The Goode Family



Mike Judge's most recent animated series effort after King of the Hill. Just as that show was a parody of Middle America, The Goode Family skewers the other side of the political spectrum, as exemplified by the titular family of liberals who do their best to maintain political correctness in all facets of their lifestyle, as difficult as it can be at times.

The family consists of Gerald, a community college professor; Helen, a self-proclaimed activist; Bliss, their snarky teenage daughter, and Ubuntu, their adopted African son who turned out to be a white South African. Other characters include Che, the family dog whom they raised as a vegan (but who often sneaks out to eat wild animals and neighborhood pets), and Charlie, Helen's sarcastic father who doesn't approve of their lifestyle.

Originally airing on ABC, it was cancelled during its only season. Comedy Central now airs reruns of the show.

"Hank/Gerald: The dogged protagonist who stubbornly and naively sticks to a very narrow, impractical lifestyle. Peggy/Helen: His clingy, social-climbing wife. Bobby/Ubuntu: A well-meaning son who disappoints him (Hank wanted Bobby to be an athletic man's man, whereas Gerald and Helen expected Ubuntu would be black). Luanne/Bliss: A daughter who doesn't fit in (Luanne because she was The Ditz, and Bliss because of her materialism). Ladybird/Che: The dog who's far less remarkable than the owners think them to be. Cotton/Charlie: the overbearing, culturally backwards father-in-law. Buck Strickland/Kent Jenson: The underhanded boss who exploits the main character's naive work ethic. Kahn/Margo: The shrill, affluent neighbor who looks down on the family. Bill/Penny: The single, childless neighbor who constantly laments how lonely they are."
 * The Ace: Ubuntu parodies this.
 * Bare Your Midriff: Bliss.
 * Big Bad: The Angry Cop.
 * Big Eater: Che the dog.
 * Brian Doyle Murray: The voice of Charlie, the grandfather.
 * Butt Monkey: Gerald
 * Butch Lesbian: Mo and Trish.
 * Camp Gay: Prison Bus
 * Carnivore Confusion: Subverted with Che.
 * Casting Gag: Phil LaMarr guest stared in Graffit in Greendale & Later In Troubble in Store, There a One Earth employee that sounded just like him. But, It's not realy him.
 * Chick Magnet: Ubuntu.
 * Comically Missing the Point: With the possible exception of Bliss, none of the Goodes realize that Che doesn't like being a vegan, or that dogs are natural carnivores.
 * There is some controversy over whether dogs are carnivores or omnivores, which may be why the Goodes think it is okay to feed them a vegan diet. That said, although dogs are very adaptable in regards to diet, the evidence is that dogs are better off on a carnivorous diet. Moreover wolves, which are genetically so close to dogs as to be practically the same species, are definitely carnivores. Contrast cats, which are obligate carnivores that would die on a vegan diet.
 * Dating What Daddy Hates: Bliss tries this to scare Helen and Gerald into letting her date the boy she's actually interested in; it backfires...spectacularly.
 * Deadpan Snarker: Bliss. She gets it from her Grandpa.
 * Dee Bradley Baker: Provided the voices of Che, Gutterball, various people and animals.
 * Deranged Animation: The episode "Helen's Back".
 * Distaff Counterpart: Penny is essentially Bill Dauterive, only a woman.
 * Don't Try This At Home: Chase a random prisoner with a night Stick.
 * Elephant in the Living Room: Wasn't there an Angry Cop in Havey Birdman & Stroker & Hoop?
 * Evil Counterpart: Kent to Gerald. While Gerald is simply well-meaning and misguided, Kent is self-serving and unethical.
 * Expy: As Hank Hill is to Tom Anderson, Gerald is to Van Driessen.
 * Now all we need is a Mr. Buzzcut Expy.
 * The entire cast is like a Mirror Universe of King of the Hill:

"Stan/Gerald Francine/Helen Steve/Ubuntu Haley/Bliss Klaus/Che Roger/Charlie Greg & Terry/Mo & Trish Jeff/Treyvon"
 * And American Dad:


 * Friday Night Death Slot: Where the show ended up.
 * Friendly Enemy: The ending to Trouble In Store shows that Helen and Margo, while always rivals, aren't always malicious about it.
 * Gentle Giant: Ubuntu.
 * Granola Girl: Many of the characters.
 * Hey, It's That Voice!: We have Phil LaMarr, Kevin Nelson & Johnny Knoxville as guest stars.
 * Hidden Heart of Gold: Bliss. Sure she's a snarker, but when push comes to shove, she genuinely loves her family and isn't shy about saying so.
 * Hot Mom: Helen.
 * Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Two cases: Ubuntu & Bliss (non-romantic), and Ubuntu & Tanya (romantic).
 * Jerkass:
 * Margo. Seriously, girl has one hell of a chip on her shoulder.
 * Charlie. He's generally nice to Bliss and Ubuntu, but has some really cringe-worthy moments with Helen and Gerald.
 * Lipstick Lesbian: Suki and Jennifer, who fall under the Invisible to Gaydar variety.
 * Literal-Minded: Ubuntu.
 * Mama Bear: Helen.
 * Meganekko: Tanya.
 * Mike Judge: The creator, and of course the voice behind Gerald.
 * The Napoleon: The Angry Cop from Gerald's Way or The Highway.
 * New Age Retro Hippie
 * Nice Guy: Gerald. Despite being portrayed as very misguided, he's an otherwise decent person who is incapable of holding a grudge (even when he knows the offender really deserves otherwise).
 * Only Sane Man: Poor Bliss...
 * Although, she's also implied to be a conceited, materialistic Straw Capitalist.
 * Pet the Dog: Despite treating Helen like crap, Charlie was concerned enough to bring over some pain medication when she injured her back.
 * Political Correctness Gone Mad: Depending on the viewer's point of view.
 * Positive Discrimination: Lampshaded.
 * The Rival: Margo, to Helen.
 * Throw the Dog a Bone: Che goes off his enforced vegan diet surprisingly often.
 * Veganism and Vegetarianism: The Goode Family are "politically correct in every way", including being vegetarians.
 * "Well Done, Son" Guy: A daughter example with Helen and her father, Charlie.