China, IL

2011

Seasons & Episodes

  • 3
  • 2
  • 1
  • 0
7.1| TV-14| en| More Info
Released: 02 October 2011 Ended
Producted By: Working For Monsters
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website: http://www.adultswim.com/shows/china-il/index.html
Info

China, IL – meaning "China, Illinois" – is an animated television series for the cable network Adult Swim. The series is created by Brad Neely, and features Neely's existing characters from the China, IL web series and special. Characters include Frank and Steve Smith, aka "The Professor Brothers," and Mark "Baby" Cakes. Neely provides the voice for all three characters. The series is produced by Williams Street and animated by Titmouse, Inc. China, IL has been renewed for a second season with the possibility of a new half-hour runtime. On May 25, 2008, Adult Swim ran The Funeral, an 11-minute special which was streamed on the now defunct Super Deluxe website. The special combined Brad Neely's Professor Brothers and Baby Cakes webseries, which were also streamed at Super Deluxe, and established a larger environment for the characters. The special, as well as Brad Neely's other videos, can be viewed at Neely's YouTube page.

Genre

Animation

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China, IL (2011) is now streaming with subscription on Max

Director

Production Companies

Working For Monsters

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China, IL Audience Reviews

Beanbioca As Good As It Gets
FuzzyTagz If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.
FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.
Siflutter It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.
kyleconnolly1 I'm not going to lie here in saying this is easily one of the better shows on television at the moment. The humour might not be for everyone, but for those with a strong sense of it, you will die laughing at almost every episode.The characters are all very well developed, and have been "evolving" for many years on Brad Neely's web-cartoons "The Professor Brothers", and "Babycakes". Frank and Steve, brothers and history professors, seem to be the shows major focus though, which is fine because they are two of the funniest "caricatures" of College Professors every created. Although they are both extreme in their own right, almost all of the characters on the show are. Steve is highly intelligent, although lazy (maybe bored?), and is a frequent womaniser - often seducing female students. Frank, on the other hand, is very stupid, but is always scheming, and he is the my personal favourite character on the show. Babycake's, or "BC" for short, is another fan favourite - a dumb witted gentle giant, who often shows signs of wisdom, although most of the time he has no idea if he does.This show is quite a bit more intelligent than what appears on the surface as well. All of the guys in power, such as "The Mayor", or "The Dean" are stereotypical Alpha Males. Ripped muscles, booming loud voices, and willing to "rip your frigging head off" if you falter or screw up in anyway. Although the storyline in most of the episodes are a little "out there", they are still fairly easy to follow, and absolutely hysterical. There are is almost always a moment of wisdom in each episode, or a lesson to be learned. One of my favourite quotes from Season 2, Episode three, was when Steve, replying to a a conspiracy theorists statement that it was impossible for us to create some of the monolithic wonders of the ancient world, said "Nerd, Don't estimate all humanity on the limits of your own capability".Well said, Steve. Well said.Anyway, check out this show. It's fantastic... and although it's not for everyone
ashlon3 When I first watched this show.. I was thrown off about the animation at first. Slowly it started to grow on me, and although it's simply animated, it has a lot of motion and its easy to watch. The characters were by far my favorite part. All the characters were very memorable and are so witty. I loved the professors and the whole set up. It's got a balance of simple humor and ridiculous violence. I wasn't sure how to feel about the show when I saw the first episode (had the same feelings about Superjail) but after getting into the show, I love all the characters and the way they interact together. It is a hilarious show, and it'll really grow on you if given a chance.
jstreets Unfortunate.The problem is that this show could be really good. If you were a fan of the old Professor Brothers web videos that Brad Neely put out, and then transitioned into the show, you'll notice it lacks the smartness and wit that probably got it put on television to begin with.I was extremely excited that one of my favorite online sources of entertainment finally got lifted out of obscurity and projected to a larger audience. But all the things I liked about the web cartoons were missing from the television show.The Professor Brothers web cartoons were smart. Funny. Especially the parts where Frank was lecturing (The story of Lot, Helen Keller) - not to mention the multi part Funeral episodes were in my opinion were not only smart but profound. Another thing I liked about the web show that I thought was refreshing is that it was a cartoon that didn't involve characters exploding, or other non possible surreal things that is so prevalent on adult swim. It was a smart cartoon, that was hilarious, and sometimes moving when it brought up certain aspects of this world we live in. Then it went on TV, and boy was it way different. No more smartness, no more profoundness. The disappointment was great. It was just another surreal, ridiculous thing I'd seen before. The web episodes were different. They were special, they had a quality and rarity you couldn't find anywhere else online or on TV. Basically my point is Neely totally sold out, bro.
chefty3210 This is one of the few shoes I currently watch that if canceled, I would be extremely upset. At times, it comes off as a little weird but that is part of the beauty of the show. The voices are really well done and it is really easy to connect with the characters despite the very short run time. The creators have managed to pack 15 minutes with an amazing amount of quality humor that can appeal to a wide array of audiences while at the same time maintaining an great flow and plot lines that are easy to follow. When I watch this show, I get the impression that it is actually longer then it is due to the amount of depth that is explored in each episode. Steve and Baby Cakes are my favorite, listen for the raps Baby Cakes does. They are pretty good. I give this show a 9 because there is always room for improvement, but really the only thing I want to see continued/changed is increasing the run time and keeping the episodes coming.