Fish Police (animation)

Originally a comic book series by Steven Moncuse. In 1992, due to the success of The Simpsons, Hanna Barbera made a prime time animated series for CBS that only lasted 6 episodes.

Not to be confused with game wardens.

Basic plot: Anthropomorphic fish precinct detectives fight crime. It doesn't get any more highbrow than this, folks.

Fish Police provides examples of:

 * Arson Murder and Jaywalking: The Codfather is arrested for "Suspected murder, resisting arrest and ticking me off."
 * Attractive Bent Gender: Detective Catfish (when dressing up as a woman).
 * Bathtub Scene: Angel even offered Gil to come over and scrub her back....I don't think anyone cared that a fish was taking a bubblebath.
 * Beauty Contest: The episode 'Beauty is only Fin Deep' is centred around it.
 * Betty and Veronica: For Gill; Pearl (the Betty) and Angel (the Veronica)
 * Brainless Beauty: Angel is actually aware of it and does not let it get in her way, but she's still pretty brainless.
 * Buxom Is Better: Subverted with Gil since despite the Jessica clones interest he chooses to remain loyal to the less 'gifted' Pearl.
 * Chick Magnet: After saving their lives Gil is rewarded with kisses by several of the beauty contestants. The scene immedialy following featuring another girl who wanted her turn.
 * Da Chief: Chief Abalone.
 * Deadpan Snarker: A lot of the characters classify, but Goldie the police secretary probably comes first. Her lines alone get a higher rating than Angel's persona, for one thing.
 * Everyone Loves Blondes : Every guy who has ever even seen Angel will give at least an appreciative look
 * Expy: Angel is pretty much a fish-version of Jessica Rabbit. Given a Shout Out in the first episode, when she makes reference to Jessica's "I'm not bad..." line.
 * Flintstone Theming: Fish puns galore!
 * Gainaxing: Especially noticeable during the Beauty's Only Fin Deep episode.
 * Heroes Want Redheads: A fish-themed variant occurs with Gill and Pearl. Pearl, having red scales and fins.
 * Hint Dropping: Subverted. Gill clearly gets Angel's hints at wanting a more intimate relationship, because being observant is his job, and because her idea of hinting is asking him to join her in a bath.
 * In Name Only: So many ways:
 * In the comics, Gill looked like this. In the cartoon, he looked more like a fish version of Dick Tracy — hat, trench coat and all. Also, he's The Alcoholic in the comic, but not so much here. Finally, his surname has two L's in the comic.
 * Angel went from being a slender, shapely, smart piece of eye candy to a token love interest.
 * Even though the cartoon wasn't meant for kids, the tone is still Lighter and Softer by comparison.
 * Just Friends: Inverted since it's the blonde bombshell Angel who's all too eager to move past friendship with Gil instead of vice versa.
 * Ms. Fanservice: Angel.
 * Non Mammal Mammaries: All of the female fish have breasts, with Angel taking the cake.
 * Really Gets Around: Angel.
 * Sexy Secretary : Gill mentions Angel used to work for him.
 * Shout Out: The episode The Codfather has some quite obvious Shout Outs, but there is also a definite Shout Out to Woody Allen's Take The Money And Run in The Two Gills, and a possible one to Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much in The Codfather again.
 * Straw Feminist: Pearl about the beauty pageant. Though it would seem her anger is derived from the fact her sometimes other half was placed there to guard the scantily dressed girls.
 * Stupid Sexy Friend: Even though he choose to just be friends with her Gil can't help but have frequent inappropriate inner monologues about Angel. Not helped by the fact that she encourages it quite deliberatly.
 * Tsundere: Depending on how much other women (especially Angel) is involved at the time Pearl is either trying to clean the diner counter with Gil or giving him the cold shoulder.
 * Vitriolic Best Buds: Angel called Pearl her best friend.
 * Water Is Air: Sometimes done straight, sometimes played with, depending on the Rule of Funny.
 * Wretched Hive: Fish City.