I caught the first episode of “Sons Of Butcher”, the new 100% Canadian cartoon series which debued on TELETOON! on Friday. SOB will air regularly Fridays at 9:30pm (ET/PT).
Sons of Butcher takes you on a wild ride through the quirky minds and adolescent fantasies of three would-be rock gods.
Sol Butcher, Ricky Butcher, and Doug Borski – three rockers with a mission. When they aren’t busy running their successful “Sons of Butcher Quality Meats” shop in the armpit of downtown Steeltown, they rock out with their band called, naturally, “Sons of Butcher”. Meet your new favourite rock group:
SOL BUTCHER
Age: 19
Sol’s personal demons include repressed emotions, anger management issues, and short-term memory problems, and he struggles everyday, often unsuccessfully, to keep them at bay. He has a heart of gold, however, and would do anything to protect Ricky and Doug. Sol is the character who tries hardest to keep SOB a functioning unit. He’s taken a fatherly role for the parentless Ricky and Doug, and his misguided advice and occasional emotionally-charged speeches are the glue that holds the group together. Health-conscious, sensitive, and genuine, Sol is horrible with women. His breakup with high school sweetheart Trulie is still an open wound that is thinly-veiled at the best of times, but he still struggles to be an eternal optimist. Growing up close to his father Arpo, Sol learned to love meat and to respect the family tradition.
Sol values the shop above all else.
RICKY BUTCHER
Age: 17
Ricky does everything in excess. He is the Epicurean without motherly influence. Uncouth, quick-tempered, hot-blooded, inadvertently arrogant, and rebellious, Ricky operates on his own agenda, which is generally based on his desire to be the center of attention at all times. Add a distorted self-image and limitless ambition, and you have a cocky 17 year old that, despite his grandiose claims of sexual prowess, is still a child who is forever trying to replace his mother by dating much older women. From the brief time he spent with his mom, Ricky learned to dream big, and to expect more out of life than rib roasts and pinkelwurst.
Ricky values the band above all else.
DOUG BORSKI
Age: 18
After arriving in Steeltown, Doug was raised on hip-hop videos and daytime talk-shows. Always the outsider, Doug was hired by Arpo to clean the shop, and found his niche mopping blood and guts. When Doug’s traditional tribal rhythm training led him to rock the bass guitar, his place within this holy rock trinity was solidified. Lacking self-confidence, Doug is only really comfortable on stage. The rest of the time his shyness and raging libido lead him to spend a lot of time alone.
Doug values acceptance above all else.
Sons of Butcher is the creation of brothers Trevor and Jay Ziebarth and their longtime buddy Dave Dunham. On the show, Trevor is the voice of rock-god wannabe Ricky Butcher, Dave is his alcoholic older brother Sol Butcher and Jay is their bladder control-challenged pal Doug Borski. Each voice actor provides the facial expressions of their characters, as the show features live-action heads pasted on animated bodies. The series is produded by Max Smith son of Red Green Show star Steve Smith.
According to Smith not everyone is a fan of the shows racy content and lowbrow laughs. He himself admits in an interview with Calgary entertainment magazine "Fast Forward Weekly" he foresees hate mail as Sons of Butcher episodes hit the airwaves. Like the long-running animated hit South Park, Smith believes this series is "not the kind of show parents want kids watching, and that’s what makes it the type of show a kid wants to watch."
The humour is all in good fun and the show should do well for the Teletoon, finally giving them a show that you can waist time watching.
As mentioned S.O.B producer Max Smith is the son of Steve Smith, star and creator of the cult favourite "The Red Green Show". Saddly, Possum Lodge will close it's doors after fifteen years of making Canadian's laugh.
The show created a host of memorable characters, including the straight-man nephew Harold, played by Patrick McKenna, and the light fingured Mike Hamar, layed by Wayne Robson. The show attracted about one million viewers a week in Canada and many more world wide.
The show will air it's last episode April 7, 2006 on the CBC. For the last time, please stand and recite the lodge moto "Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati" (When all else fails play dead).
Later,
Kenaz
