It's like watching serialized installments of the Altered State of Druggachusetts sketch, only in cartoon form instead of live-action.Just as hilarious and transgressive as Mr. Show with Bob and Dave, but less scattershot than a sketch program. I'm glad the show can take its time over several episodes developing characters and mocking formulaic conventions like the 24-minute sitcom story arc, the weekly "lesson learned," and the retarded local evening news/info-tainment broadcast team. "Freak Show" is funny, smart, quick, and steadily climbing up the Season Pass priority ladder.

I honestly don't know why Comedy Central is pushing this show so much when it seems like the people who actually make it aren't even trying. Usually when I hear the names David Cross and H. Jon Benjamin I'll start paying attention. I expected this show to be clever and articulate considering the minds behind it. Turns out "Freak Show" is poorly drawn and poorly written and is a huge disappointment. It looks like it was made by a bunch of amateurs. The characters suck, the jokes aren't funny, the pacing is lousy and the animation is dodgy. Ignore all the stuff that's being said about it on Comedy Central's other programs and the commercials in between. "Freak Show" is not worth your time; watch the National Geographic Channel or something instead.

Yeah the previous comment is correct, this show is definitely smart comedy, actually it's smart comedy in the disguise of complete shat masking itself as a low budget superhero extravaganza. I happen to be a fan of smart comedy in the disguise of complete shat masking itself as a low budget superhero extravaganza type shows. Usually there is more absurdity than Freak Show has to offer, but maybe us educated and high caliber types will forgive them for this. I think that there could have been more offensive ideas, maybe more blood, and definitely more gay humor. Lord knows we need more blood and gay humor. I mean how else are we supposed to trick people into voting for communists. However I find the parts with David Cross to be confusing since his voice is so mystifying and intoxicating. When I think about it I don't think I could really tell you what has ever happened in a show, I kind of see it as a haze for comedians to masturbate too, or a carnal fest like something late at night on cine-max.

After watching the first three episodes of the show, I have drawn the following conclusions: The timing and delivery of the show's jokes are horrible and several comedic devices (the wait gag, call back, etc.) are used poorly, which puzzles me because the staff is obviously capable of pulling off such devices. I guess not in this case, though.The worst aspect of the show is the set-up/break pattern that is employed. In the show, a joke would be set up, which could be picked up by the audience, and then the dialogue would shift to something that halted the joke's momentum. By the time the "punchline" was delivered, the joke's energy was gone. This happens over and over again.To tell you the truth, most of the dialogue and plot seems sub-standard and would have certainly been trashed by other comedy shows. The writers seemed to rely on random "jokes" juxtaposed against a jagged plot instead of actually establishing a main storyline, which isn't effective at all. The reason it works for shows like, say, Aqua Teen Hunger Force (which seems to pride itself on seemingly "random" jokes) is because they set the jokes up properly WHILE following an established plot line. In most cases, a joke just isn't funny without a proper set-up, timing, and follow through.The visual gags aren't employed very well either. They just weren't funny. The gags are either too lax or too forced -- both extremes killed any jokes that may have arisen from such set-ups.Most of the show's jokes also seem to rely on tired stereotypes that are either overused or stopped being funny years ago. Because the writing doesn't seem too fresh, it makes me question whether or not the writing staff is trying very hard at all with this show.I gave the first three episodes a fair chance and drew my opinion objectively, but I came to the same conclusion each time: it's a sad excuse for an animated comedy show. I hope that it's pulled quickly and doesn't just drag on and that Cross and Co. move on to bigger and better things.