Our Cartoon President

Our Cartoon President
Genre Adult animation
Created by
Voices of
Ending theme "Donald Trump is the President" by James Monroe Iglehart & Kathryn Allison
Composer(s) Gabriel Gundacker
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 1
No. of episodes 17 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)
  • Stephen Colbert
  • Chris Licht
  • R. J. Fried
Producer(s) Tammy Walters
Editor(s)
  • Thomas Berkley
  • Thomas M. Vogt
Running time 24–27 minutes
Production company(s)
Distributor Showtime Networks
Release
Original network Showtime
Original release February 11, 2018 (2018-02-11) – present (present)
External links
Official website

Our Cartoon President is an American animated satirical television series that premiered on February 11, 2018, on Showtime. The series was created by Stephen Colbert, Chris Licht, Matt Lapin, Tim Luecke, and R. J. Fried and is based on a recurring segment from Colbert's late night talk show The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

On August 22, 2018, it was announced that a midterm elections themed television special would air on November 4, 2018.

Premise

Our Cartoon President looks to open "the White House doors for an 'all access' look at a typical day in Donald Trump's world, examining quintessentially Trumpian details of the presidency and his most important relationships. It's a world in which no one is safe, from close family and confidants to key political figures of both parties and members of the media."[1]

Cast and characters

Main

Recurring

Guest

Episodes

Season 1 (2018)

No.Title [2]Written byOriginal air dateU.S. viewers
(millions)
1"State of the Union"Story by : Stephen Colbert, Chris Licht, Matt Lapin, Tim Luecke & R. J. Fried
Teleplay by : R. J. Fried		February 11, 2018 (2018-02-11)[lower-alpha 1]0.439[3]

The president tries to improve his sagging approval ratings by giving the greatest State of the Union address ever delivered. Simultaneously, he attempts to improve his relationship with Melania during their wedding anniversary.

Cold open: The president gives an address to the citizens of the United States.
2"Disaster Response"Zach SmilovitzFebruary 11, 2018 (2018-02-11)0.417[3]

The president avoids comforting disaster victims by recruiting a team of impersonators to replace him; the president's son Eric sets out to prove he's truly a part of the Trump family.

Cold open: Donald Trump Jr. appears on Hannity to comment on the release of the Nunes memo.
3"Rolling Back Obama"Mike LeechFebruary 18, 2018 (2018-02-18)0.298[4]

The president seeks to outdo his predecessor's achievements and craft a legacy greater than Obama's.

Cold open: The president calls in to Fox & Friends to comment on the firing of Rob Porter.
4"Family Leave"Bob PowersFebruary 25, 2018 (2018-02-25)0.260[5]

In order to grow closer to his daughter Ivanka, the president begins embracing more liberal policy positions, such as her proposal for paid family leave; as a result, the president's favorite morning show host suffers an existential breakdown.

Cold open: The president addresses the Conservative Political Action Conference.
5"State Dinner"Cathy LewMarch 4, 2018 (2018-03-04)0.124[6]

The president tries to outdo Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau when he comes to the White House for a state dinner. Meanwhile, Don Jr. sees his visit as an opportunity to befriend someone popular and well-liked.

Cold open: The president delivers the opening monologue at the 90th Academy Awards and introduces an "In Memoriam" montage that includes various entertainment industry figures accused of sexual harassment.
6"Media Strategy"Sam WestMarch 11, 2018 (2018-03-11)0.164[7]

The first lady gets caught rolling her eyes on camera causing a news media frenzy that the president is forced to contend with. She soon finds herself seeking "face coaching" from Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

Cold open: The president unveils his March Madness bracket and a commercial for Ted Cruz's reelection campaign is aired.
7"Wealth Gap"Jennifer F. JacksonMarch 18, 2018 (2018-03-18)0.199[8]

After receiving an honorable mention in a Forbes Magazine list entitled "70 Over 70", the president sets to prove to the world just how rich he is by throwing an extravagant marriage ceremony to renew his vows with Melania. Meanwhile, the vice-president begins to become more focused on monetary concerns and it begins to have a negative effect on his marriage.

Cold open: Anderson Cooper interviews the president who is responding to Stormy Daniels' interview with Cooper on 60 Minutes.
8"Government Shutdown"Gabe GundackerMarch 25, 2018 (2018-03-25)0.195[9]

General Kelly goes out of town and leaves the president to make sure the government is funded by the time he returns, but the president throws a party instead. Meanwhile, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Mitch McConnell, and Paul Ryan spend time quality time together as they put off negotiating a budget agreement.

Cold open: The president gives a speech at the March for Our Lives and debuts a PSA advocating for the firing of Robert Mueller.
9"Church and State"Eliana KwartlerApril 1, 2018 (2018-04-01)0.180[10]

After a hot mic gaffe at a church service, the president's approval rating with evangelicals is threatened. In response, the president seeks help from Mike Pence to become the most Christian president in history in time for the annual White House Easter Egg Roll. Meanwhile, Jared Kushner seeks new friends and turns to the only two potential people left in the White House – Don Jr. and Eric, who try to convert him to "Trumpism."

Cold open: The president holds a press briefing regarding the Stormy Daniels scandal and announces the hiring of a new lawyer.
10"First Pitch"R. J. FriedApril 8, 2018 (2018-04-08)0.171[11]

The president prepares to throw the first pitch at a Washington Nationals baseball game leading him to question his own masculinity. Meanwhile, Ivanka tries to distinguish herself as a feminist icon by opening a school in Africa and turns to Hillary Clinton for help.

Cold open: The president holds a press briefing in the White House Rose Garden regarding the Russia investigation, a divorce, and the appointment of John R. Bolton as National Security Advisor. Bolton goes on to give a televised address from the Oval Office.
11"Russia Investigation"Zach SmilovitzJuly 15, 2018 (2018-07-15)0.186[12]

Facing questioning from the Senate in the Russia investigation, the president turns to Steven Mnuchin for help overcoming feelings of inferiority instilled in him by his father. Meanwhile, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer attempt to invigorate Democratic voters by coming up with a new campaign platform and slogan.

Cold open: The president meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the 2018 Russia–United States summit in Helsinki, Finland.
12"First Family"Jocelyn RichardJuly 22, 2018 (2018-07-22)0.126[13]

The President attempts to patch up his decaying relationship with Melania to gain an invitation to Mitt Romney's campaign event, while Don Jr. and Eric try to become "good boys."

Cold open: The president holds a press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin following the 2018 Russia–United States summit in Helsinki, Finland.
13"Mueller Probe"Mike LeechJuly 29, 2018 (2018-07-29)0.137[14]

The President tries to win back the respect of his cabinet, fearing leaks to the media and the possibility of them testifying to Robert Mueller. Meanwhile, Karen Pence worries that the Vice President's trip to Mar-a-Lago will change him.

Cold open: The president calls Russian President Vladimir Putin to talk to him about Shark Week. The duo discuss Putin's declining of Trump's invitation to come to Washington, D.C., the closure of Ivanka Trump's clothing brand, and the release of recorded conversations between Trump and his lawyer Michael Cohen. Trump then patches Sean Hannity into the phone call.
14"The Senior Vote"Bob PowersAugust 5, 2018 (2018-08-05)0.101[15]

As his support from younger voters plummets, the president hatches a plot to maximize his support from his elderly base while also avoiding having to make a speech at the Iowa State Fair, while Don Jr. tries to help by learning how to be middle-aged from Mike Pence, Paul Ryan and Ted Cruz.

Cold open: Anderson Cooper interviews Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani.
15"The Wall"Jennifer F. JacksonAugust 12, 2018 (2018-08-12)0.161[16]
Cold open: Donald Trump Jr. appears on Infowars where Alex Jones, after discussing his recent banning from multiple social media and internet platforms, interviews him regarding his meeting with Russians in Trump Tower during the 2016 presidential election.
16"Civil War"R.J. FriedAugust 19, 2018 (2018-08-19)0.122[17]
Cold open: Anderson Cooper interviews Omarosa Manigault Newman who appears on his show with secret audio recordings created while she worked in the White House.
17"Militarization"Gabe GundackerAugust 26, 2018 (2018-08-26)0.167[18]
Cold open: While aboard Air Force One with Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the president reacts to the guilty verdict in Paul Manafort's criminal trial and the guilty plea taken by Michael Cohen. Rudy Giuliani appears on CNN to discuss the developments and John Bolton suggests starting a war to distract people.

Specials

No.TitleWritten byOriginal air dateU.S. viewers
(millions)
1"Our Cartoon President: Election Special 2018"[19]TBANovember 4, 2018 (2018-11-04)TBD

Notes

  1. ↑ Premiered early online through the ShowtimeAnytime app on January 28, 2018.

Production

Background

The series is a spin-off from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, which, since 2016, had featured a series of sketches featuring a cartoon caricature of Trump designed by Tim Luecke and voiced by Brian Stack. The sketches used Adobe Character Animator to allow Colbert to interact with the character in real-time.[20][21] The character was also featured in an animated short during Colbert's election night special for Showtime.[21][22]

Development

Following the online success of the sketches, Late Show showrunner Chris Licht suggested to Tim Luecke and Matt Lappin that they develop the concept into its own television series. In their pitch to Showtime, Luecke and Lappin described the potential series as a look "behind the scenes at the White House" and that their goal would be to "produce it as quickly as we possibly could so that we could begin to keep up with the news cycle."[23]

On July 27, 2017, Showtime announced that it had greenlit an animated series based on the sketches, with Colbert, Matt Lappin and Chris Licht as executive producers.[20][24] On December 18, 2017, it was announced that the series would premiere on February 11, 2018.[25][26]

On March 8, 2018, Showtime announced that they were ordering an additional seven episodes of the series that are set to air during the summer of 2018. This order would bring the first season total of episodes up to seventeen.[27][28] On May 30, 2018, it was announced that the additional seven episodes of season one would premiere on July 15, 2018.[29] On August 22, 2018, it was announced that Showtime had greenlit a midterm elections themed television special from the series titled "Our Cartoon President: Election Special 2018". The episode is scheduled to air on November 4, 2018 and expected to feature appearances from the cartoon versions of Vladimir Putin, Rudy Giuliani, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama.[19]

Release

Marketing

On December 18, 2017, Showtime released the first teaser trailer for the series.[25][26] On May 30, 2018, a trailer for the additional seven episodes of season one was released.[29]

2018 White House Correspondents' Dinner

On April 28, 2018, a special three-minute video created by the cast and crew of the series aired during the 2018 White House Correspondents Dinner.[30]

Reception

The first season of Our Cartoon President has been met with a mixed to negative response from critics upon its premiere. On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds a 33% approval rating with an average rating of 5.17 out of 10 based on 21 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Sugar-coated satire, Our Cartoon President wavers between scathing social criticism and softball slings in a way that's as unsatisfying as it is uncomfortable."[31] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the season a score of 42 out of 100 based on 11 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[32]

Jack Nevins of The Guardian praised the show, calling it a farce that "nailed the Trump drama," and contrasting the show's surreal workplace comedy approach with the more reality and headline-driven approach of other late night comedy shows.[33] In contrast, USA Today critic Kelly Lawler reviewed Our Cartoon President negatively, describing it as "slight, dated and unsustainable". She also concluded that "Watching one episode is enough to get the point. Watching nine more feels unnecessary."[34] Ben Travers of Indiewire also reviewed the show unfavorably, calling it "a pointless, unfunny drudge" and criticized it for humanizing Trump.[35] In a mixed review, Brian Lowry of CNN wrote that "While Our Cartoon President certainly has its moments, the best news for Showtime might be it's only stuck with this experiment in quick-turnaround animation, at least initially, for 10 weeks." He also said that the show suffered from many of the same problems as That's My Bush!, a sitcom produced in 2001 satirizing the presidency of George W. Bush.[36] Matt Wilstein of The Daily Beast was more favorable, writing that "The biggest surprise [of the show] is how hilarious it is" and praising the show for being "remarkably adept at boiling down characters to their core traits, from Trump and his family to members of his Cabinet and Congress to the Fox News personalities he spends most of his day watching".[37]

References

  1. ↑ Moraes, Lisa de (December 18, 2017). "Showtime Sets Premiere Date For Animated 'Our Cartoon President' From Stephen Colbert: Watch The Trailer". Deadline. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Our Cartoon President – Episode Guide". Zap2it. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  3. 1 2 Metcalf, Mitch (February 13, 2018). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 2.11.2018 | Showbuzz Daily". ShowBuzzDaily. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
  4. ↑ Metcalf, Mitch (February 21, 2018). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 2.18.2018 | Showbuzz Daily". ShowBuzzDaily. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  5. ↑ Metcalf, Mitch (February 27, 2018). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 2.25.2018 | Showbuzz Daily". ShowBuzzDaily. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
  6. ↑ Metcalf, Mitch (March 6, 2018). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.4.2018 | Showbuzz Daily". ShowBuzzDaily. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
  7. ↑ Metcalf, Mitch (March 13, 2018). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.11.2018 | Showbuzz Daily". ShowBuzzDaily. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  8. ↑ Metcalf, Mitch (March 20, 2018). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.18.2018 | Showbuzz Daily". ShowBuzzDaily. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  9. ↑ Metcalf, Mitch (March 27, 2018). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.25.2018 | Showbuzz Daily". ShowBuzzDaily. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  10. ↑ Metcalf, Mitch (April 3, 2018). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.1.2018 | Showbuzz Daily". ShowBuzzDaily. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  11. ↑ Metcalf, Mitch (April 10, 2018). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 4.8.2018 | Showbuzz Daily". ShowBuzzDaily. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
  12. ↑ Metcalf, Mitch (July 17, 2018). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 7.15.2018 | Showbuzz Daily". ShowBuzzDaily. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  13. ↑ Metcalf, Mitch (July 24, 2018). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 7.22.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  14. ↑ Metcalf, Mitch (July 31, 2018). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 7.29.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  15. ↑ Metcalf, Mitch (August 7, 2018). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 8.5.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  16. ↑ Metcalf, Mitch (August 14, 2018). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 8.12.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  17. ↑ Metcalf, Mitch (August 21, 2018). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 8.19.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  18. ↑ Metcalf, Mitch (August 28, 2018). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 8.26.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  19. 1 2 de Moraes, Lisa (August 22, 2018). "'Our Cartoon President: Election Special 2018' Set For Showtime On Sunday Before Midterm Election". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
  20. 1 2 Blistein, Jon (July 27, 2017). "Stephen Colbert to Produce Animated Donald Trump Series". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  21. 1 2 Rubin, Ben Fox (October 19, 2016). "How Cartoon Donald Trump comes to life on 'The Late Show'". CNET. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  22. ↑ Grove, Lloyd (November 9, 2016). "Stephen Colbert's Mournful Election Night Special". The Daily Beast. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  23. ↑ Trumbore, Dave (May 19, 2018). "'Our Cartoon President': Tim Luecke on Animating the Trump Administration in Real-Time". Collider. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  24. ↑ Deb, Sopan (July 28, 2017). "Stephen Colbert to Produce an Animated Trump Series". The New York Times. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  25. 1 2 Mason, Charlie (December 18, 2017). "Trump-Themed Cartoon President Premiere Date Announced by Showtime". TVLine. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  26. 1 2 "Take a First Look at Stephen Colbert's New Show 'Our Cartoon President'". VICE. December 18, 2017. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
  27. ↑ Evans, Greg (March 8, 2018). "Showtime Extends 'Our Cartoon President' With Seven Summer Episodes". Deadline. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  28. ↑ Otterson, Joe (March 8, 2018). "'Our Cartoon President' Gets Additional Seven-Episode Order at Showtime". Variety. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  29. 1 2 Pedersen, Erik (May 30, 2018). "'Our Cartoon President' Gets Showtime Return Date & New Trailer". Deadline. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  30. ↑ Ramos, Dino-Ray (April 29, 2018). "'Our Cartoon President' Imagines White House Correspondents Dinner With Trump In Attendance". Deadline. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  31. ↑ "Our Cartoon President: Season 1 - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  32. ↑ "Our Cartoon President: Season 1 - Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  33. ↑ Nevins, Jake (February 9, 2018). "Our Cartoon President review – Stephen Colbert's farce nails Trump drama". the Guardian. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  34. ↑ Lawler, Kelly (January 26, 2018). "Review: Stephen Colbert's Trump satire 'Our Cartoon President' lacks bite". USA TODAY. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
  35. ↑ Travers, Ben (January 29, 2018). "'Our Cartoon President' Review: Showtime's Lame Trump Cartoon Turns Donald Into a Dumb Sitcom Dad". IndieWire. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
  36. ↑ Lowry, Brian (January 29, 2018). "Trump gets animated in Showtime satire 'Our Cartoon President'". CNN. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
  37. ↑ Wilstein, Matt (January 27, 2018). "Stephen Colbert's 'Our Cartoon President' Nails Trump's Alt-Reality". The Daily Beast. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
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