Andy Richter Controls the Universe
Fox
The dorks are taking over at Fox, and they're doing a world of good.
Ten years ago, Fox's angle as the young startup network was to cater to
a trashier market than the Big Three, offering soapy Aaron Spelling
fluff, crass comedy and cheap thrill action shows. Shows like "Married...With
Children," "America's Most Wanted," "Likely Suspects," Code 3," "Cops,"
"Beverly Hills 90210" and "Melrose Place" made up the majority of Fox's
primetime viewing, while NBC aired the formidable "Law and Order,"
"Dateline," "Seinfeld," "Cheers" and "Mad About You."
Then, reflecting on the runaway success of "The X-Files" in 1993, which
made being an alien chaser and conspiracy lover sort of sexy, Fox
realized that a discriminating audience wants more thought and less fart, more
plot and fewer car chases. So, by the end of the century, the network was
serving up nerds, like the scrawny, sarcastic Eric Forman in "That 70s
Show" and the eponymous genius of "Malcolm in the Middle."
"Malcolm" has done much to usher in Fox's latest geeks, dorks and
underdogs. While Fox languishes tenth among networks in total Emmy
awards, "Malcolm" has garnered several nominations since its debut in 2000.
Perhaps inspired by "Malcolm's" critical success, the next season Fox added
"24," which appeals to the X-Philes, "Undeclared," which gave us Steven Karp,
the nerd trying to shed his skin in college; "Bernie Mac," which features
the scene-stealing Jordan, Mac's sniveling asthmatic nephew; and "The
Tick," which snidely poked fun at comic book culture with a group of
dilettante superheroes.
One show has successfully straddled the gulf between the old Fox and
the new. When "The Simpsons" first debuted, it seemed like typical Fox,
only animated: An obnoxious, loud dysfunctional family typified by that
awful Bart, enemy of mothers who hoped to raise overachievers. But through
the years, "The Simpsons" became less about attitude and more about
cleverness. And the show's geekier characters, such as Lisa, Milhouse, Professor
Frink and the Comic Book Store Guy, have been given more face time.
Fox's newest dorky designated hitter is Andy Richter, who injects a
sweet-but-biting sensibility into the charming "Andy Richter Controls
the Universe." Richter's character lives his life somewhat like a "Choose
Your Own Adventure" book, playing out different versions of how aspects of
his everyday life might go. At the end of the premiere, he imagines he and
his co-workers are caped superhero crime fighters, as many nerdy kids who
escaped into the fantasy world of comic books do.
It's funnier and more endearing when Richter interrupts an anguished
inner monologue to note, "Wow, boobs..." as his girlfriend removes her top,
than if "Married...With Children's" Al Bundy did the same thing. Why?
Because Al was a pig, but Andy is an underdog, a guy who enjoys the way his
girlfriend sneezes as much as he enjoys her boobs.
The entertaining "Andy Richter Controls the Universe" continues Fox's
successful steps at building quality by integrating geekiness. Fox will
still deliver trashy gems such as "Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire?"
"Celebrity Boxing" and "Glutton Bowl." It would never abandon its
ratings-happy roots. Fox's original incarnation may have been as the
network representing the belligerent, inebriated frat boy, but now that
it's showing us the point of view of those who got beaten up by the
frat boys, Fox is getting one step closer to pleasing both sides of the
campus.
— Claire Zulkey (clairezulkey@hotmail.com)
