Clerks (2000–2001) User Reviews

Pretty Good Stuff

[Figgiedan · 8/10 · 26 February 2001]

Bought the 6-episode DVD "Clerks" earlier this week -- there is some very funny stuff in it. Not only are all the actors from the film "Clerks" supplying the voices, but there are some great cameos as well. Judge Reinhold, James Woods, Kids in the Hall and Sat Night Live alumni and a recurring character played by Alec Baldwin. It has its moments and it's too bad it was cancelled, but it really could've done much much more being on a pay channel versus a network channel who always need lessons tagged on at the end of a comedy show. Some of the commentary is interesting too. It includes Kevin Smith and the actors and writers. "Clerks" is worth renting - or if you're a fan, buying! Although it's not groundbreaking humor, some of the stuff was pretty funny (satirizes both popular and obscure movies and tv shows) and other stuff falls kind of flat. But worth checking out. My grade: 8 out of 10, a B-. A line that didn't make it into the animated series: "Try not to suck any d--- on your way across the parking lot."

More colorful, less vulgar, and funny. Cancel it!

[grendelkhan · 7/10 · 28 July 2006]

The Clerks cartoon was little seen, but it is wonderfully funny. Its network time-slot forced it to be sanitized, but this allowed for more visual humor and inspired greater creativity. So, of course, it was canceled after only two episodes (which were barely advertised).

The show still has the elements that made the movie great, minus the potty mouths. It also adds some inspired lunacy, in the Clerks nemesis, Leonardo Leondardo, voiced brilliantly by Alec Baldwin. The original actors are back, and they show great talent for voice acting. Jeff Anderson especially comes across well, seemingly more at ease behind the microphone than he was in front of the camera.

The stories are fun and inventive, with the second show being a parody of clip shows (the joke being that they've only had one episode to look back on). The episode revolving around Dante's coaching a little league team and Randal being held prisoner in a mine is truly hysterical. It has great comedy and sends up The Bad News Bears, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Last Starfighter. In fact, movie parodies were a large staple of the show.

It's a shame that ABC never gave the show the chance it deserved. It was really better suited to HBO or another cable channel, where it would have been less inhibited; but, the creators used those limitations to spark their creativity. The six episodes are available on DVD and are definitely worth the price. The commentary tracks are entertaining (as Smith's usually are) and are very revealing about how producers interact with television networks and how a great show can be sabotaged.

Great Cartoon from an Okay Director

[michael_the_nermal · 8/10 · 21 June 2006]

I enjoyed the six episodes of "Clerks" and wish they would have made more episodes. I personally think it was foolish of Kevin Smith to reject offers from HBO, as I think his 'toon would have thrived on that channel. ABC mutilated this toon by only showing a third of the episodes, and that's a shame. The wit and humor is impeccable, and Smith understands that cartoon humor is more plastic and unbelievable than the world he portrays in his real-life movies. The actors, for people who don't do voice over work for a living, are fantastic, and really give it their all to bring life to their cartoon counterparts. The parodies of 1980s movies are usually funny, and Smith's sense of nostalgia and bawdy sense of humor greatly work in this cartoons' favor. I like this cartoon much more than "Family Guy," and, had it lived on premium cable, it would have no doubt won Emmys. Do rent or purchase the six-episode, two DVD set. This is one of the cartoons following in the wake of the "Family Guy" boom that was actually good.

Underrated, 'nuff said

[mystic80 · 8 March 2001]

"Clerks: The Animated Series" didn't get enough airtime considering it was one of the best cartoons on a national network. The cartoon series is a continuation of the adventures of Dante and Randall, two begrudging peddlers of the convenience store trade who make Star Wars references, talk about past relationships, and trying to move up in the world. Granted, it's not going to be like the movie but that's alright. Smith decides to replace it with a particularly offbeat brand of humor with Dante and Randall getting into adventure after adventure. All done on a grand scale. Alec Baldwin is particularly funny as the show's closeted capitalist villain as well as Charles Barkley, completely f**king up his image in good spirits, as himself. Definitely worth a look for it's off the wall comedy.

Animated genius: Kevin Smith enters the world of television

[KnightLander · 10/10 · 20 June 2005]

Recently, I began re-watching my Kevin Smith collection. I've been a fan for some time, but sadly, I only owned "Dogma", "Chasing Amy" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back". So I went on a hunt for the films missing from my collection. I found "Clerks - The Animated Series Uncensored" used at an electronics store. I knew I was in for something good as soon as I payed for it. There were two guys at the counter. One of them says hi and then took the DVD and looked it. Suddenly his eyes widened. "Oh, man! We had CLERKS?" he said to his companion. "Yep," the other man replied. "When did this come in?" he asked, running it through the scanner. "I dunno." With a final shake of his head, the man placed the DVD in a bag and said, "I wish I'd known we had this. I would've picked it up!" I smiled and walked out of the store. Oh, yeah. I couldn't wait to watch these babies.

In late May 2000, "Clerks: The Animated Series" made its debut on ABC-TV. The show continues the wacky adventures of Quick Stop clerks Dante and Randal and the two stoners who hang out outside the store: Jay and Silent Bob. All the characters in the show were voiced by the actors in the films; many characters from the View Askewniverse have quick, but fan-satisfying appearances, such as Steve-Dave or Fanboy.

In the first episode, Dante and Randal try to prevent the destruction of their Quick Stop when a futuristic "Quicker Stop" is invented by billionaire Leonardo Leonardo (voiced by Alec Baldwin). In the second episode, Dante and Randal remember their previous adventures while locked in a freezer. In the third episode, Leonardo Leonardo succumbs to a deadly virus, and the Quick Stop is investigated by an FBI agent (voiced by James Woods). For the fourth episode, the clerks find themselves being sued by Jay in a court led by the honorable Judge Reinhold (voiced by Judge Reinhold). For the fifth episode, Dante becomes the coach of Leonardo Leonardo's pathetic Little League team; and, for the final episode - there really isn't a plot.

"Clerks" the series is 100% film-nerd material. Film nerds (I know - I am one) will enjoy the show much more than the casual movie watcher. There are multiple references to films and TV shows throughout the series.

In the end, I really don't know what to say about "Clerks" other than seeing is believing. It completely surpassed my expectations, and is one of - if not the funniest - cartoon I've ever seen. This is the sort of thing slackers sit around and watch all day long. But if you have to be a slacker to watch this series, count me in. I'm proud to have this DVD in my collection.

One of the funniest shows ever made

[Rectangular_businessman · 10/10 · 5 July 2010]

This was such a great series. I can't believe that it only lasted 6 episodes, while horrible shows as "Family Guy" aren't canceled yet. I always liked the original "Clerks" movie and almost all the movies from Kevin Smith as well. This series, despite having a different style from the movie, it was pretty good: I loved the new way in which the characters were portrayed (Not to mention the hilarious work of Alec Baldwin as the "villain" Leonardo Leonardo) the humor of the series, that reminded me a lot the way great shows as "The Simpsons" used to be before jumping the shark. The animatio0n and the character designs were very well done, and the voice acting was superb. This show deserved more success and appreciation that it had, and despite having only 6 episodes, I loved them all. I would give this eleven stars if I could.

Just didn't work

[three_evils · 6/10 · 18 March 2007]

As a Clerks spin-off, this was damn annoying! The complete vulgarity that has made the View Askewniverse popular was replaced with mostly American Dad humor. Randal, originally an intelligent person and lazy perverted jack***, was given the IQ of a brick. The plots were completely transparent and had less realistic substance than Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter.

Ironically, those things are exactly what should have made it a success had it been an independent series! Someone who's never seen the movies (or just isn't a neurotic as I am)could have loved it-- but old fans could find it infuriating.

The best parts of these cartoons are the segments at the end presented by Jay and Silent Bob. Gratuitous violence, warping children and unexplained celebrity cameos are fun. And I have to admit: cartoon Jay is possibly the cutest thing I've ever seen in my life!

Generation-X at it's funniest!

[sailorcallie · 10/10 · 17 June 2001]

Even though only 2 episodes aired on ABC, the DVD provided 6 of the funny-as-hell episodes that I've seen. The show just about mirrors the black and white film of the same name, only it's in color and there's less cursing for the show to have a TV-14 rating. (It's a network show, after all.)

Alec Baldwin as the voice of Leonardo Leonardo, who happens to be a clone of The Simpsons' Mr. Burns, provided the comic relief as does NBA star, Charles Barkley, who provides his own voice in some of the episodes.

If I were the head of ABC, I'd bring Clerks: The Animated Series back to prime-time televison. If not, I'll bring the show to Comedy Central instead.

Okay, but nowhere near as good as the movie or any other Kevin Smith film

[gangstahippie · 7/10 · 26 July 2009]

I cannot believe the high score this has.I bought the DVD with all six episodes because I was a fan of Clerks 1 & 2 and Kevin Smith movies in general.I knew it wasn't going to be as raunchy and vulgar as the other Smith fare due to the fact it aired on ABC, but I thought it was going to be good.I can sort of see why the show was cancelled after a few episodes.It's just not that funny.I watched all six episodes and they were sort of entertaining, but it was more like a kid's show.They could have made it like Family Guy and really pushed the TV-14 rating.There were some funny parts in each episode but overall I do not think it was worth the money.

Could've become a classic...

[Darwinskid · 8/10 · 9 June 2013]

It's sad that ABC didn't have much faith in Clerks, based on the 1994 movie of the same name, because, for what it was, it was a very clever and hilarious animated series. If you've seen the movie you know the central characters--Dante, Randal, Jay, and Silent Bob. Unlike the movie however the series expands beyond the Quick Stop store and allows the characters to interact in different environments and deal with new situations that result in hilarity. I suppose Clerks is probably best left done and buried though because as with most animated sitcoms they usually drag out and start becoming stale( ex. Simpsons and Family Guy) so as it is you have a very underrated and well-written cartoon that you can re-watch all six episodes on DVD.

Highly recommended.

Ok

[ccandme-98379 · 7/10 · 13 June 2020]

DVD Highlights of Crazy Shop Assistant's 10th Anniversary Edition,Not bad, recommended ...

Wow Funny As Hell

[WUsaga212 · 10/10 · 7 September 2002]

This is one of the funniest shows ever!!! I can't believe ABC cancelled such a brilliant show. I wish they would bring it back, I have the DVD though, it's a great buy. Personnally I thought this was better than the movie. Dante and Randall are hilarious together, and so are Jay and Silent Bob. My favorite was the flashback episode, I think it was Episode 2, where Randall and Dante get locked in a freezer. Watch this show, it's a classic!!

I loved the clerks movies...and i hated this show

[feikk2 · 1/10 · 5 February 2012]

Just can't understand how anyone who likes the anarchistic humour of the clerks movies can find the bad jokes of this one funny. The ingenious thing about the movies were the actually intelligent characters who were just over the top politically incorrect and anti-social, nothing left of that in the cartoon, here everyone is just acting stupid with Dante wearily rolling his eyes. I guess Smith just couldn't sell his more provocative ideas to the cartoon producers, but given this turn in tone, 6 Episodes are at least five too much. If you want to watch a real funny cartoon, go with "Undergrads", "Home Movies" or "The Oblongs".

Why was this cancelled after only 6 episodes???

[ajdagreat · 6 February 2002]

My "Clerks" story.

I saw the first episode of "Clerks" ever broadcast (I think it was the 4th episode made). I didn't know there was a movie called "Clerks." But I loved the show. And I also watched the 2nd episode of "Clerks" (which was the second episode), and loved it even more. How absurd! How hilarious to make the 2nd episode a clip show!

I was disappointed to learn it was cancelled, but I bought the video of all the episodes, and after watching all of them, I saw the original movie "Clerks" as well. Sure, the movie was better, but I think they pulled off the show quite well without using the dirty words.

Bottom line: Watch "Clerks" the movie, and watch "Clerks: The Animated Series" too.

Underappreciated surrealist screwball gold

[I_Ailurophile · 9/10 · 20 April 2021]

Ah, what could have been. What was... for 6 episodes, only 2 of which ever aired.

'Clerks: The animated series' picks up where 'Clerks,' the 1994 movie, left off, with Dante (Brian O'Halloran) manning the Quick Stop convenience store by himself, and Randal (Jeff Anderson) being a wholly irresponsible employee of the adjacent video store. Shenanigans ensue, not least of all as Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith) are up to no good just outside.

The 1994 film reveled in referential humor and quips about pop culture that largely defined the dialogue in Dante and Randal's tumultuous friendship, when they weren't arguing about each other's behavior. The animated series steps things up with an abundance of visual jokes and references, and otherwise absurd scenarios, that the low, low budget of its live-action predecessor would never have allowed.

Each of these six episodes is a delight. Yet my favorite is unquestionably the second, which parodies clip shows by consisting mostly of flashbacks to the first episode - and to events that took place earlier in the second episode itself. In no way does 'Clerks,' the series, take itself seriously, nor anything else. That's a great deal of its charm. Nothing is too weird or outrageous to be included, or lampooned.

That broad aim does lend itself to the one notable caveat about the cartoon, one which is regrettably shared by most comedies. Even if it's satire, or a reference to some pop culture ephemera - there are hints of racist tropes employed here, and sexism, and homophobia, that have not aged well; not that it was ever appropriate in the first place. It's not punching down with any intent to harm, and comes from a place of emphasizing how terrible the character in question is, and how unfunny their remark - but that doesn't necessarily make it any better. I feel like society at large has made piecemeal progress in this regard, but 'Clerks' remains a time capsule of 20 years past when, out of privilege, few thought twice about the far-reaching effects that even a throwaway line can have.

Still, while that's a problem to be acknowledged, and viewers should be aware, it doesn't overshadow the quality of 'Clerks' as a whole. Whatever its flaws, overall the series is simply a joy.

The series is mostly animated with sharply contrasting colors filling thick black lines. It's a style that accentuates the cartoonish, unrealistic nature of the program, and 'Clerks' happily capitalizes on its medium with the scenes it presents. Less readily obvious are the names behind the voices we hear, and it's a rather surprising list of people lending their tongue. Alec Baldwin, Tara Strong, Jeff Bennett, Charles Barkley, and Bryan Cranston all show up, plus Dana Gould, Phil LaMarr, Michael McKean, and still more. For a very limited-run adult-oriented animated series based on a low-budget indie comedy, 'Clerks' drew in quite the cast.

To that point: 'Clerks' wasn't the first cartoon geared toward an older audience, but I feel like it represented a bit of a sea change with its bent toward absurdism. 'Family guy' and 'Futurama' preceded this show, and 'The Simpsons' long before them, but for all the left turns these series may take within episodes, the narrative thrust is generally consistent and familiar. In the years following 'Clerks,' cartoons of its ilk have proliferated, not least of all thanks to Cartoon Network's Adult Swim whose programming is largely defined by a similarly very loose, "anything goes" storytelling style.

It's not perfect, but it's still very funny and enjoyable, and in some ways a benchmark for animated series. 'Clerks' is essential for Kevin Smith fans, but also highly recommended for general audiences. Drop your expectations and just enjoy the ride.

Hilarious Wish It Was Still On

[SonicStuart · 10/10 · 13 October 2008]

"Clerks" is one of my favorite movies and I discovered that they made a short lived prime time cartoon series that once aired on ABC and I rented this series on DVD and I loved it and I wish they could bring this show back on! But if they were ever to bring it back it should go on FOX or Comedy Central. Basically, the show follows the continuing adventures of Dante Hicks and Randall Graves (voiced by Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson) and their every jobs at the Quick Stop and RST Video and of course dealing with Jay & Silent Bob (voiced by Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith). Also in this series we have two new characters, Leonardo Leonardo (voiced by Alec Bladwin) who is the billionaire antagonist of the series and his sidekick, Plug. Hilarious show and I think it deserved so much better and I think it should have been on a different network since ABC was too picky about censoring half of what they say on the show, if the show aired on FOX or Comedy Central then they wouldn't have that problem! Kevin Smith should really consider bringing this show back.

Someone need to pick this show up

[lilant · 8/10 · 13 August 2001]

I have this on DVD and it is one of the best DVD evey made.ABC is just too old to have this on they network I think this was better than southpark but not the simpsons. If this was on fox it will on right now I wish some network will pick this up for the fall.

9/10

[arielsiere · 9/10 · 11 March 2022]

Clerks one of the most underrated shows since the year 2000 til 2001 this show is basically a spin off to the rated r movie of the same title name with Jay and Silent Bob.

The Movie...The Series (well.....)

[Seamus2829 · 9/10 · 11 January 2009]

The idea of turning Clerks into an animated TV series was fertile ground for some potentially subversive humour. The end results...well...it could have turned out somewhat better. This series was sold to ABC TV, with six episodes as a trial. ABC, predictably fumbled the ball,big time by only airing two of the six episodes (and worse yet,in the wrong sequence,as the jokes have a thematic thread to them (plus,most of the humour was somewhat surreal). Bottom line:Clerks was canceled by ABC after only two episodes. I guess the few viewers who did catch one or both of the episodes would be confused. The jokes tend to be a satire on pop culture references. What I appreciated was that the original cast of the film supplied their own voice characters. The animation is somewhat decent. It's obvious that the crude sexual jokes would be a no no on network television,but still manages to get a few corkers across. All six episodes are currently available on a double DVD,with commentary by Jason Mewes (Jay),and sometimes even Kevin Smith,himself (as Silent Bob). Good for a video get together party.

An excellent show cut way too short!

[Op_Prime · 30 December 2003]

I greatly enjoyed this entertaining and criminally short lived animated series. Sure it was different from the 1994 movie (which was very good), but I still like it. A definite plus was having Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith reprising their roles. I also particularly liked the animation. And I can't believe ABC just canceled it after two episodes. What were they thinking? Good thing Comedy Central has aired the series from time to time, otherwise I would've missed out on it and not bothered thinking about getting the DVD. I found every episode hilarious, but the last one was my absolute favorite. Had ABC not been so foolish I think this series would still be in production today.

Hilarious

[inacan-90-894261 · 10/10 · 13 May 2022]

Pop culture references, good voice acting, funny plot lines. Highly recommend.

I can see why it didn't fly. Too adult to be kid friendly and too juvenile to be taken as a true adult cartoon. Basically it was wrong time and place. It would do great on adult swim or late night like DUCKMAN was but network tv was never going work.

Dante Hicks, Randal Graves, Jay, and Silent Bob all in cartoon form, but is it safe?! (Just kidding!)

[Beta_Gallinger · 8/10 · 14 February 2010]

This very short-lived animated series, based on Kevin Smith's first full-length movie, 1994's low-budget "Clerks", was made years after the film but years before I was familiar with any of the filmmaker's work. Only six episodes were ever made, and only two of them aired before the show was cancelled. Nearly ten years after the VERY brief run of this "Clerks" series, I can finally say I've seen every episode. I was interested in seeing it because I had seen all the movies Smith had made before this show ("Clerks", "Mallrats", "Chasing Amy", and "Dogma"), all of which I found funny, and I like cartoons. This show is definitely different from the live action movie (and Smith's live action movies in general) in more than one way, but that doesn't mean it's not funny.

The lead characters from the movie, Dante Hicks and Randal Graves, are also the lead characters in this show, and are voiced by Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson, who played them in the film. Dante is still a convenience store clerk and the idiotic Randal is still a clerk at the video store next door to where Dante works. In each episode, the two friends find themselves on a different adventure, and things tend to get more bizarre than they do in the live action film. They regularly meet Jay and Silent Bob, Kevin Smith's two recurring characters that are featured in the vast majority of his movies. These two are also voiced here by the actors who play them in the live action movies, Jason Mewes and Smith himself, but the difference here is that they sell illegal fireworks instead of drugs. A recurring character in this series that is NOT in the movie is Leonardo Leonardo, an evil local millionaire and rival of Dante and Randal's.

I watched the six episodes all in order, and when I saw the first one, with the hilarious "Is it safe?" opening sequence, it already seemed like I was in for a really funny show, and I wasn't let down. Each episode has some priceless moments, with Dante and Randal's awkward friendship and many bizarre situations they find themselves in. There are many priceless comedic highlights other than the "Is it safe?" gag, such as Randal getting his money back from several different filmmakers in court, which is just one example! Jay and Silent Bob contribute to the humour here, just like they do in live action form. The weakest part of the entire series is probably the two noisy circus twins in the final episode, "The Last Episode Ever", who come into the convenience store during a fair taking place nearby. They reminded me too much of the Jakovasaurs in that one episode of "South Park". However, these twins only appear briefly in "The Last Episode Ever", and there are many other much funnier aspects of that episode, including the "Matrix" parody, another major highlight of the show.

Differences between the "Clerks" movie and TV show, other than the fact that one is live action and the other is animated, include the show being less realistic and more chaotic than the 1994 film, doing things that would likely take a big budget to do in live action format, something Kevin Smith certainly didn't have when he made the live action movie. Another difference is that due to some TV restrictions, the explicit sex talk and swearing had to be toned down, though the vulgarity certainly wasn't completely avoided. However, despite these differences, one thing this short-lived TV show from 2000 has in common with the 1994 movie is that overall, it's funny. It's not the greatest cartoon show ever made, but if you're a fan of modern adult cartoons, and also a fan Kevin Smith's humour and don't mind if it's a bit cleaner than usual, I recommend the six episodes of this show. I also agree with those who say the series ended too soon.

Critics never cease to disappoint me...

[thebatkat · 8/10 · 27 April 2007]

Clerks: The Animated Series was something I found to be an exciting, original take on the movie. It gives a new spin to the realistic characters we were introduced to in the film version and I enjoyed it and familiarized with it even though it didn't have much to do with the original. I found it to have good animation, great acting, and hilarious stories that I would have loved to see more of. I think the network made a mistake by taking this show off the air. If you've never watched the series, and you're a fan of Kevin Smith/ Jay and Silent Bob work, go buy the DVDs (Or rent if you prefer). It's a great watch and I only hope to see this show resurrected by the request of fans ^_^

A great companion for the Kevin Smith universe

[borowiczlucky · 9/10 · 15 August 2019]

I grew up watching Kevin smith's Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, and Jay and Silent Bob strike back. I've always loved Smiths down to earth humor, it reminded of people I actually knew. This animated series would've been great now on Netflix or Hulu but alas it was too early. It's funny and still mostly hold up other than some dates jokes about star wars prequels. It has good animation style, moves quick, and brings back characters you've invested in. To me it's a perfect companion to the view askew world. If you haven't already check it out!! Randall is the best in this!

Good, but not as good as the movie

[Quinoa1984 · 9/10 · 11 June 2000]

True, this is a animated version of the adventures of Dante, Randall, Jay and Silent Bob, but it just doesn't match up to the original standards of the virtuoso Kevin Smith film Clerks. I saw the first episode, and it was funny (Patrick Ewing dreaming about winning a game had me in stitches), but it was a drop off. I expected more, and was not completely fulfilled. But what do you expect from ABC? C+