TV shows based on kids’ movies are always terrible. Executives make a fine movie, people seem to like it, and they want to capitalize on that fame and fortune for a few seasons. I get that. The same thing happened following the 2006 animated movie Barnyard, a movie I have never seen. Shockingly, despite mixed reviews and a fairly poor premise, I think the spin-off show Back at the Barnyard is genuinely one of the funniest TV shows I have ever seen.
Synopsis: The show follows the antics of a group of talking barnyard animals. Otis the cow is the de facto leader of the group, and many of the episodes surround his attempts to party and goof off without getting caught for talking. He is best friends with Pip, a mouse. Other characters include Abby the cow, Pig the pig, Freddy the ferret, Peck the rooster, Duke the dog, and Bessy the cow. Freddy and Peck are best friends, despite Freddy’s incessant desire to eat rooster.
Many of the episodes involve Snotty Boy and Mrs. Beady, two of the principal enemies of the animals. Snotty Boy is a spiteful and bratty child who enjoys torturing the animals the best he can, but the group often outwits him through the masterful art of prank. Mrs. Beady, Snotty Boy’s aunt, lives nextdoor to the farm. She is the only person who knows the animals can talk, but as she tries to publicize that fact, the viewing public always sees her as crazy.
Hallmarks: I like Back at the Barnyard so much because of the sheer absurdity of its comedy. The jokes are fast paced and incredibly strange, and I find it to be extremely funny. I have included this short clip that I hope can provide a good example of the comedy I am talking about.
I credit Back at the Barnyard with a good amount of my sense of humor, despite being a fairly short-lived and unsuccessful program.
Additionally, many of the episodes include cut-away, fourth-wall-breaking scenes involving Pig speaking directly to the audience, like “Viewer Mail Time” and “Ask Dr. Pig.” I always found these to be particularly funny.
Favorite Episode: I particularly enjoy season 1, episode 22a “Otis for Mayor” and season 1, episode 26a “Cowdyshack.”
I would recommend Back at the Barnyard to anyone who enjoys that sort of fast-paced absurdist comedy style. Regardless of the fact that this is a childrens’ show, I truly believe that it is funny.
Featured Image: from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0857277/mediaviewer/rm2576336640
I love that you decided to write about a Nickelodeon show. I remember watching the show, but I admittedly forget the specifics of it. Nonetheless, I know I enjoyed it and your synopsis gave a good description of the show’s wit. I also think absurdist comedy is hilarious — maybe this is originally what led me there. Thanks for the flash from the past!
As soon as I saw the picture for this blog I immediately knew what it was! My siblings and I used to love this show as kids so it was super cool to see that someone else liked it as well. Honestly, I completely forgot about this show until now so it was super cool to have that throwback read. I agree with your evaluation of the comedy in the show! Thanks for the awesome throwback!