God, the Devil and Bob

Last updated
God, the Devil and Bob
God the Devil and Bob.png
Genre Animated sitcom
Created by Matthew Carlson
Voices of
Composer Sean Murray
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13
Production
Executive producers
Running time22 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network NBC [1]
ReleaseMarch 9 (2000-03-09) 
March 28, 2000 (2000-03-28)
Network Adult Swim
ReleaseJanuary 8 (2011-01-08) 
March 26, 2011 (2011-03-26)

God, the Devil and Bob is an American animated sitcom which aired on NBC from March 9 to March 28, 2000, leaving nine episodes unaired. [2] It was created by Matthew Carlson. The entire series was released on Region 1 DVD in the United States on January 4, 2005. Reruns of the series began airing on Cartoon Network's late night sister time-sharing network, Adult Swim, on January 1, 2011, with the network airing the nine remaining episodes of the series from January 8 to March 26, 2011. [3] [4]

Contents

Thirteen episodes were made, but only four were broadcast in the United States before the series was canceled due to a combination of low ratings and pressure from religious activists, despite receiving mostly positive reviews from critics and audiences alike. [5] [6] [7] [8]

James Garner wrote in his memoirs that "It's a shame we went out of business so soon because I loved playing God." [9]

The show, however, was well received in places such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Latin America (including Brazil), where BBC Two, RTÉ, and Fox, respectively, aired the entire series. It was once broadcast on the now-defunct Philippine channel Maxxx.

Synopsis

The series was based on God (voiced by James Garner) and the Devil (voiced by Alan Cumming) making a bet over the fate of the world. God wants to wipe humanity off the face of the planet and start over, but he realizes that he's "not that kind of God." The Devil gets to choose one person, and if that person does not prove they have made the world a better place, God will destroy the world. The Devil chooses Bob Allman (voiced by French Stewart), a beer-drinking, porno-watching auto plant worker from the suburbs of Detroit who, when asked to save humanity from complete annihilation, asks "What's in it for me?" After saving humanity in the pilot episode, the series revolves around Bob being God's "Go-To Guy" whenever he gets a great idea to help out the world. [10] [11]

Characters

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release dateProd.
code
U.S. viewers
(millions)
1"In the Beginning" Jeff DeGrandis Matthew Carlson March 9, 2000 (2000-03-09)10114.42 [15]
God has become disappointed enough in the world to consider destroying it. He decides to give the world a second chance if Bob can show him one soul worth saving, but Bob is unsure how to proceed.
2"Andy Runs Away" Swinton O. Scott III Matthew CarlsonMarch 14, 2000 (2000-03-14)1056.34 [16]
Andy runs away to Canada when God refuses to present himself to Andy's friends. The Devil tries being nicer to Smeck. Megan gets a crush on Donna's college classmate.
3"Date from Hell" Steve Ressel Matthew CarlsonMarch 21, 2000 (2000-03-21)1035.96 [17]
The Devil doesn't believe that Bob is taking him seriously, so he decides to teach Bob a lesson by dating his daughter.
4"The Devil's Birthday"Sherie PollackMatthew CarlsonMarch 28, 2000 (2000-03-28)1065.67 [18]

The Devil goes to hell with all the world's evil when God forgets his birthday.

Note: This is the last episode to air on NBC before the show was cancelled.
5"Neighbor's Keeper"Sherie PollackMatthew CarlsonJanuary 8, 2011 (2011-01-08)102N/A

Bob helps save his neighbors' marriage; Donna decides to return to college after 14 years.

Note: This is the first episode to air on Adult Swim, 11 years after they picked up the rest of the unaired episodes from the show's first season.
6"God's Favorite"Dan FausettMatthew CarlsonJanuary 22, 2011 (2011-01-22)104N/A
Bob believes he is indestructible and cannot die; the Devil feels neglected when God doesn't call him about their golf outing.
7"Bob Gets Committed"Steve Ressel Alex Reid February 12, 2011 (2011-02-12)107N/A
When Bob defaces a billboard along the freeway, he gets arrested; when he tells the police he's God's messenger, he gets committed.
8"Lonely at the Top"Dan FausettAlex ReidFebruary 19, 2011 (2011-02-19)108N/A
God decides to pose as "Arthur from Ypsilanti" to live a day in the life of an average person, but he doesn't fit in with Bob's friends.
9"Bob Gets Greedy"Swinton O. Scott IIIGary Murphy & Neil ThompsonFebruary 26, 2011 (2011-02-26)109N/A
Bob finds future sports scores on the Devil's Palm Pilot and considers it a blessing when he gambles and wins.
10"There's Too Much Sex on TV"Sherie PollackMatthew CarlsonMarch 5, 2011 (2011-03-05)110N/A

God sends Bob to Hollywood to do something about all the sex on TV.

Guest star: Sarah Michelle Gellar as That Actress on That Show
11"Bob's Father"Steve ResselMatthew CarlsonMarch 12, 2011 (2011-03-12)111N/A

Bob visits his dying father in the hospital hoping to make amends, but he ends up telling the angry, abusive old man to go to Hell.

Guest star: Troy Evans as Bob's Father
12"God's Girlfriend"Dan FausettNeil Thompson & Gary MurphyMarch 19, 2011 (2011-03-19)112N/A

While Bob is out with his family, God bumps into an old girlfriend who invites him to dinner. God wants to cancel the date; meanwhile, the Devil attempts to cause chaos in Heaven.

Guest stars: Elizabeth Taylor as Sarah and Alan Young as Wilbur Post
13"Bob Gets Involved"Swinton O. Scott IIIGary Murphy & Neil ThompsonMarch 26, 2011 (2011-03-26)113N/A
Bob leads a clueless vigilante group determined to fight against the evils of society—totally unaware how his actions will impact his family.

Home media

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has released the complete season on DVD in Region 1. The 2-disc set features an extensive array of special features including commentaries, interviews and audition tapes.

DVD NameEpisodesRelease Date
(region 1)
Special features
Complete Season13January 4, 2005
  • Commentaries by Matt Carlson and Harvey Myman
  • Voice over audition tapes
  • Digital Storyboards
  • "Let There Be God, The Devil and Bob!" Making of God, the Devil and Bob
  • On the set interviews

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Credited as co-executive producer.

References

  1. Braxton, Greg (1999-05-17). "Carsey-Werner Raises 'The Devil'". LA Times. Retrieved 2010-08-29.
  2. Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 378–379. ISBN   978-1476665993.
  3. "Schedule Update - 11/22/10 - Adult Swim Message Boards". Boards.adultswim.com. Archived from the original on 2012-03-12. Retrieved 2015-10-28.
  4. "Schedule". Adult Swim. 2014-07-14. Archived from the original on 2011-10-06. Retrieved 2015-10-28.
  5. "God, the Devil and Bob". Entertainment Weekly. January 10, 2005. Archived from the original on 2012-10-19. Retrieved 2010-08-29.
  6. "God, the Devil and a boycott". BBC. 2000-03-18. Retrieved 2010-08-29.
  7. Wells, Matt (2000-10-19). "BBC buys animated sitcom that shook US". London: Guardian. Retrieved 2010-08-29.
  8. "Viewers find nbc's 'god' offensive". New York Daily News. 2000-03-13. Retrieved 2010-08-29.[ dead link ]
  9. Garner, James; Winokur, Jon (2011). The Garner Files: A Memoir. Simon & Schuster. p. 266.
  10. "God and the Devil join BBC". BBC. 2000-10-19. Retrieved 2010-08-29.
  11. "'god' shows nbc's new faith in animation". New York Daily News. 2000-03-12. Retrieved 2010-08-29.[ dead link ]
  12. Churchill, Bonnie (2000-02-25). "Garner Truly Thanks God For His Latest Starring Role". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2010-08-29.
  13. "Downey Jr back in jail". BBC News. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  14. "Bart Simpson's Voice Eager For New Challenge". Chicago Tribune. 2000-03-08. Retrieved 2010-08-29.
  15. "National Nielsen Viewership (March 6–12)". The Los Angeles Times . March 15, 2000. Retrieved May 21, 2023 via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  16. "National Nielsen Viewership (March 13–19)". The Los Angeles Times . March 22, 2000. Retrieved May 21, 2023 via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  17. "National Nielsen Viewership (March 20–26)". The Los Angeles Times . March 29, 2000. Retrieved May 21, 2023 via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  18. "National Nielsen Viewership (March 27–April 2)". The Los Angeles Times . April 5, 2000. Retrieved May 21, 2023 via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg