If one is a person with a healthy sleep schedule or a sense of humor based in reality, there’s a good chance they haven’t heard of “The Venture Bros.,” one of the Adult Swim network’s most ambitious pieces of original programming. Unlike a lot of Adult Swim, this show wasn’t solely reliant on surrealism and vulgarity, not to say it didn’t have those things. It was a standout for having intelligent writing, iconic characters, complex worldbuilding and stunning animation that all came together for what was very clearly a passion project.
It held a special place in animation for a lot of people, and it came as unfortunate news when it was announced that the network was canceling the show. After seven seasons, “The Venture Bros.” will have to pack up its things and wave goodbye to its airtime.
A quick overview of the show for those unfamiliar: it is set in a parodic Hanna-Barbera-esque world of science, villains, mysteries and monsters, the show follows boy adventurers Dean (Michael Sinterniklaas, “Your Name”) and Hank Venture (Christopher McCulloch, “Harvey Girls Forever”), their cynical, washed-up father Rusty (James Urbaniak, “Star Wars The Old Republic – Onslaught”), and their cutthroat bodyguard Brock (Patrick Warburton), as they face ridiculous problems such as their butterfly-themed nemesis, The Monarch (Christopher McCulloch). It uses this premise to construct an elaborate world with many moving parts and story beats, as well as to explore the complexities of each character and how they process the insane events around them. Each season sharpens both the writing and the animation, expanding and elaborating in ways that make it supremely enjoyable to watch and rewatch.
The show was a unique product of a lot of hard work. The reasons for its cancellation have not been stated, but given that the show took 12 years to complete seven seasons, one could conclude that the network simply didn’t feel that production was worth the time. While this is pragmatic, it’s also a betrayal of the good faith shown by the creators and contributors of the show over the years. They have spent the admittedly lengthy production schedule creating a show that outclasses pretty much everything else the network has to offer. On top of that, the show was already renewed before the cancellation was announced, with the scripts for the eighth season halfway through production. In other words, the network made the active choice to nullify an effort in progress, forcing all involved to abandon ship.
Though Adult Swim has claimed it would like to find another way to continue the show, it is a statement that feels rather hollow. “The Venture Bros.” was a sendup to the old classics with writing that works in part because of its talented cast of actors. Without setting the show within a show of its own, it’s very easy to see how it might lose its soul. This whole debacle is a testament to the harsh reality all creatives face in the modern media climate, as their their vision is allowed to exist so long as it feeds into the bottom line. Art is not the goal, it is a means to the goal. While this mindset is reasonable, it isn’t honest. If the people in charge of distributing creative media don’t really care about said media, then are creators ever really safe to be original or truthful in what they make and how they make it? Is there any room for “The Venture Bros.?”
Image from Adult Swim via YouTube
