'God, The Devil & Bob' - The Complete Series

In God, The Devil & Bob, God is ready to throw in the towel, giving up on us mortals. He and the Devil strike a deal where if there's just one person worth saving, our world will be saved. The caveat is that the Devil chooses the person, and he chooses selfish, surly Bob. The premise of the show held a lot of promise. But the humor and original plots just weren't there, despite being created and voiced by Hollywood veterans.

God, The Devil & Bob was created by Matthew Carlson, the man behind Malcolm in the Middle, for NBC in 2000. At that time, networks were scrambling to find the next Simpsons success, so a slew of cartoons hit primetime.

Unfortunately, God, The Devil & Bob was met with low ratings and religious activists. Both managed to get the show canceled after only four episodes.

I can't speak for the religious activists, but I may be able to shed light on those low ratings. First, it's a thoughtful premise, exploring good and evil and how man fits between the two. Maybe it was too thoughtful. South Park explores some very controversial issues, but does it with gross-out jokes and very nasty, in-your-face humor that pleases many fans.

Secondly, this show was aired on NBC, a pretty mainstream network that's out for a very generic product to please the masses. If this show had aired on, say, Bravo or even Adult Swim, it might have stood a better chance. Lower numbers on cable networks aren't nearly as scary as they are for the big guys.

Also, despite using the talents of James Garner as God, Alan Cumming as the Devil, French Stewart as Bob, and Nancy Cartwright as his daughter, the show just wasn't funny enough. The writing wasn't there. If God, The Devil & Bob had had more laughs, or given up on comedy and been more dramatic and serious, then maybe it would have found a solid audience.

Try renting it before you buy.