Moonbeam City

Last updated
Moonbeam City
Moonbeam City Title Screen.jpg
Genre Comedy
Adult animation
Mystery
Science fiction
Created by Scott Gairdner
Directed by
Voices of Rob Lowe
Elizabeth Banks
Kate Mara
Will Forte
Theme music composer Night Club
Opening theme"Another One" (Instrumental)
ComposerNight Club
Country of originUnited States
Canada
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10
Production
Executive producers
  • Scott Gairdner
  • Will Gluck
  • Richard Schwartz
  • Tommy Blacha
Producers
  • Rob Lowe
  • James Merrill
Editors
  • Barry Kelly
  • Jeff Picarello
Running time22 minutes
Production companies
  • Olive Bridge Entertainment
  • Alphapanel Industries
  • Solis Animation
  • Titmouse, Inc.
Release
Original network Comedy Central
Original releaseSeptember 16 (2015-09-16) 
December 9, 2015 (2015-12-09)

Moonbeam City is an adult animated television series that was created by Scott Gairdner, and starred the voices of Elizabeth Banks, Rob Lowe, Kate Mara and Will Forte. It premiered on Comedy Central on September 16, 2015. [1]

Contents

A parody of 1980s cop shows such as Miami Vice [2] and City Hunter [ citation needed ], the show was sponsored by the Canadian government and animated by Toronto-based studio Solis Animation using Adobe After Effects software. Moonbeam City featured a distinctive 80s-influenced futuristic visual style with heavy use of neon lighting, inspired by media such as Tron ; character designs were similar to the style of the artist Patrick Nagel. [3] A synthwave soundtrack was performed by Night Club. [4]

On March 30, 2016, the series was cancelled after one season. [5]

Characters

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code
US viewers
(millions)
1"Mall Hath No Fury" Mark Brooks Scott GairdnerSeptember 16, 2015 (2015-09-16)1010.61 [13]
An incompetent police detective named Dazzle Novak promotes a shopping mall singing sensation, while a petty thief Dazzle let slip through his fingers creates a cocaine empire and proceeds to overrun Moonbeam City, a crime-ridden beach city based on Miami in the 1980s. Guest starring Nick Corirossi and Cree Summer.
2"Lights! Camera! Re-enaction!"Mark BrooksRyan PerezSeptember 23, 2015 (2015-09-23)1040.52 [14]
While DJing for a mandatory month underage rave, Dazzle becomes famous for stopping a juvenile bike thief and creates an over-the-top re-enactment segment for Crimezappers, Moonbeam City's premier crime show. Guest starring John O'Hurley and Allison Janney.
3"The Strike Visualizer Strikes Again" Juno Lee Tommy Blacha September 30, 2015 (2015-09-30)105N/A
Dazzle, Chrysalis, and Rad track down the murderous "Moonbeam Maniac", while Dazzle confronts a childhood hero. Guest voices include Peter Serafinowicz and Cree Summer.
4"Quest for Aquatica"Mark BrooksScott GairdnerOctober 14, 2015 (2015-10-14)1020.53 [15]
Dazzle is tasked by Chrysalis' father with finding a missing dolphin, but falls in love with one named "Splasha". Guest starring Patrick Warburton.
5"Glitzotrene: One Town’s Seduction"Juno LeeAndrew WeinbergOctober 21, 2015 (2015-10-21)107N/A
To prevent Mayor Eo Jaxxon from dismantling Moonbeam City's police department, the police hook the entire city on the synthetic drug "Glitzotrene", creating a drug epidemic. Guest starring Powers Boothe, Trace Adkins, and Carlos Alazraqui.
6"Lasers and Liars"Juno LeeAndrew WeinbergOctober 28, 2015 (2015-10-28)103N/A
When the team gears up for the Laser Ball, Dazzle and Pizzaz become entangled with her hyper-wealthy (and despicable) family, while Rad's lies become increasingly ridiculous while trying to join a yacht club. Guest starring Kate McKinnon, Paget Brewster, and Kevin McDonald.
7"Cop Con"Mark BrooksRyan PerezNovember 11, 2015 (2015-11-11)106N/A
At the 3-day "Cop Con" event, Dazzle and Pizzaz enjoy their annual passionate tryst. Meanwhile, Chrysalis avoids an obsessed fan, a frustrated Rad starts "Rad Con", and a cop-free Moonbeam City undergoes a community renaissance. Guest starring John O'Hurley, Allison Janney, Cree Summer, and Nick Corirossi. [16]
8"Stuntstravaganza"Mark BrooksScott GairdnerNovember 18, 2015 (2015-11-18)108N/A
Bitter in defeat from a racing challenge, Dazzle seeks out his estranged father to help him perfect a car stunt. Meanwhile, Rad faces the consequences of misplacing his parking validation card. Guest starring Adam West, Paul F. Tompkins, and Nick Mundy.
9"The Legend Of Circuit Lake"Juno LeeTommy Blacha & Ryan PerezDecember 2, 2015 (2015-12-02)109N/A
In order to get revenge, Rad attempts to dig up embarrassing footage of Dazzle from the police records room. But things go awry, rendering Rad trapped in its virtual reality computer system. Dazzle ends up being accused and convicted of Rad's presumed murder, gets sent to prison and ends up having relations with its computerized artificially intelligent security system. Guest starring Tom Kenny, Susan Sarandon, and Molly Shannon. [17]
10"The Wedding of Rad (Lie)"Mark BrooksScott GairdnerDecember 9, 2015 (2015-12-09)110N/A
In the series finale, Dazzle hooks up with the daughter of a crime lord. Meanwhile, Rad's family coerces him into a bizarre arranged marriage in order to con the entire Moonbeam City police department. Guest starring Kate McKinnon, Catherine O'Hara, and Andy Richter. [18]

Broadcast

Internationally, the series premiered in Australia on November 15, 2015 on The Comedy Channel. [19]

Reception

On December 1, 2015, Moonbeam City was nominated for an Annie Award for Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production, but lost to The Simpsons . [20]

The first season holds a 29% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 14 reviews. Its consensus states: "Moonbeam City wildly overestimates the effectiveness of its attempts at over-the-top humor, leaving viewers with little more than a derivative disappointment". [21] On Metacritic, the series holds a 52% indicating mixed or average reviews. [22]

Mike Hale of The New York Times stated that "the look of Moonbeam City may catch your eye, but after a while, you may be tempted to say, I will bury you so deep the world's smartest worms couldn't find you". He also stated that the pop-culture references and satire were forced and the dialogue "tries so hard you can see it sweat". [23] Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter claimed that the show would be able to stand "in a world without Archer " and called it thin and with limited potential. [24] Bob Sassone of The A.V. Club gave it a C+, calling it "more clever than funny with Archer vibes". [25] Brian Lowry of Variety claims that the show settles more for being puerile than clever, making it "less than dazzling". [26] Katy Waldman of Slate 's review was scathing, stating that the series "is so willfully dumb that it might make you wonder if it is meta-dumb". [27]

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References

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  2. Hale, Mike (15 September 2015). "Review: Comedy Central's 'Moonbeam City' Recalls the World of 'Miami Vice'". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  3. Miller, Liz Shannon (2015-09-16). "'Moonbeam City' Creator Scott Gairdner Reached For the Stars, and Got Rob Lowe". IndieWire. Penske Business Media, LLC. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  4. Edwards, C. (30 July 2014). "Watch: Comedy Central Teases 1980s Crime Show Parody 'Moonbeam City'". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  5. Andreeva, Nellie (March 30, 2016). "'Moonbeam City' Canceled By Comedy Central After One Season". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved March 30, 2016.
  6. "Moonbeam City Season 1". Zap2it. Archived from the original on November 23, 2015. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
  7. "Lasers and Liars". Moonbeam City. 11 minutes in.
  8. "Quest for Aquatica". Moonbeam City. 18 minutes in.
  9. "Quest for Aquatica". Moonbeam City. 2 minutes in.
  10. Miller, Pizzaz. "Mall Hath No Fury". Moonbeam City. 9 minutes in.
  11. Cunningham, Rad. "The Strike Visualizer Strikes Again". Moonbeam City. 7 minutes in.
  12. Cunningham, Rad. "The Wedding of Rad (Lie)". Moonbeam City. 15 minutes in.
  13. Dixon, Dani. "Wednesday Cable Ratings: CNN's Republican Debate Tops Night + 'Anderson Cooper 360' 'House Hunters', 'Little Women LA', 'Property Brothers' & More". TV by the Numbers . Archived from the original on September 19, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  14. Kondolojy, Amanda. "Wednesday Cable Ratings: 'South Park' Tops Night + 'Worst Cooks in America', 'Pardon the Interruption', 'The League' & More". TV by the Numbers . Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  15. Porter, Rick. "Wednesday cable ratings: 'American Horror Story' and MLB lead, plus 'South Park,' 'Teen Mom II'". TV by the Numbers . Archived from the original on October 17, 2015. Retrieved October 15, 2015.
  16. "Moonbeam City Season 1 ep 7". Zap2it. Archived from the original on November 23, 2015. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
  17. "Moonbeam City Season 1 ep 9". Zap2it. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  18. "Moonbeam City Season 1 ep 10". Zap2it. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved December 4, 2015.
  19. Purcell, Charles (6 November 2015). "New This Week (Nov 9): Mr. Robot, Nashville, Legends, Rousey v Holm and live sport". The Green Room. Archived from the original on 7 November 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  20. "43rd Annual Annie Awards Nominees". Annie Awards. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
  21. "Moonbeam City". Rotten Tomatoes .
  22. "Moonbeam City". Metacritic .
  23. Hale, Mike (15 September 2015). "Review: Comedy Central's 'Moonbeam City' Recalls the World of 'Miami Vice'". The New York Times .
  24. "'Moonbeam City': TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter . 15 September 2015.
  25. Sassone, Bob (16 September 2015). "Moonbeam City has Archer vibes and Rob Lowe, but it's more clever than funny". The A.V. Club .
  26. Lowry, Brian (15 September 2015). "TV Review: 'Moonbeam City'".
  27. Waldman, Katy (16 September 2015). "Moonbeam City". Slate.