TV Eye

The Boondocks

Here at last, here at last: The Boondocks finally comes to the small screen thanks to the Cartoon Network. No, this isn't a new iteration of The Beverly Hillbillies. The Boondocks is a new, animated series based on the award-winning comic strip by Aaron McGruder. Those who've followed McGruder's politically charged strip, featuring the two angriest black men in the funny pages – embodied in the sweet-faced, sharp-witted Huey (age 10) and his 8-year-old "gangsta" brother Riley – and worried that the small screen will dilute its charge have nothing to worry about.

The series backtracks a bit for those new to the strip. Viewers are quickly introduced to the precocious revolutionary Huey Freeman as he informs a doe-eyed audience of affluent suburbanites that "Jesus Christ was black. Ronald Reagan was the devil. And the government is lying about 9/11." His satisfaction with telling the truth is short-lived when his "crazy assed old black man" of a granddad, Robert, rousts him awake. Granddad is the legal guardian of Huey and Riley, with whom he has moved to the suburbs in search of some peace and quiet – and maybe a nice "white woman with a flat butt who will listen to my problems." But Huey and Riley are determined not to enjoy the lie of suburbia, offering their unsolicited views of the world when Granddad prefers they be quiet and behave. This is where the humor lies: in Huey's wry, politically charged commentary on race, class, and other big issues; Riley's gangsta attitude, punctuated all too often by a hissy fit; and Granddad, all too happy to take credit for surviving the water-hosing, riots, sit-ins, and other monumental moments in history. Yeah, he's seen it all. Or so he says. He's still peeved that Malcolm X died owing him five dollars.

New characters for the series include Uncle Ruckus, a sad but hilarious, self-loathing black man who respects and admires white people. He believes there's only one King – Elvis – and the only reason black people have a way with cooking pork that eludes white folks is because their "big brain has just focused on more important things, like running the world, and spaceships." The DuBois family lives next door. Tom DuBois is a successful African-American lawyer, whose daughter Jazmine is the product of an interracial marriage. This brings her some grief from Huey and Riley, though she's more traumatized by the two years she spent locked in her room following 9/11.

Those who have been watching and waiting for the premiere of The Boondocks series know it was originally being developed for Fox, with hopes of adding it to their popular lineup of animated series headlined by The Simpsons. The network eventually passed on it.

"The show for Fox was very sitcom-y and very structured," says McGruder in a Cartoon Network press release. "When it was all said and done, it wasn't that good of a show. From a storytelling perspective, it was almost as confining as the strip. It's really hard to make things funny. There are a million ways for them to be unfunny and sometimes you have to hit a pretty exact mark, especially when you're talking about race and politics. Cable is the only place where you can still be honest and actually have fun."

Regina King (Miss Congeniality 2, Ray) voices both Huey and Riley Freeman. Others in the cast include John Witherspoon (Granddad), Gary Anthony Williams (Uncle Ruckus), Cedric Yarbrough (Tom DuBois), and Gabby Soleil and Jill Talley (Jazmine and Sarah DuBois). Future guest voices include Ed Asner, Xzibit (Pimp My Ride), and Charlie Murphy (Chappelle's Show), among others.

Here are some brief descriptions of the premiere and several notable episodes, based on a couple of viewings and information from the Cartoon Network:

"The Garden Party": Granddad's perpetual fear that Huey and Riley will embarrass him in front of the nice white folks reaches paranoid heights when he takes them to a chichi neighborhood garden party. Fortunately, only one person gets shot.

"Guess Hoe's Coming to Dinner": Granddad meets a beautiful young woman and the boys disapprove. She makes Granddad happy all right, but she eats like a horse, spends his money like there's no tomorrow, and she detests work. And then there's her wacky pimp.

"The Trial of R. Kelly": When the trial of R&B star R. Kelly comes to town, Huey and Riley are on opposing sides of the "underage peeing" issue.

"A Huey Freeman Christmas": Huey directs his school's Christmas play, "The Adventures of Black Jesus."

"The Return of the King": When Martin Luther King comes out of a coma after 32 years and finds himself in the 21st century, post-9/11, his "turn the other cheek" philosophy turns him from beloved national hero to despised terrorist sympathizer.

"Let's Nab Oprah": Huey tries to stop Riley and his small gang of misfits from nabbing the talk show queen.

The Boondocks premieres Sunday, Nov. 6, at 10pm as part of the Cartoon Network's late night programming block, Adult Swim. For more information, go to www.adultswim.com.