Men In Black: The Series...

[Warped9]

When this first came on in the late '90s I quite liked it. It wasn't really like the movie, but it had a genuine quirky appeal to it. The animated J was more doofus than the live-action Will Smith version, but it was still a riot to watch.

Sadly I lost track of the series after several of the first season episode. I'm now catching up on Youtube. I still really like this series. it's definitely a good step up from Saturday morning kiddie fare and I like the diversity of stories.

The only thing that bums me out is that the series isn't available on DVD. I'd pick it up in a heartbeat. I loved the first film, but I didn't care much for the second. But from what I've seen so far I'm looking forward to the forthcoming third film and hope it's good.

 

[JD]

Yeah, I was right in the target age group when the show first came out and I loved it. Is the stuff you're watching on youtube official? I'm tempted to watch, but I generally only watch stuff that's offcially online. I'm honestly kind shocked it's not on DVD, it seems like the perfect tie-in for the new movie.

 

[Warped9]

I think it was released on disc in Australia. It might also be available on Netflix, but I'm not hooked up to that.

So far I've watched the first nine episodes.

01. "The Long Goodbye Syndrome"
02. "The Buzzard Syndrome"
03. "The Irritable Bow-Wow Syndrome"
04. "The Alpha Syndrome"
05. "The Undercover Syndrome"
06. "The Neuralyzer Syndrome"
07. "The Symbiote Syndrome"
08. "The Inanimate Syndrome"
09. "The Psychic Link Syndrome"

 

[Christopher]

I loved the first season -- it was very smart, sophisticated, and character-driven. But afterward, the writing staff changed (the first-season crew moved to Godzilla: The Series from the same studio) and the quality fell off. The character focus of season 1 was replaced with a focus purely on action and gimmicks, and the comic-relief alien characters increasingly took over the show, more with each passing season. The rich, enigmatic Agent K of season 1 became dull and robotic, with a new voice actor giving a far blander performance (and although all the character designs were prettied up in season 2, K was changed so much that he didn't even look like the same character). And don't even get me started on the character assassination of Agent L in the fourth (and mercifully final) season.

 

[Warped9]

Love the music. It's low-key even during the action sequences. It almost sounds more befitting of a cop/detective show than sci-fi. I also love their diverse and unusual aliens.

 

[Christopher]

Yeah, Jim Latham's music was pretty good. Never thought of it in cop-show terms, though.

I'm also rather fascinated by the main title music for the show, also by Latham. It's very exotic, imaginative, and intricate, and one of the most successful attempts I've ever heard to write music that sounds "alien."

(Latham also did Sony Animation's earlier Extreme Ghostbusters, and I really liked his moody rearrangement of the Ray Parker Jr. theme song, which sounded less like cheerleading and more like something befitting a show about ghosts.)

 

[Warped9]

I'm really liking the first season episodes. Quite smartly done all around. "The Head Trip Syndrome" may be my favourite so far. This is the one where the MIB agents are disappearing from history one-by-one.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

I watched it when I was a kid. I think it was right at the end of the age where I could get away with watching children's cartoons. I remembered finding it a worthwhile show at the time, although I'm not sure if I'm talking about more than one season.

 

[Christopher]

Well, the first season was smart enough that it wasn't just for kids. In fact, I found it more clever and intelligent than a lot of so-called "adult" sitcoms on the air at the same time. But the later seasons were much more kid-focused.

 

[Samurai8472]

I loved the first season -- it was very smart, sophisticated, and character-driven. But afterward, the writing staff changed (the first-season crew moved to Godzilla: The Series from the same studio) and the quality fell off.

Extreme Ghostbusters, Godzilla the series and Men In Black the series all started to blend at one point

Not surprising since they all shared some staff.


I would love a live action tv series of Men In Black or Ghostbusters.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Sounds like YouTube has been working for you. It's also shown during the week on cable channel The Hub.

 

[Christopher]

Extreme Ghostbusters, Godzilla the series and Men In Black the series all started to blend at one point

Not surprising since they all shared some staff.

They were all based on Columbia/Sony movies, so they were all produced by Adelaide Productions, the animation division of Sony Pictures Television. Their other shows included Heavy Gear, Jumanji, Roughnecks: The Starship Troopers Chronicles, Jackie Chan Adventures, Boondocks, and The Spectacular Spider-Man.

Sounds like YouTube has been working for you. It's also shown during the week on cable channel The Hub.

Unfortunately, The Hub always skips one of the best season-1 episodes, "The Neuralizer Syndrome," because at one point it features an alien craft that nearly crashes into the World Trade Center.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

^^ I'd forgotten that, I think you've mentioned it before. Too bad, it's probably easier to just not show it now than to reconsider it now with time passed. Unfortunately being a cartoon few in charge probably even realize it's missing and those that might probably aren't worried about it's omission.

Heck, the way they draw J's lips is probably more offensive if you ask me...

EDIT: Rewatching that episode on YouTube, boy, that is a tough call. That isn't something that happens in the background, they specifically call out that they're heading for the twin towers. I could see them pulling this. I think maybe dropping a couple of dialog lines would probably make it work as a compromise.


Off topic, I love Jen Lien's voice as Elle.

 

[Christopher]

Off topic, I love Jen Lien's voice as Elle.

Absolutely. A very, very sexy vocal performance, especially in season 1 when she had a good characterization underlying it. And it's one of the reasons I can't stand what season 4 did to L (which is how they spelled it in the show). Not only did they recast her with a less effective voice actress, but they totally changed her characterization, eliminating the cool, collected, sexily ultracompetent agent she'd been and turning her into the constantly frustrated comic foil for an obnoxious alien partner. So first they completely transformed Agent K in season 2, then L in season 4. It was like the MiB was being taken over by pod people and nobody noticed.

 

[Kemaiku]

I have the full series on DVD and like to occasionally rewatch it, and as others have said the first season is by far the better of them. The Agent Alpha storyline is my personal favourite, I'd have liked to see elements of it in the second or third films over what we got, but nevermind.

It was like the MiB was being taken over by pod people and nobody noticed.

Ironically that did happen in the show, complete with obliviousness to the changes.

 

[Christopher]

Except it was a particularly bad substitution with Agent K, since season 2-4 K didn't even look or sound like season 1 K, let alone have the same personality.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

I never watched this show in order, I might need to check it out again and approach it season by season. There sure are a lot of shows out there that had seasonal overhauls (though I'm not sure of how many are generally liked).

 

[Kemaiku]

Except it was a particularly bad substitution with Agent K, since season 2-4 K didn't even look or sound like season 1 K, let alone have the same personality.

Yeah, the tone and quality dropped too much to enjoy it the same way. Jay was irritating throughout though, oh I mean he did have development and show some maturity as time went on, but too infrequently.

 

[Christopher]

^As with everything else, J was better in season 1. He had interesting relationships with K and L, and he grew over the course of the season, becoming more competent and experienced. IIRC, the later seasons somewhat undid that and stuck him in permanent "rookie" mode, and the simplification of the other characters made him less interesting because his relationships became less interesting.

 

[Warped9]

I have the full series on DVD...

I wish I could get a hold of that. Just can't seem to be found here in Canada or the U.S.