Feb 12, 2021

"The Great North" Review: Fox's Alaska Set sitcom Warms the hearts of critics

Fox's Animation Domination block is welcoming a new show. The Great North may be set in semi-rural Alaska, but otherwise it doesn't stray too far from the network's adult animation line-up. The series officially premieres on Sunday, with two episodes having already aired as previews in January.

The Great North follows the Tobins, an eccentric family in the Alaskan town of Lone Moose, as they embark on a series of curious adventures. So far, so Fox sitcom - sure enough, reviewers compare it to the network's best-known animated comedies, particularly Bob's Burgers.

That's no surprise: The Great North was created by Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin, veteran writers and producers on Bob's Burgers, as well as Minty Lewis (a writer and storyboard artist on Cartoon Network's Regular Show). The series shares an animation studio - Bento Box Entertainment - with Bob's Burgers, whose creator Loren Bouchard is an executive producer here.

The series, which has already been renewed for a second season, is produced by Disney's 20th Television. The voice cast is led by Nick Offerman, Jenny Slate, and Will Forte.

It has been well received by critics. Here's what they're saying:

Caroline Framke opens her broadly positive Variety review by comparing the series to Bob's Burgers:

Entertainment Weekly's Darren Franich gives the series an A- grade, praising its oddball writing:

On RogerEbert.com, Brian Tallerico argues that the series is still finding its feet, but shows promise:

Writing in The New York Times, James Poniewozik identifies the show's essential warmth:

Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter notes that it's too early to tell exactly how the series will relate to its setting: