''Glenn Martin, DDS'' is a

stop-motion Stop-motion (also known as stop frame animation) is an animation, animated filmmaking and special effects technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appe ...

adult An adult is an animal that has reached full growth. The biological definition of the word means an animal reaching sexual maturity and thus capable of reproduction. In the human context, the term ''adult'' has meanings associated with social an ...

animated sitcom An animated sitcom is a subgenre of a television sitcom that is animation, animated instead of being filmed live-action, and is generally made or created for adult animation, adult audiences in most cases. ''The Simpsons'', ''SpongeBob SquarePan ...

that premiered on

Nick at Nite Nick at Nite (stylized as nick@nite since 2009) is an American nighttime programming block on Nickelodeon. List of programs broadcast by Nick at Nite, The block's programming broadcasts from prime time to Late-night television, late night, with ...

on August 17, 2009. The series was produced by Tornante Animation and Cuppa Coffee Studios, in association with

Rogers Communications Rogers Communications Inc. is a Canadian communications and media company operating primarily in the fields of wireless communications, cable television, telephony and Internet, with significant additional telecommunications and mass media ass ...

. ''Glenn Martin, DDS'' was Nick at Nite's fourth original series (after '' Hi Honey, I'm Home!'', ''

Fatherhood A father is the male parent of a child. Besides the paternal bonds of a father to his children, the father may have a parental, legal, and social relationship with the child that carries with it certain rights and obligations. A biological fathe ...

'' and ''

Hi-Jinks ''Hi-Jinks'' is a hidden camera show that aired on Nick at Nite Nick at Nite (stylized as nick@nite since 2009) is an American nighttime programming block on Nickelodeon. List of programs broadcast by Nick at Nite, The block's programming bro ...

''). One of the show's creators besides

Michael Eisner Michael Dammann Eisner ( ; born March 7, 1942) is an American businessman and former chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Walt Disney Company from September 1984 to September 2005. Prior to Disney, Eisner was president of rival film ...

, was

Eric Fogel Eric Fogel (born May 11, 1969) is an American director, writer, animator, producer, and voice actor who is best known as the creator of ''Celebrity Deathmatch''. He created the TV shows ''The Head (1994 TV series), The Head'', ''Starveillance'' ...

, who had success creating the

MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

claymation series ''

Celebrity Deathmatch ''Celebrity Deathmatch'' is an adult stop-motion claymated series created by Eric Fogel and produced by John Worth Lynn Jr. for MTV. A parody of sports entertainment programs, ''Celebrity Deathmatch'' depicted various celebrities engaging ...

''. The show premiered in Canada on October 3, 2009, on

Citytv Citytv (sometimes shortened to City, which was the network's official branding from 2012 to 2018) is a Television in Canada, Canadian television network owned by the Rogers Sports & Media subsidiary of Rogers Communications. The network consis ...

, and March 18, 2010, on

Sky One Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, it was Europe's first satellite and non- terrestrial channel. From 31 July 1989, ...

in the UK and Ireland. Season two premiered on June 11, 2010. The show ended on November 7, 2011.

Overview

After accidentally burning down his house in Freeland, Pennsylvania, loving father and dentist Glenn Martin, DDS takes his family — his beautiful wife Jackie, their hormone-addled 13-year-old son Conor, their power suit-wearing 11-year-old daughter Courtney, Courtney's overachieving assistant Wendy, and Canine, the family's dog with an oversized anus (which Glenn in the opening sequence calls a

heart The heart is a muscular Organ (biology), organ found in humans and other animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels. The heart and blood vessels together make the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrie ...

) — on a cross-country road trip in order to strengthen their family bond together.

Cast and characters

Main Characters

Kevin Nealon Kevin Nealon (; born November 18, 1953) is an American comedian and actor. He has earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination and two Screen Actors Guild Award nominations. He first gained widespread attention during his tenure as a cast member on ...

as Dr. Glenn Campbell Martin, an optimistic travelling

dentist A dentist, also known as a dental doctor, dental physician, dental surgeon, is a health care professional who specializes in dentistry, the branch of medicine focused on the teeth, gums, and mouth. The dentist's supporting team aids in provi ...

who dreams of becoming closer with his family. He is a Doctor of Dental Surgery. *

Catherine O'Hara Catherine Anne O'Hara (born March 4, 1954) is a Canadian and American actress, comedian, and screenwriter. She started her career in sketch comedy, sketch and improvisational comedy in film and television before expanding her career taking dra ...

as Jackie Robinson Martin, Glenn's wife and the mother of Conor and Courtney. She is often stressed with the problems involved in raising a family in an RV. * Peter Oldring as Conor Martin, the thirteen-year-old son of the Martins. He also tends to be the subject of pratfalls due to his clumsiness. He also has a crush on Wendy, but always gets rejected. *Jackie Clarke as Courtney Martin, the eleven-year-old daughter of the Martins, who acts like an adult business woman. She is competitive, outspoken and boastful. *

Judy Greer Judith Therese Evans (born July 20, 1975), known professionally as Judy Greer, is an American actress. She is primarily known as a character actress who has appeared in Judy Greer filmography, a wide variety of films. She rose to prominence for ...

as Wendy Park (real name Bon Wa Fo) is Courtney's assistant and employee. She was born in

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...

. Her age is unclear; Glenn has referred to her as a tweenager, but she later claims to be thirteen years old. *Canine, the Martins' Rottweiler who has an oversized

anus In mammals, invertebrates and most fish, the anus (: anuses or ani; from Latin, 'ring' or 'circle') is the external body orifice at the ''exit'' end of the digestive tract (bowel), i.e. the opposite end from the mouth. Its function is to facil ...

Minor Characters

Don Johnson Don Wayne Johnson (born December 15, 1949) is an American actor and singer-songwriter. He played the role of James "Sonny" Crockett in the 1980s television series '' Miami Vice'', for which he won a Golden Globe, and received a Primetime Emm ...

as Grandpa Whitey, the father of Jackie Martin. Whitey doesn't like Jackie's husband Glenn very much. He wishes she had married someone else. * Betty White as Grandma Shelia Martin *

Phil LaMarr Phil LaMarr is an American actor and comedian. He was one of the original featured cast members on the sketch comedy television series '' Mad TV'', where he stayed for five seasons. His voice acting roles in animated series include the Sam B of ' ...

as Erasmus *

Bryan Cranston Bryan Lee Cranston (born March 7, 1956) is an American actor. After taking minor roles in television, he established himself as a leading actor in both comedic and dramatic Bryan Cranston filmography, works on stage and screen. He has received ...

as Drake Stone, a secret agent that Connor befriends in "Vegas Strip." Drake later stars in his own episode titled "Date with Destiny." * Jon Polito as Vito Renzuli, a crime boss that helps Glenn with his dental business in "We've Created a Mobster." He wants to repay Glenn after he fixes his teeth, but Vito ends up getting too involved with Glenn's life. * Wendie Malick as North Star

Episodes

Series overview

Season 1 (2009–10)

Season 2 (2010–11)

Development

Former

Paramount Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to: Entertainment and music companies * Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. **Paramount Picture ...

and

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

chief executive

, who put up his own money to produce the pilot episode, pitched it to Nick at Nite rather than ABC. Eisner was quoted as saying the decision was based on Nick at Nite's record of nurturing shows. The show has a 1970s sensibility including the design of the Winnebago which Glenn drives. It was reportedly inspired by the 1971 ABC made-for-TV movie ''In Search of America'', which starred

Jeff Bridges Jeffrey Leon Bridges (born December 4, 1949) is an American actor. He is known for his Leading actor, leading man roles in film and television. In a career spanning over seven decades, he has received List of awards and nominations received by ...

as a college dropout who drove a Winnebago across the country with his family.

Laugh track

Unusual for a modern animated sitcom, the show featured a

laugh track A laugh track (or laughter track) is an audio recording consisting of laughter (and other audience reactions) usually used as a separate soundtrack for comedy productions. The laugh track may contain live audience reactions or artificial laught ...

in early episodes intended to mimic 1970s sitcoms. This was later removed at the request of the series' creators, with Eric Fogel citing the show having "too much internal thinking". Part of the criticism was leveled at the overuse of laugh tracks (which were permanently removed a month after the show's premiere). Mike Hale of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' wrote: "''Glenn Martin, DDS'' is pretty much laugh–free (though it does have a laugh track)". ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' wrote: "Ignore the stilted jokes ndthe limp characterization. ..Just understand this: ''Martin'' is an animated show with a laugh track. Imagination comes in handy, though, in trying to figure out how someone approved this concept, labored on this and then let it free into the world."

Awards and nominations

In December 2009, the show was nominated for an

Annie Award The Annie Awards are accolades which the Los Angeles branch of the International Animated Film Association, ASIFA-Hollywood, has presented each year since 1972 to recognize excellence in animation shown in American cinema and television. Origina ...

for Best Animated Television Production. In November 2010, the show won two

Gemini Awards The Gemini Awards were awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television between 1986–2011 to recognize the achievements of Canada's English-language television industry. The Gemini Awards are analogous to the Emmy Awards given in th ...

for Best Animated Series and Best Direction for an Animated Series (Cuppa Coffee/Ken Cunningham for "The Tooth Will Set You Free").

Critical reception

''Glenn Martin, DDS'' received mixed to negative reviews from critics, garnering a 48/100 from Metacritic based on 9 reviews after the series premiere. '' Variety'' wrote: "Despite the contributions of Eric Fogel (MTV's ''

''), ''Glenn Martin'' isn't as bad as visiting the dentist, but isn't much better than sitting in the waiting room. Positioned as a spoof of classic sitcoms, ''Glenn Martin'' gets off to a bad start by incorporating a laugh track, which only highlights some of the deficiencies in the writing." The ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' wrote: "Still, except for the dog's hindquarters, I like the look of it. (Eric Fogel of MTV's ''Celebrity Deathmatch'' oversees the animation.) Press materials indicate that the Martins will be visiting

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

Yellowstone Yellowstone National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, with small portions extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U ...

, the Mall of America and

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

in future adventures, and as a fan of the form, I'm interested to see what the animators make of them." ''

New York Daily News The ''Daily News'' is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, New Jersey. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson in New York City as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in Tabloid (newspaper format ...

'' writer David Hinkley gave the show 4 out of 5 stars, calling it "satire with biting wit". ''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...

'' called it "cute, giggle-worthy, and only a smidgen dangerous". ''

The Detroit News ''The Detroit News'' is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United S ...

'' wrote that the show is "full of enough end-of-the week laughs to help you giggle yourself into the weekend". Website Shakefire.com rated the show an "A−".

Controversy

In November 2009, Maura Buete, a Florida mother, was outraged that the series contained sexual references despite airing in an 8 p.m. weekday slot, immediately following the children's show ''

SpongeBob SquarePants ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' is an American animated television series, animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It first aired as a sneak peek after the 1999 Kids' C ...

''. In response to several complaints from parents, Nickelodeon (whose spokesman David Bittler had stated complaints were minimal) moved the show to Friday nights at 10:30 p.m.

References

Notes

External links

* {{Eric Fogel 2009 American animated television series debuts 2009 Canadian television series debuts 2011 American television series endings 2011 Canadian television series endings 2000s American adult animated television series 2010s American adult animated television series 2000s American satirical television series 2010s American satirical television series 2000s Canadian adult animated television series 2010s Canadian adult animated television series 2000s Canadian satirical television series 2010s Canadian satirical television series American adult animated comedy television series American stop-motion adult animated television series Animated satirical television series Animated television series about dysfunctional families Canadian adult animated comedy television series Canadian stop-motion adult animated television series American English-language television shows Nick at Nite original programming Citytv original programming Sky UK sitcoms Animation controversies in television Television controversies in the United States Television series about vacationing Television series created by Eric Fogel Television series by The Tornante Company Television series by Cuppa Coffee Studios Television shows filmed in Toronto American animated sitcoms Canadian animated sitcoms