Son of Zorn

Son of Zorn is an American animated/live action hybrid sitcom created by Reed Agnew and Eli Jorné for the Fox Broadcasting Company.[1][2] The series stars Cheryl Hines, Johnny Pemberton, Tim Meadows, Artemis Pebdani, and Jason Sudeikis as the voice of Zorn. Son of Zorn is a joint production by Agnew Jorné Productions, Lord Miller Productions, and 20th Century Fox Television.

Son of Zorn
GenreLive action
Animation
Sitcom
Created by
  • Reed Agnew
  • Eli Jorné
Starring
Voices ofJason Sudeikis
ComposerLeo Birenberg
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13
Production
Executive producers
ProducerMaria Melograne
CinematographyMichael A. Price
EditorKatie Abel
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time22 minutes
Production companies
Distributor20th Television
Release
Original networkFox
Picture format16:9 HDTV
Original releaseSeptember 11, 2016 (2016-09-11) –
February 19, 2017 (2017-02-19)

Premise

The series takes place in an alternate world where traditional animated characters co-exist with real-life humans. Zorn is a barbarian warrior from the fictional island of Zephyria who moves to Orange County, California, to reconnect with his ex-wife and teenage son Alangulon, "Alan" for short.

Within the show, Zorn and things native to Zephyria are animated, following the style of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, while the rest of the world is live-action. The series' opening title cards are rendered in the style of fantasy cartoons of the 1980s such as He-Man and ThunderCats.

Cast
  • Jason Sudeikis as the voice of Zorn, a barbarian warrior from the South Pacific fantasy island Zephyria of which he is the defender since 1971. He is Alan's father and Edie's ex-husband. As Zephyria's defender, Zorn and his allies defended it from threats that have included but are not limited to Glombeasts, Lava Monsters, Vampires, and Liberal Media. In Orange County, he gets a job in phone sales at Sanitation Solutions. Zorn is also a parody of He-Man.[3]
  • Cheryl Hines as Edie Bennett, Zorn's ex-wife and Alan's mother.
  • Johnny Pemberton as Alangulon "Alan" Bennett, the titular character who is the vegetarian half-Zephyrian son of Zorn and Edie.
  • Tim Meadows as Craig Ross, Edie's fiancé and an online college professor and psychologist.
  • Artemis Pebdani as Linda Orvend, Zorn's boss at Sanitation Solutions in Orange County. Linda is later demoted by Blake Erickson, although she returns to her original position in the season finale following Todd's resignation.

Recurring cast
  • Mark Proksch as Todd McDonald, Zorn's co-worker at Sanitation Solutions.
  • Tony Revolori as Scott Schmidt, Alan's best friend.
  • Clara Mamet as Layla Green, Alan's love interest.
  • Rob Riggle as the voice of Headbutt Man, a hard-headed ally of Zorn from Zephyria. Headbutt Man has a daughter named Headbutt Girl and has previously lost his wife and son to the Zephyrian monsters that he and the rest of Zorn's allies fight. He is a parody of Ram Man.
  • Nick Offerman as the voice of Dr. Klorpins, a furry goblin-like creature from the western part of Zephyria who is Zorn's doctor.

Production

The show was created by Reed Agnew and Eli Jorné[5] who wrote the pilot episode while Eric Appel directed.[6] Initially Agnew and Jorne were set to be co-showrunners, however after Fox ordered the series to air Agnew backed out and was made co-executive producer instead.[7] At this point, Sally McKenna was brought in to replace Agnew; McKenna would later, in April 2016, become the sole showrunner after Jorne also left the project.[7]

Artemis Pebdani and Tim Meadows' casting was announced in July 2015,[8] with Jason Sudeikis, Cheryl Hines, and Johnny Pemberton's involvement announced the following November.[9]

Cancellation

On May 11, 2017, the series was cancelled after one season.[10]

Episodes
No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code		U.S. viewers
(millions)
1"Return to Orange County"Eric AppelReed Agnew and Eli JornéSeptember 11, 2016 (2016-09-11)1AYA016.13[11]

Zorn is a warrior and defender of the South Pacific Island of Zephyria. Following a recent battle against his enemies, Zorn travels to California to reconnect with his son Alangulon (aka "Alan") and discovers that his ex-wife Edie is engaged. Upon realizing Alan hates him for being mostly absent from his life, Zorn decides not to return to Zephyria and gets a job in town at Sanitation Solutions.

Guest starring: Lori Alan as the voice of Laseron, Jess Harnell as the voice of Skunk Man, Tony Revolori as Scott, Rob Riggle as the voice of Headbutt Man
2"Defender of Teen Love"Eric AppelEli JornéSeptember 25, 2016 (2016-09-25)1AYA022.65[12]

Zorn uses the Stone of Sight to help Alan get close to his crush, Nancy. Even though Alan sees this as stalking, he can't help but work it to his advantage. Meanwhile, Edie pushes Zorn to move his boxes out of her garage and into his apartment.

Guest starring: Alice Lee as Nancy, Mark Proksch as Todd, Tony Revolori as Scott, Horatio Sanz as Uber Driver
3"The War of the Workplace"Eric AppelMonica PadrickOctober 2, 2016 (2016-10-02)1AYA043.64[13]

When someone steals hot sauce from Sanitation Solutions' break room, Zorn attempts to fight back with his co-workers in his own style of fighting. Meanwhile, Alan tries to get out of a swimming session in gym class for fear of exposing his secret, while getting bullied by a student named Warren. In the process, Alan learns something about himself that he never knew.

Guest starring: Bryce Johnson as Derek, Bobby Lee as Jakton, Noah Munck as Warren
4"The Weekend Warrior"Payman BenzElijah Aron & Jordan YoungOctober 16, 2016 (2016-10-16)1AYA033.78[14]

Zorn tries to be a "cool dad" when Alan spends the weekend with him, but things take an unexpected turn when Alan's friend Jeff shows up.

Guest starring: Nyima Funk as Shirley, Cameron Monaghan as Jeff, Mark Proksch as Todd, Tony Revolori as Scott, Cedric Yarbrough as Bill
5"A Taste of Zephyria"Bill BenzDan MintzOctober 23, 2016 (2016-10-23)1AYA052.27[15]

Zorn tries to teach Alan about his Zephyrian culture. Meanwhile, Edie goes to war with her new neighbors over their talking garden gnome.

Guest starring: Jess Harnell as the voice of the Animal Pelts, Clara Mamet as Layla, Nate Mooney as Frank, Mark Proksch as Todd, Tony Revolori as Scott
6"A Tale of Two Zorns"Eric AppelGreg GallantNovember 6, 2016 (2016-11-06)1AYA082.08[16]

After seeing Alan and Craig bond over their favorite video game, Zorn uses his body double dummy "Mecha-Zorn" to sneak out of work and wait in line with Alan for the latest game in the series. Meanwhile, Edie and Linda use "Mecha-Zorn" to let out their frustrations with the real Zorn.

Guest starring: Beth Dover as Bridget, Mark Proksch as Todd
7"The Battle of Thanksgiving"Payman BenzJon KernNovember 13, 2016 (2016-11-13)1AYA073.64[17]

Following a pep talk with Linda, Zorn crashes Edie's Thanksgiving dinner to prove to her mother that he's matured, only to hear her views on Zephyria. Meanwhile, Alan tries to butter up his grandmother so she'll pay for his summer music camp.

Guest starring: Sarah Koenig as Narrator, Nick Offerman as the voice of Dr. Klorpnis
8"Return of the Drinking Buddy"Eric AppelReed AgnewDecember 4, 2016 (2016-12-04)1AYA063.12[18]

Zorn's old friend Headbutt Man is visiting from Zephyria, except that he's now sober and dating Edie's former co-worker, Elizabeth. Meanwhile, Alan is invited to a party being attended by his crush Layla, where he has to bring Headbutt Man's daughter, Headbutt Girl.

Guest starring: Jillian Bell as the voice of Dorothy Clementina / Headbutt Girl, Alex Borstein as Elizabeth, Brian Huskey as Josh, Clara Mamet as Layla, Mark Proksch as Todd, Rob Riggle as the voice of Headbutt Man
9"The War on Grafelnik"Eric AppelKevin EttenDecember 11, 2016 (2016-12-11)1AYA092.88[19]

Torn between celebrating Edie's Christmas and Zorn's Grafelnik, the Zephyrian holiday of revenge, Alan discovers he can use both holidays to pit his parents against each other and get better presents. Meanwhile, Craig works to face his fear of Santa Claus.

Guest starring: Mark Proksch as Todd, Tony Revolori as Scott
10"Radioactive Ex-Girlfriend"Bill BenzAmelie GilletteJanuary 8, 2017 (2017-01-08)1AYA104.26[20]

Edie and Craig are having an engagement party, which they invite Zorn and Linda to. In need of a plus one, Zorn calls his radioactive ex-girlfriend from Zephyria, Radiana, to be his plus one and tries to keep her calm to avoid a radioactive meltdown. While worried about Alan's musical glass performance, which he is going to do in front of everyone (including Layla), Edie has been noticing that Zorn making out with Radiana has been having some radioactive side effects on him.

Guest starring: Clara Mamet as Layla, Olivia Wilde as the voice of Radiana
11"The Battle of Self-Acceptance"Bill BenzElijah Aron & Jordan YoungJanuary 22, 2017 (2017-01-22)1AYA112.00[21]

To go swimming with Layla, Alan takes a drug that changes animated Zephyrian bodies into live-action. But when the free sample runs out, withdrawal turns him completely animated. Craig trains with Zorn, hoping to provide everything Edie needs. Sanitation Solutions' CEO Blake Erickson demotes Linda, replacing her with a sycophantic Todd. Zorn realizes that Linda, no longer his boss, is a woman. Edie and Zorn share a tender moment when he sensitively helps Alan accept himself; Alan reveals his real legs to Layla, who accepts him with a kiss, while Craig leaves Edie and encourages her to be with Zorn. Edie goes to Zorn's apartment, and finds him in bed with Linda.

Guest starring: John Marshall Jones as Blake Erickson, Clara Mamet as Layla, Nick Offerman as the voice of Dr. Klorpnis, Mark Proksch as Todd, Gary Anthony Williams as the voices of Reverend and Sir Pent
12"The Quest for Craig"Jared HessMark Stegemann & Matt RollerFebruary 12, 2017 (2017-02-12)1AYA121.40[22]

Craig has not been in contact with Edie for days, following Alan's Zephyrian drug incident. Edie enlists Zorn and Linda to help find him. Meanwhile, Alan allows his animated legs to be shown in front of his classmates, who are impressed with them. Alan's powerful animated legs lead to the football coach asking Alan to join the football team when his lead kicker gets deported.

Guest starring: Pete Gardner as Football Coach, Tymberlee Hill as Diane, Clara Mamet as Layla, Isiah Whitlock Jr. as Robert
13"All Hail Son of Zorn"Claire ScanlonReed AgnewFebruary 19, 2017 (2017-02-19)1AYA131.58[23]

Edie and Craig get ready for their wedding. Zorn is determined to show his commitment to living in Orange County by selling off all of his Zephyrian weapons at a yard sale, despite his Zephyrian allies wanting him to return to help fight off Lord Vulchazor's forces. As Layla doesn't want to talk to Alan after he ditched her for the football team, he receives help from Zorn in order to find a way to get back together with her. At the same time, Linda works to impress CEO Blake Erickson enough for her to get her old position at Sanitation Solutions back, after Todd resigns. After getting back together with Layla on prom night, Alan finds out that he is pregnant due to his Zephyrian heritage. In the final scene, Zorn gets captured by Lord Vulchazor's forces and ends up on a freighter ship sailing toward Zephyria, where Lord Vulchazor is unaware that the Staff of Quiv which he is looking for has been sold at Zorn's yard sale.

Guest starring: Fred Armisen as the voice of Lord Vulchazor, Jess Harnell as the voices of Demon Spirits and Mudman, Keegan-Michael Key as the voice of Gobos the Great, Clara Mamet as Layla, Mark Proksch as Todd, Lakshmi Singh as herself, Giorgia Whigham as Shannon

Reception

Son of Zorn has received generally mixed reviews from television critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds a 58% approval rating based on 38 critics, and a 6.3/10 rating. The critical consensus reads: "Son of Zorn earns points for originality, a talented cast, and intermittent laughs, but they aren't quite enough to prop up a gimmick that's still in search of a workable premise for an ongoing series."[24] On Metacritic, the show holds a score of 56 out of 100 based on 18 critical media reviews indicating "mixed or average reviews".[25]

References
  1. Andreeva, Nellie (April 29, 2016). "'Son Of Zorn' Co-Creator/Co-Showrunner Eli Jorne Exits Fox Comedy". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
  2. Porter, Rick (August 8, 2016). "'Son of Zorn' premiere moves into post-NFL spot on FOX". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on August 9, 2016. Retrieved August 8, 2016.
  3. Dowling, Amber (September 9, 2016). "'Son of Zorn' Review: An Animated Hero, Lost Among the Millennials". The Wrap. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  4. Konerman, Jennifer (23 September 2016). "Meet the Actor Behind 'Son of Zorn's' Animated Hero". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
  5. Snierson, Dan. "First look at Jason Sudeikis' live-action/animated comedy Son of Zorn". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  6. Birnbaum, Debra (November 10, 2015). "Fox Orders New Comedy 'Son of Zorn' Voiced By Jason Sudeikis". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
  7. Wagmeister, Elizabeth (April 29, 2016). "'Son of Zorn' Co-Creator Exits Fox Comedy Over Creative Differences". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
  8. Petski, Denise (July 29, 2015). "Jason Sudeikis, Cheryl Hines & Tim Meadows Lead 'Son Of Zorn' Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
  9. Andreeva, Nellie (November 10, 2015). "Fox Gives Series Order To 'Son Of Zorn' Live-Action/Animated Comedy From 'Wilfred' Duo, Chris Miller & Phil Lord". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
  10. Andreeva, Nellie. "'Making History', 'Son Of Zorn' & 'APB' Canceled By Fox After One Season". Deadline. Penske Business Media. Retrieved May 11, 2017.
  11. Porter, Rick (September 13, 2016). "Sunday final ratings: 'Son of Zorn' holds, 'BrainDead' adjusts down, final NFL numbers". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on September 14, 2016. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  12. Porter, Rick (September 27, 2016). "Sunday final ratings: 'Once Upon a Time' and 'NCIS: LA' adjust up, FOX shows adjust down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on September 28, 2016. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  13. Porter, Rick (October 4, 2016). "'Family Guy' adjusts up, final NFL numbers: Sunday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 5, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  14. Porter, Rick (October 18, 2016). "'NCIS: LA' adjusts up, 'Simpsons' adjusts down: Sunday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 19, 2016. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
  15. Porter, Rick (October 25, 2016). "'Bob's Burgers' and 'The Simpsons' adjust down: Sunday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 26, 2016. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
  16. Porter, Rick (November 8, 2016). "'NCIS: LA' and 'Madam Secretary' adjust up: Sunday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 9, 2016. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
  17. Porter, Rick (November 15, 2016). "'60 Minutes' adjusts up, 'NCIS: LA' and 'Madam Secretary' adjust down: Sunday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 16, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
  18. Porter, Rick (December 6, 2016). "'America's Funniest Home Videos' adjusts up, '60 Minutes' adjusts down: Sunday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on December 7, 2016. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
  19. Porter, Rick (December 13, 2016). "'Simpsons,' 'Son of Zorn,' 'Last Man on Earth' and '60 Minutes' adjust down: Sunday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on December 14, 2016. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  20. Porter, Rick (January 10, 2017). "'The Simpsons' and FOX adjust down, still above average: Sunday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on January 11, 2017. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
  21. Porter, Rick (January 24, 2017). "'Hunted' is the season's No. 1 series premiere: Sunday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on January 26, 2017. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  22. Porter, Rick (February 14, 2017). "Final Grammy numbers, plus 'AFV' and 'Dateline' adjust down: Sunday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on February 14, 2017. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  23. Porter, Rick (February 22, 2017). "'The Simpsons,' 'The Good Fight,' all others unchanged: Sunday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  24. "Son of Zorn". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2016-09-24.
  25. "Son of Zorn - Season 1 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2016-09-24.
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