hollywood. The Kid's exploits are, of course, based (however loosely) on the actual dealings of Mr Evans, a fact which, if known in advance, should lead the viewer to be fairly amazed at how smooth the Kid (and, in real life, Mr evans) really is. The Kid lives in his posh Beverly Hills mansion with his butler, English, his cook/house keeper, Talley Mae, his furry black kitten, Puss Puss ("Puss" for short), and a never-ending stream of starlets and starlet wanna-be's. The Supporting Characters bring alot with them and are not just relagated to the one-phrase, one-setting scenario often compelled upon similar charater in Network programming ("Hailing frequancies open, Captain"). Indeed, They each seem to play a strong role in the over-all make up of the show. Talley Mae brings the "real world" into The Kid's version of reality (often with very funny tirades). English, the butler, is the perfect "mark", setting-up any number of funny moments, buth verbally and physically. And Puss, well, Puss just seems to enjoy hanging around with The Kid and generally abusing English and causing mayhem en mass.

But the star of the show is Robert Evans. In creating/producing 'Kid Notorious', Evans may have finally found the singular role for which he was born to play...Himself. As the Kid, Evans exudes a graceful and cool style which is often contrasted (diliberately, I assume) with the reality of the given moment (in the first episode, The Kid smoothly talks his way out of some trouble with the mob as if her were telling English which suit to lay out with his rich, velvet voice, all the while the glaring danger of the situation seems palpable to everyone else in the room), which beggs the question, Does the Kid really live in his own fantasy world or does he actually know exactly what is going on and is just too cool to let it get to him? I was left with the feeling that it was the latter. Always smooth ("I can say, 'Baby, you take my breath away!' in 65-langueges..."), always Funny ("...except Ducth"), 'Kid Notorious' seems to have just one week point: It is Too Cool For You, so to speak. As with most "inside" films/shows, the true brilliance of 'Kid Notorious' may only be apparent to those in The Industry or those who follow it closely (read; 'The Player'). For anyone is not familier with how Hollywood works or the political workings behind the scene of any show biz project, this show may just be another cartoon written in a languege they do not understand. But to the initiated, this is a rare piece of self-deprecating humor that also manages to do a supperb job of highlighting the talent(s) and charm of it's lead character and, there-for, by default, it's creat/producer/star. Not many people could pull off so shameless an act of self promotion while at the same time taking pot shots at their own reputation. But then, not many people have led the life that Robert Evans has led. Is he great producer? Debatable. Is he a great Star? Questionable. Is he a great Insider? Undoubtedly! And this is why this show works. Robert Evans has finally found the perfect star for the perfect role of his career. Himself playing himself. Genious.

Robert Evans IS 'Kid Notorious'.
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Great show
jellyneckr2 April 2006
"Kid Notorious" was just one of the many unsuccessful shows that Comedy Central has tried to launch since "South Park" hit big in 1997. The plot to the this great yet short-lived animated series followed the adventures of Robert Evans, arguably the most famous (or infamous depending on how you look at it) Hollywood producer of all time. I've been a fan of Evans' ever since reading his autobiography The Kid Stays In The Picture, which was turned into a documentary/biography by filmmakers Nanette Burstein and Brett Morgen in 2002. The success of that film lead to this series. Unfortunately, this show could not duplicate the success of that film was canceled within months. Perhaps it was too cartoonish for viewers. The writers took full advantage of the fact that this was an animated show, something that other animated series such as "The Simpsons" does not do. My guess though is that as was the case with "Action", viewers just weren't ready for a satiric series about Hollywood. Maybe one they will be. My rating: A
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The funniest, sharpest show on TV!
anaa1083 November 2003
So of course, I expect it to be cancelled, and am taping episodes already. I have been a loooong time fan of Law and Order, and rarely miss a show, but I have blown it off for Kid Notorious.

This show is bold and daring and that's one reason I love it. They aren't afraid to make fun of anyone--actresses, agents, singers, rappers. Maybe their "peeps" have put out the bad press.

One naysayer on IMDB praised the unfunny Crank Yankers. Well, what can I say to that? "A chacun son gout." So don't spoil this for us.

Several people said that it has inside jokes. I DISAGREE! Who needs to be a Hollywood insider to know that Hollywood churns out garbage because of agent-engineered deals and box-office perception? Who needs to be a Hollywood insider to know that actresses have everything lifted and tucked and collagened? Or that said actresses drop and pick up projects on a whim? Aren't such stories the entire contents of People Magazine and Entertainment Weekly?

In the first episode, the "mafia" come after Kid to get back their investment in a movie. He reinvests it in a musical version of The Godfather, featuring rappers Kid meets in jail. Who doesn't know that turning perfectly good movies into musicals is the rage these days, or that these adaptations are sometimes ridiculous? Isn't the idea of The Godfather as a musical with rappers funny? I think it's hilarious. Maybe you just have to really enjoy movies, or maybe you have to have a good sense of irony.

One person mentioned a joke, "This is one of the most remote villages in the world...hey, look, I got full bars on my cell phone!" Now, what's wrong with that? It's exactly the type of joke you'd find on The Simpsons, about the omnipresence of technology and/or the importance people place on having it that way.

I laughed at this show as much as a good Simpons episode (unfortunately, not as frequent as they used to be). It's a really funny show. It makes me laugh out loud. The pacing is fast and the jokes are funny. I hope it makes it to syndication.

I know that network tv listens to the whims of viewers, but Comedy Central usually knows better.
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Tries too hard to be unfunny
Solowiow0322 October 2003
Horrible attempt at parody humor. Some good one-liners, but they are so far and few inbetween that my entire dorm complex was out in the hall-way bashing the pilot episode. Interesting animation technique, but poor content. Only redeeming feature is the Puss-Puss cat. Watching him was somewhat entertaining. The butler cannot create a laugh to save his frail little body. Robert Evans may have a good voice, but but his show will not.
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Oh, what you're missing!
lambiepie-214 November 2003
It seems the problem with this animation is that it will be WAY above the heads of the general audience of those who watch comedy central, and those who should see it wont, because they're too old to watch Comedy Central. this is sad, because this little peice of anime is genus, tool from the most egotistical, brilliant Hollywood Producer there is.

"Kid Notorious" reminds me of the film "All that Jazz" by the late, great Bob Fosse. You see, when "All That Jazz came out in 1979, it wasn't that well received, but the IDEA was that Mr. Fosse had a chance to tell a bit about his life, his way, before he died and before all the other folks could manage to put their two cents in on it. Now, many people watch "All That Jazz" and realize it was not so "inside" of a joke. This is how "Kid Notorious" will pan out.

Mr. Evans is...in a very tounge and cheeky manner...letting you in on quite a few Hollywood goings on...and of course HIS goings on. (You cannot spell ego without Evans.) He has also put in alot of fantasy and conjecture where it makes the episodes uneven. Theres A LOT to pick up up on here, but you have to be able to know what to pick up on, and I am afraid the Comedy Central's main demographics..wont. To make this work, this series has got to be less "Hollywood In" and more "Let me just come right out and give it to ya at your level".

Comedy Central is not the place for "Kid Notorious", it should have went the way of Todd McFarlane's "Spawn" series on HBO. But oops..I did a bad thing...I'm actually telling Evans where something of his should really be. And as we know, that's not too cool considering he knows it all.
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The Best Show Ever!
hollym66630 December 2003
This is one on the best shows I have seen in a long time. It's so funny and edgy Comedy Central has another hit! Who know the kid was so cool! I hope this one has as good of a run as South Park.
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Funny, funny, funny!
Uxbridge14 January 2004
I watched this show on accident and found myself laughing out loud more often than not. Evans is so slick and "Hollywood-ish" that it works like a charm. The supporting characters of Tollie Mae, Puss-Puss, and English are hilarious and the outlandish stories and adventures just keep getting better. Animated or not, this show is funnier than most of the sitcoms out there right now. Worth watching.
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The most irredeemable junk broadcast to date.
treehouse24 October 2003
This show is beyond awful, it's like an eighth grade AV project that was somehow mistakenly left in a network tape machine. I'd watch deleted scenes from The Critic before I'd watch this show again.

Robert Evans' only perceptible skill as a voice actor is the seemingly impossible ability to sound stoned and stiff at the same time, reading his lines like an audio book he learned phonetically.

The constant blur of racial slurs, profanity, and repeated attempts to elevate naughtiness to cleverness results in a miserable mess that manages to insult our intelligence more than our sensibilities.

The only potential good that I could envision coming from this show is that it drives everyone associated with it out of the entertainment industry permanently. Now *that* would be funny.
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Horridly Unfunny
synpax23 October 2003
Not interesting, maybe just to Hollywood types who are full of themselves. Comedy Central is definitly hit or miss - hits are South Park, Reno 911, and Crank Yankers. KN is definitly a big miss - not just unfunny, but unwatchable and stupid. It makes you feel stupid just watching it.
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You gotta get it to get it.
story14 November 2003
If you want to get every joke, you have to have read Evans' book or seen his autobiodocupic or, like the show's hilarious take on Kim Jong Il, have heard the Books-on-Tape version.

The man (former actor [he *played* Irving Thalberg!], movie producer [ever hear of Chinatown? Marathon Man? Popeye?], studio president, inspiration for Dustin Hoffman's character in Wag the Dog, and husband or lover of just about every movie star and model since the mid '60s, Robert Evans) has had more deaths and resurrections than a 16-part slasher series. This show parodies Evans mercilessly and equally mercilessly satirizes the corruption of the post-studio-system Hollywood way of doing business, along with plenty of famous people who have had it coming for a long time.

If you come into it cold, I suppose you'll just be left wondering "What the f--- was *that*?" But the Osbournes was a hit, so there's no reason to write The Kid off again. And even if you do, he'll just come back bigger and richer.

So is it the funniest show on television if you have the clues? You bet your ass it is.
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No Kidding
aurora77710 November 2003
Scheduling this show after the continuous clever South Park is a tactical error. It's tedious enough on its own without the unflattering comparison. "Kid" may entertain a true Hollywood insider, but it's a total drag for the rest of us. We already think Californians (especially the Hollywood variety) are self-centered and flaky. This cartoon merely reinforces that image without adding any insight, humour or heart.
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Marvelous... simply marvelous. (sips martini)
DuqNcver23 October 2003
I went into watching this show with just as many expectations as I did when I turned on Gary the Rat. Let me just say... Robert Evans has struck gold again. Not only does this program capture the essence of Evans... but it kicks total ass.

The only real way I can convey the style of humor in this show is this: Imagine The Critic... except he's the exact opposite. Just as funny... but not a loser (sorry John). Plus, the character Puss Puss the cat, which I assumed would simply be the cutesy part of the show for the girlfriends of the guys who were watching, is the fur-ball version of Rosemarrys Baby.

Anyone who enjoys The Family Guy, Futurama/The Simpsons, or even Happy Tree Friends will get a good kick out of Kid Notorious. I have a spot saved on my DVD rack for the first season.
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wow
banjofly27 October 2003
lots a nasty posts out there.

I think this shows hot and is about to get hotter. Its a very wierd show and the previews ive seen look really great. (Slash as a cartoon!!)Im a big Robert Evans fan and I am not disapointed. The writing on this thing just cracks me up and the artwork is spectacular.

The best looking show on tv.
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So Funny It Hurts
potblackettle22 November 2003
I'm so happy. Finally, a clever, absurdist, evil piece of animation to rival South Park. Kid Notorious is mean and observant. Evans mocks himself with a light heart. From his big, no-nonsense maid Tally, to his yes-man butler English the show is filled with lovable characters. Can I just say that Slash being the voice of reason is one of the funniest things I've ever seen. It's not a show for people who don't like dark comedy. My personal favorite is Puss, the Kid's kitty-cat, who also holds his stash and advices him with mewls and miaows. It's definitly a show for people who are "into" Hollywood and it's wicked ways. Anyway, have fun and tell Puss hello.
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I will never understand people...
lordshitzu28 December 2003
How anyone can call this show unfunny is beyond me. Seriously, the show is hilarious, all the humor is spot-on, I don't think I've seen a single joke that wasn't at least humerous, if not gut-burstingly hilarious, the characters are unique, lovable (Evans is lovable because he's such a smooth b****rd, and genuinely likable while those he screws over seems like obnoxious b****rds who had it coming), and funny, the jokes are no more obscure or esoteric than the Simpsons or South Park, and while I'm sure having insider knowledge of Evans or Hollywood would make the experience richer, even knowing nothing about the man one is amused (I am a firm example of that, hell I'd never heard of Robert Evans before I saw this show, I guess I'm not big on famous names). Even a rudimentary knowledge of Hollywood or hell, human nature should make this show funny, with the sleazy minor characters and wonderfully ridiculous plots. How can someone watch the episode where he dupes a movie studio to send to him to Nepal just so he can get some Yak's milk and make some soup and not think it's a hilarious concept?

I don't know. I guess my point in posting is to say that you do not necessarily need to be a Hollywood insider to enjoy the humor in this show, and other comments here on and on the message board confirm my belief that I am not the only one who thinks this show is hilarious.
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awesome!
stughoot6 November 2003
This show is brilliant! I just saw the third episode, and the subtle dexterity of the comedy was remarkable. The laugh out loud jokes are just icing on the cake; this show has a lot of depth to it. I'm guessing this will probably be the "love it or hate it" show of the season.
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good toon
callicantzaros5 November 2003
Dry wit, intelligent , and different, i like it.Robert's portayal of himself as a smooth talking ladies man , who entwines stars, musicians , and directors in wacky. off-the-wall situations, is aridly hysterical, some very good one-line zingers as well.Despite what may have been suggested above, you don't have to be Hollywood to appreciate this cartoon.
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Great show, not for everyone.
John McKeenan30 October 2003
"Kid Notorious" recounts the fictional and extremely subversive adventures of one Robert Evans. Evans is a producer, a very decent one (he's had his share of hits and misses, ranging from The Godfather to How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days). But more than that, he's the ultimate Hollywood insider. He knows how the system works, who's on top, who's on bottom, who's rising, and who's falling. He can pick out the devils from a sea of angels, and then smooth talk those devils into trading their pitchforks for harps. Best of all, he's got the freedom to pick his women. Who, how many, how long.

So I figured that with the Kid's incredible history (well documented in Brett Morgen [also a co-creator of "Notorious"] and Nanette Bernstein's "The Kid Stays In the Picture") and Robert Evans's smooth, cool, confident voice, "Notorious" would be a hit. I still thought Notorious would be a hit when I saw the first episode. It wasn't South Park or Family Guy, but I thought it was charming in it's own right.

Imagine my surprise when I talked to some friends of mine about the show, prompting them to go on a series of five-minute tirades about how it was the worst show to ever hit Comedy Central.

So I wondered, was it me? Did I just have bad taste?

Well, after watching the second episode, I still proudly admit to loving this show. However, now watching it with a slightly more critical eye, I can see that it's not for everyone.

For one, the show's sense of humor is bizarre. Not South Park bizarre (where the craziness has a point to it), but downright BIZARRE. They range in slapstick (Puss Puss the cat's antics with English, Evans's butler) to subdued ("This is one of the most remote villages in the world...hey, look, I got full bars on my cell phone!"). And none of it ties into a common point. It's just there.

And to further alienate people, there are the dreaded Hollywood insider jokes. Take one situation in the second episode where there's a hilarious montage featuring Tollie Mae (Evans's loudmouth cook) and Guns and Roses guitarist Slash in love. All of it is set to the theme of the Robert Evans produced "Love Story." I would not have picked up on it if I hadn't seen "The Kid Stays..." (which talked about Love Story in detail) and not knowing probably would've hurt the scene for me.

So here's how it is. I don't expect the show to run long, but if you haven't seen "The Kid Stays In the Picture," or you saw it but didn't like it, stay away from this show. If that movie instilled within you a deep interest or a great respect for Evans (and I don't see how it couldn't), then give this show a shot. It's hit or miss for each person, but the Robert Evans fans make the biggest target.
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Not for everyone...
klarkashton5 November 2003
I had very low initial expectations for this show, but I was pleasantly surprised. I have always enjoyed extremely random, absurd humor - and this show delivers. The writers are either brilliant or very, very lucky to be able to walk the fine line between funny and just stupid (though many would argue that they are well past the line). I suspect it's a bit of both. It will be interesting to see how the show holds up over time. Those who don't like randomness and absurdity will probably not enjoy this show at all. If you do, though, sit back and enjoy the ride. It's an interesting trip.
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Great Show
markalanj18 November 2003
I belive that this is a damn good show. Sure I like South Park and Crank Yankers but its about time Comedy Central aired a show for us who don't drool all over ourselves. I am really looking forward for more episodes. Keep them comming.
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Nothing else like it on TV
ka_zenrei2 January 2004
Kid Notorious is a tribute to a great man who has had many unfair trials in his life, but has always come out on top. Robert Evans is an extraordinary man. Kid Notorious gives us a rarely seen insight into the "glamour" of Hollywood life. The fact that Robert Evans still has a sense of humor and can laugh at himself after all he has been through is an admirable thing. Hilarious, often cutting edge, never boring, this show is one of a kind, and a must see.
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Delightful to some, definitely not a hit
goose7491 November 2003
I am one who finds this show funny. However, it is not the laugh-out-loud kind of humor that is so common to Comedy Central. This network tends not to produce shows that have something for everyone, each of its shows has a limited audience. I, for one, can not tolerate most of the stand-up comics, and I don't really find Reno-911 that funny.

Many of the jokes in Kid Notorious are stiff, but those that do manage to go over get a chuckle out of me. Not a great show, definitely not as hit, but I do find it enjoyable.
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