Bordertown (2016 TV series)
| Bordertown | |
|---|---|
.JPG) | |
| Genre | Animated sitcom |
| Created by | Mark Hentemann |
| Voices of |
Hank Azaria Nicholas Gonzalez Alex Borstein Judah Friedlander Missi Pyle Jacqueline Piñol Efren Ramirez Carlos Alazraqui |
| Composer(s) | Mark Mothersbaugh |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Mark Hentemann Co-executive producers: |
| Producer(s) |
Supervising producers: |
| Editor(s) | Donnell Ebarrete |
| Running time | 20–22 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
Hentemann Films Fuzzy Door Productions Bento Box Entertainment 20th Century Fox Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | Fox |
| Picture format | 720p (16:9 HDTV) |
| Audio format | Dolby Digital 5.1 |
| Original release | January 3 – May 22, 2016 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Bordertown is an American adult animated sitcom that aired on Fox from January 3, to May 22, 2016. The series was created by Family Guy writer Mark Hentemann and executive-produced by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane and follows two families living in a Southwest desert town on the United States–Mexico border. On May 12, 2016, Fox canceled the series.[1]
Plot
Bordertown takes place in the fictitious town of Mexifornia (which is on the border of California and Mexico).[2] Mexifornia is said to be based on the town of Calexico, California, also a Portmanteau, as well as sharing a similar location and dynamic as Mexifornia. The two main characters are Bud Buckwald and Ernesto Gonzalez. Bud is a border agent living at 25200 Cedar Road with his wife, Janice Buckwald, and their three children, Sanford, Becky and Gert. Living next door to him is Ernesto Gonzalez, an ambitious immigrant and family man, who has been in the country less than 10 years and is happy to be with his family in the United States of America.[3]
Voice cast
- Hank Azaria as Bud Buckwald, a Border Patrol agent.[4]
- Nicholas Gonzalez as
- Alex Borstein as
- Janice Buckwald, Bud's wife and Becky, Sanford and Gert's mother.
- Becky Buckwald, Bud's 18-year-old daughter and J.C's fiancee.[5]
- Judah Friedlander as Sanford Buckwald, Janice and Bud's 24-year-old rebellious son.[5] In the episode American Doll, it's revealed that Sanford was born on a skip day; 32 February, which is why he's never had any birthdays. In the same episode, it is hinted that Sanford is just a cover name and that his real name is Vince.
- Missi Pyle as Gert Buckwald, Bud and Janice's 5-year-old daughter who is a beauty pageant contestant.[5]
- Jacqueline Piñol as Pepito Gonzalez, Ernesto and Maria's youngest son who pranks Bud regularly.[7]
- Efren Ramirez as Ruiz Gonzalez, Maria and Ernesto's eldest son.[5]
- Carlos Alazraqui as
- Placido Gonzalez, Ernesto's undocumented father who is cranky.
- El Coyote, a Mexican trickster and people smuggler who always tries to cross the border and regularly taunts Bud in the cold openings.
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Engagement" | Jacob Hair | Mark Hentemann & Lalo Alcaraz | January 3, 2016 | 1AXH01 | 2.34[8] |
| Border patrol officer Bud Buckwald is furious when he learns that his daughter, Becky, is engaged to Ernesto Gonzalez's college-educated activist nephew, J.C., whom she has been dating for four years. He is soon delighted when an anti-immigration law is passed that leads to J.C.'s deportation. Realizing that he wants Becky to be happy, Bud enlists Ernesto's help to bring J.C. home. | ||||||
| 2 | "Borderwall" | Albert Calleros | Mark Hentemann & Lalo Alcaraz | January 10, 2016 | 1AXH06 | 3.58[9] |
| Bud uses confiscated drug money to build a border wall, but when it destroys the economy and costs him his job, he starts smuggling immigrants under the wall. | ||||||
| 3 | "MegaChurch" | Gavin Dell | Valentina L. Garza | January 17, 2016 | 1AXH08 | 2.57[10] |
| Reverend Fantastic, the corrupt, yet happy-go-lucky preacher of Bud's megachurch, wants Bud to recruit Ernesto in hopes of collecting more money from the growing Mexican population. While Ernesto is initially enchanted by the megachurch's beauty, Maria finds it very annoying. Meanwhile, Becky tries to find out why J.C. doesn't like church, and is convinced that J.C. was molested when Maria tells Becky that J.C. went on a religious camping trip and came back the next day, declaring that there is no God. | ||||||
| 4 | "High School Football" | Jack Perkins | Dan Vebber | February 14, 2016 | 1AXH03 | 1.70[11] |
| When Bud is hired as the new high school football coach, he's so desperate to win that he doesn't realize that the illegal immigrant he recruits is Pablo Barracuda's #1 drug mule. | ||||||
| 5 | "Groundhog Day" | Oreste Canestrelli | Kenny Byerly | February 21, 2016 | 1AXH05 | 1.72[12] |
| The Mexifornia population tips from white majority to Latino majority when Maria's sister has a baby, so Bud tries to get romantic so he can have sex with Janice. However, when Janice reveals that a trampoline accident has made her infertile and J.C. suffers from racial guilt over being a majority (and, in his eyes, an oppressor), the Buckwalds move to a whites-only reservation. | ||||||
| 6 | "J.C. Strikes" | Gavin Dell | Michael Kennedy & Nathaniel Stein | March 13, 2016 | 1AXH11 | 2.16[13] |
| Frustrated that J.C. still hasn't gotten a job, Ernesto hires him as part of his landscaping crew. When the job turns out too difficult, J.C. unionizes Ernesto's workers and begins a strike. Meanwhile, an ostrich stalks Bud and becomes his spirit animal, which Gert doesn't like. | ||||||
| 7 | "Drug Lord" | Albert Calleros | Mark Hentemann | April 3, 2016 | 1AXH02 | 1.00[14] |
| Bud competes to be more successful than Ernesto, and ends up as the inside man for drug kingpin Pablo Barracuda at the Border Station. | ||||||
| 8 | "Santa Ana Winds" | Jacob Hair | Jason Reich | April 10, 2016 | 1AXH13 | 1.19[15] |
| The Santa Ana winds lead to a series of strange events in Mexifornia, such as Sanford and Ernesto's son Ruiz travelling to Mexico to find a new explosive energy drink that Sanford becomes a scriptwriter extraordinaire from, Ernesto battling a satanic leaf refusing to leave the ground, and Bud meeting a Mexican version of him who steals his life, all of which J.C. is determined to find the meaning for. | ||||||
| 9 | "Heart Attack" | Oreste Canestrelli | Alex Carter | April 17, 2016 | 1AXH12 | 1.19[16] |
| Gert has a heart attack during a pageant when Bud makes her binge on junk food. Unable to get help for her in Mexifornia, he only has one resort left: Mexico. | ||||||
| 10 | "Wildfire" | Jacob Hair | BJ Porter | April 24, 2016 | 1AXH07 | 1.16[17] |
| Bud refuses to evacuate when a wildfire threatens Mexifornia, so Ernesto comes to the rescue once the Buckwald house starts to burn. Meanwhile, J.C. and Becky see what it's like to date other people before committing to one another. | ||||||
| 11 | "La Fiesta Noche Show" | Ray Claffey | Vanessa Ramos | May 8, 2016 | 1AXH10 | 1.08[18] |
| Bud becomes a celebrity in the Mexican community, thanks to his anger at a taping for the long-running Spanish variety show La Fiesta Noche. | ||||||
| 12 | "American Doll" | Jack Perkins | Susan Hurwitz Arneson | May 15, 2016 | 1AXH09 | 1.30[19] |
|
Janice is forced to get a job as Ernesto's housekeeper after Bud secretly spends $800 on an American Doll for Gert and maxes out the credit card on accessories. Meanwhile, Gert plots revenge against the American Doll company while Bud plans to get Janice fired, and Mario Lopez is chosen to be the first Mexican-American in space. Peter Griffin from Family Guy makes a cameo appearance at the start of the episode. | ||||||
| 13 | "Viva Coyote" | Ray Claffey | Gustavo Arellano | May 22, 2016 | 1AXH04 | 1.16[20] |
| Bud and Pablo Barracuda each try to catch El Coyote for different reasons. | ||||||
Production
Producers
Seth MacFarlane and Mark Hentemann were announced as executive producers. Shortly afterwards, Alex Carter and Dan Vebber were announced as co-executive producers.[21] Lalo Alcaraz and Gustavo Arellano are consulting producers, and Valentina L. Garza is a supervising producer.
Writing
There were thirteen writers who worked on Bordertown.[22] Mark Hentemann wrote or co-wrote three episodes. Lalo Alcaraz co-wrote the first two episodes.[22]
Broadcast
In the United States, the series premiered midseason on January 3, 2016, on Fox.[23] The series was picked up by ITV2 in the United Kingdom on March 23, 2015, to premiere on February 29, 2016 - immediately after the new season of Family Guy on the same channel.[24]
The series was also picked up by Network Ten in Australia and started airing on February 3, 2016 on its sister channel, Eleven.[25] In Canada, it was broadcast on City.[26]
Reception
Bordertown received generally negative reviews. On Metacritic, the show holds a 46/100 score based on 15 reviews.[27] On Rotten Tomatoes, the series receives a 35% rating based on 17 reviews with an average rating of 5.3/10. The critics' consensus reads: "Bordertown's controversy-rich premise is an idea disappointingly ill-served by its execution, which repeatedly mistakes crass, desperate gags for topical humor."[28]
References
- ↑ "'Grinder', 'Grandfathered', 'Bordertown' & 'Cooper Barrett' Canceled By Fox After One Season". Deadline. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
- ↑ "Bento Box Entertainment". Bento Box Entertainment. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
- ↑ "Fox Orders Seth MacFarlane Animated Series 'Bordertown'". Screenrant.com. Retrieved 2014-06-22.
- ↑ "'Simpsons' Vet Hank Azaria to Voice Fox's 'Bordertown'". TheWrap. Retrieved 2014-07-20.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "BORDERTOWN" (PDF). Fox. 2013-11-11. Retrieved 2014-06-22.
- ↑ "Instagram". Instagram. Retrieved 2014-07-20.
- ↑ "Twitter / JacquiPinol: Loving this gig! #Bordertown". Twitter.com. 2014-07-02. Retrieved 2014-07-20.
- ↑ Porter, Rick (January 6, 2016). "Sunday final ratings: 'Undercover Boss' adjusts up, premieres stay low". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
- ↑ Porter, Rick (January 12, 2016). "Sunday final ratings: 'Simpsons' still at a season high after downward adjustment". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
- ↑ Porter, Rick (January 20, 2016). "Sunday final ratings: 'The Good Wife' and 'Family Guy' adjust up". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
- ↑ Porter, Rick (February 17, 2016). "Sunday final ratings: 'Bachelor' special and 'Cooper Barrett' adjust up". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
- ↑ Porter, Rick (February 23, 2016). "Sunday final ratings: 'Shark Tank' adjusts down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
- ↑ Porter, Rick (March 15, 2016). "Sunday final ratings: '60 Minutes' adjusts up, 'Carmichael Show' and 'Hollywood Game Night' adjust down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
- ↑ Porter, Rick (April 5, 2016). "Sunday final ratings: ACM Awards and all scripted shows hold". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
- ↑ Porter, Rick (April 12, 2016). "Sunday final ratings: 'Once Upon a Time,' 'Simpsons,' 'Quantico' adjust up; 'Carmichael' and 'Crowded' adjust down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
- ↑ Porter, Rick (April 19, 2016). "Sunday final ratings: 'Once Upon a Time,' 'The Good Wife' adjust up; 'Little Big Shots' and 'Crowded' adjust down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
- ↑ Porter, Rick (April 26, 2016). "Sunday final ratings: 'Once Upon a Time,' 'Simpsons' and all others hold". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
- ↑ Porter, Rick (May 10, 2016). "Sunday final ratings: 'Good Wife' finale adjusts up, 'Once Upon a Time' and 'Carmichael Show' adjust down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
- ↑ Porter, Rick (May 17, 2016). "Sunday final ratings: 'Once Upon a Time' finale, everything else hold". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
- ↑ Porter, Rick (May 24, 2016). "Sunday final ratings: Billboard Awards, 'Simpsons' finale, 'Undercover Boss' adjust up; 'AFV' and 'Bordertown' finales adjust down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
- ↑ Amidi, Amid (2013-11-11). "Fox Picks Up Seth MacFarlane-Produced Series "Bordertown"". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved 2014-06-22.
- 1 2 Cavna, Michael (2013-11-14). "'BORDERTOWN': Lalo Alcaraz on joining Seth MacFarlane's new Fox immigration comedy". The Washington Post.
- ↑ Hibberd, James (November 10, 2015). "Fox midseason schedule: Sleepy Hollow moves to Fridays". Entertainment Weekly.
- ↑ "Bordertown; ITV2". February 18, 2016. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
- ↑ Knox, David (19 November 2015). "Ten Upfronts 2016: Survivor, Jessica Marais, Anh Do and Nigella!". TV Tonight. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
- ↑ "Watch Bordertown Online - See New TV Episodes Online Free | City vancouver Vancouver". Citytv.com. Retrieved 2016-02-10.
- ↑ Bordertown at Metacritic
- ↑ Bordertown at Rotten Tomatoes
External links
- Official website
- Bordertown at the Internet Movie Database
- Bordertown at TV.com
- No Walls Here: Lalo Alcaraz Discusses the New Fox Animated Series, Bordertown (The Huffington Post, December 29, 2015, interview by Daniel Olivas)