Son of Zorn
A hybrid live-action and animated sitcom parodying 1980s fantasy cartoons.
Son of Zorn is an American sitcom that combines live action and animation, parodying Masters of the Universe. It was created by Reed Agnew and Eli Jorné for Fox and aired from September 11, 2016, to February 19, 2017. The series features a voice performance by Jason Sudeikis as the title character.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Sitcom
- Creator
- Reed Agnew; Eli Jorné
- Starring
- Cheryl Hines
- Johnny Pemberton
- Tim Meadows
- Artemis Pebdani
- Ellen Wong
- Voices
- Jason Sudeikis
- Composer
- Leo Birenberg
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Seasons
- 1
Facts from the source article.
Premise
In this alternate world, hand-drawn cartoon characters live alongside real people. The barbarian Zorn, a warrior from the fictional island of Zephyria, relocates to Orange County, California, hoping to rebuild ties with his ex-wife and their teenage son, Alangulon (called Alan). Everything from Zephyria, including Zorn, is animated in the style of 1980s fantasy cartoons like He-Man, while the rest of the world appears in live-action. The show’s opening title cards also borrow that same retro cartoon look.
Cast
Jason Sudeikis voices Zorn, a barbarian warrior and defender of the South Pacific fantasy island Zephyria since 1971. He is Alan's father and Edie's ex-husband, and works in phone sales at Sanitation Solutions. Dan Lippert serves as Zorn's live-action stand-in. Cheryl Hines plays Edie Bennett, Zorn's ex-wife. Johnny Pemberton portrays Alangulon 'Alan' Bennett, the vegetarian half-Zephyrian son. Tim Meadows is Craig Ross, Edie's fiancé and an online college professor and psychologist. Artemis Pebdani plays Linda Orvend, Zorn's boss at Sanitation Solutions. Ellen Wong appears as Nancy, Alan's crush and a Cambodian American waitress. Mark Proksch plays Todd McDonald, Zorn's co-worker. Tony Revolori is Scott Schmidt, Alan's best friend. Clara Mamet plays Layla Green, Alan's love interest. Rob Riggle voices Headbutt Man, a parody of Ram Man and ally of Zorn. Nick Offerman voices Dr. Klorpins, a furry goblin-like creature from western Zephyria. François Chau plays Nancy's father, who is from Cambodia.
Production
Reed Agnew and Eli Jorné created the show and wrote the pilot, directed by Eric Appel. Agnew and Jorné were initially set as co-showrunners, but after Fox ordered the series, Agnew stepped back to co-executive producer. Sally McKenna replaced Agnew and later became sole showrunner in April 2016 after Jorné also left. Artemis Pebdani and Tim Meadows were cast in July 2015, with Jason Sudeikis, Cheryl Hines, and Johnny Pemberton announced the following November. The series was cancelled after one season on May 11, 2017, ending on a cliffhanger.
Reception
Critics were split on Son of Zorn. The series earned a 58% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 38 critics, with an average score of 6.3 out of 10. The site's consensus noted the show's originality, strong cast, and occasional humor, but found the central gimmick lacked a sustainable premise for a long-running series. On Metacritic, it scored 57 out of 100 from 19 reviews, signifying mixed or average reception.
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