User reviews

What I remember about The Duck Factory, is that The Today Show had Jim Carrey on to promo the show. He was shy, not like he is now. One of the things they showcased, was his ability to do impressions simply by changing his face. He did Henry Fonda from On Golden Pond, simply by putting on a fishing hat. He looked dead on, just using his rubber face.

I liked the show, but it just didn't stick around long enough to catch on. And I always wondered what happened to Jim Carrey, since Today touted him as a budding superstar. When he reemerged on In Living Color, I understood why he was a little prickly at being tagged "an overnight success." He clearly spent a lot of years trying to climb back up after Duck Factory.

At the time, I didn't realize he was the star. I liked it a lot, but I thought it was an ensemble comedy with Jack Gilford and the girl as the main characters, with Carrey in the loudmouth sidekick part. I was always waiting for him to shut up and then the others could get back to the story. I've never been able to watch his other roles, he always seems so hammy and yet full of himself. Seems like they had a lot of familiar faces like Larry Gelman, the dentist on the Newhart show. I never realized it was on tape. Now that I know it's available I bought the two reels for $10. I'll be able to see if it really was as promising as I remembered it.

I actually saw this sitcom when it first appeared on TV in 1984 (I must of been the only one). But since I myself was a cartoonist and fascinated by the whole process, I couldn't wait to see this show set in a cartoon studio. I remember enjoying the episodes and that Jim Carrey gave a believable, controlled performance and I was always a big fan of Jack Gilford. Needless to say, the show didn't last (wasn't really given much of a chance). The network didn't promote it at all - but it does show that Carrey can give naturalistic performances. I do admire Carrey's work, but he seems to have fallen into the Robin Williams trap - be manic and crazy at comedy - practically shouting out, "Love me, accept me" and then get all brooding and quiet when they try their dramatic turns. I'm all for actors trying to stretch their wings, but don't get angry when people don't exactly jump up, applauding and throw awards at you. (Truman Show, Man/Moon). As for Duck Factory, it is a sweet little show with good performances.

If it weren't for Jim Carrey's presence, this blandest of sitcoms would've long since been forgotten. Unfortunately, his part was written for a "straight man" (in the comedic sense), so all the qualities that usually make him funny are completely absent here. But then, neither are any of the other parts. Granted, nearly four decades have elapsed since this show aired so some of the sentiment I've just expressed can be chalked up to the fact that humor from such a distant era doesn't translate into something modern viewers will be able to relate to at all. The creators of these types of generic sitcoms weren't very adventurous so don't expect to find some 80s gem, showcasing Jim Carrey's raw talent.

I loved this show from the first episode -- I thought it was laugh-out-loud funny. I'm a big Teresa Ganzel fan, and also thought Jack Gilford was a treasure. Who knows what might have happened with even minimal support from the network? Perhaps in some people's view it suffered from too much inside humor, but as I remember it, the humor didn't require a great deal of industry knowledge to understand.

I had completely forgotten Jim Carrey starred on this show -- proof that back then, he could play comedy that wasn't over the top. Teresa Ganzel, though, provide my most enduring memories of "The Duck Factory" -- her "dumb blonde" shtick was the best this side of the late Carol Wayne.

In summary, there have been many inferior shows that lasted on air longer.

This could be pretty entertaining if watched with the right group of hecklers. It is available on Amazon Prime Video with a reasonably funny commentary track. Too bad you can't adjust the reverb when they start singing!

My brother and I used to fiend for this show as kids. I remember seeing Ace Ventura and thinking... "Oh my God. It's the guy from that Duck Animation Show!" No one ever knew what I was talking about except my brother. It's just funny that a guy I grew up watching every day just disappeared only to pop up again 20 years later and be a Hollywood superstar. Sure the show was a little tame, but I think what I liked about it so much was that it didn't try too hard. I mean sure it had wacky and funny, but it also was easy to get drawn into because it wasn't too far out of real life. Like a Welcome Back Cotter or Night Court. You could sink into the characters as real people. Not cheesy fabricated icons of what a stereotype of a person should be.

I saw one of the episodes of this show recently on You Tube. When "The Duck Factory" was first broadcast on NBC in the summer of 1984, I was watching "Simon and Simon" on CBS, which was on against it.

Glad I stuck with "Simon and Simon" then (which blitzed "Duck Factory" in the ratings). Like "Paul Sand in 'Friends and Lovers'" and the two Newhart "comedies," this was yet another of MTM's exercises into the dumb and ultimately *soporific.* If Disney (which now owns 20th Television, who succeeded to the MTM shows when the latter company went out of business in 1998) was smart, they'd *burn* the film elements of this sorry "comedy" and then this dumb show would be *lost* forever.

At least Jim Carrey went on to *much* better things, beginning with "In Living Color." I liked his performances as the Riddler in "Batman Forever" and as Dick Harper in the remake of "Fun with Dick and Jane." Now *those* were funny.

I remember seeing "The Duck Factory" on NBC as a teenager( makes two who saw it). I had an interest in voice-work and animation, plus curious to see what Don Messick looked like.

The show was OK, from what I remember, but felt NBC did not really give it a chance. Typical of shows that are actually good but the almighty dollar, and ratings, rules so it was cut.

My grade is projecting on a curve. Almost every sitcom starts slowly (in the first few episodes), because it has to set up the premise and introduce the characters. It spends the next few episodes trying to decide which characters deserve the most airtime. After 8-10 shows run, the show gets feedback from viewers, critics and the industry and fine-tunes. If it's going to be any good, it builds.

THE DUCK FACTORY got only 13 episodes-- and was screwed from day one. NBC originally intended to air it in the fall, but the network decided to give BUFFALO BILL (a low-rated well-reviewed sitcom) another chance. So the show got pushed back as a mid-season replacement.

That meant the creative team-- Creator Alan Burns (who co-created the Mary Tyler Moors Show), Director Gene Reynolds (M*A*S*H and Lou Grant), Producers Rod Daniel (WKRP In Cincinnati) , Thad Mumford (M*A*S*H, Maude) and Dan Wilcox (M*A*S*H, America 2-Night)-- had to work in a vacuum

Given their resumes, they probably would have figured it out. But NBC also ran the episodes out of order.-- even though the show used a continuing storyline. How bad was it? The pilot episode featured a cliffhanger-- the second episode (which resolved it) was the 13th episode aired. The tenth episode produced aired third

(If you want to go to YouTube and watch the show in sequence, the correct order is episode 1-13-10-3-4-6-8-2-5-9-11-7).

After airing seven episodes NBC pre-empted it for one week-- then switched the timeslot from Thursday at 9:30 to Wednesday. Audiences-- already disconcerted by watching episodes out of order-- probably assumed it had been cancelled. Which NBC soon did.

Was it good? Not eight stars- maybe six. It was so busy setting up its premise (which was involved) that it had to shortchange on jokes a bit.

All-American Boy grew up in Duluth Minnesota watching Dippy Duck cartoons. Once he graduates, he sends Dippy's creator his portfolio-- and gets hired. He moves out to Hollywood-- and arrives the day of the creator's funeral.

It turns out the boss was a control freak who ordered everyone around, so his staff is now rudderless. The network head is new and doesn't like the show anymore. Oh, and the boss married an airhead topless dancer three weeks before he died.

So young Skip Tarkenton (who idolizes all the employees because he's such a geek that he watches credits) has to save the day.

Burns got his start working for Jay Ward, on the Rocky and Bullwinkle show. Ward was allegedly a lot like this show's dead boss. So there are a string of jabs at cheapskate owners who hump the help, clueless network and the cut-throat industry. The heroes of the show are the underpaid, overworked shoestring staff.

If you know how cartoons are made, the show is VERY funny. If you come in cold, your mileage might vary. One episode has the voice of Dippy (played by Don Messick, the voice of Scooby-Doo, Bamm-Bamm Rubble, Muttley, Boo-Boo and Ranger Smith) temporarily forgetting how to do his voice-- and running the risk (they can't wait for him to work it out) of being replaced.

Something like that nearly happened to a legendary voice actor. You might not buy the premise if you don't know it. A lot of the jokes (the production is outsourced to Panama, where the peons make 50 cents a day) seem over the top. ("Could it really be that bad?" you wonder. Actually, yeah (or pretty close).

One thing that disappoints everyone who digs episodes up. Yes, the star of the show is Jim Carrey. But he's 22, playing his first major role-- and he's playing "Naive midwestern kid in the Big City." Of course he is bland. Carrey starts to get more whacked out as the show progresses-- one can imagine him becoming hilarious in season two.

But the show never got that far.

Jack Gilford (as a legendary animator), Messick, Theresa Ganzel (the wife) and Julie Payne (the hard-nosed business manager) are all funny. Everyone else seems to have potential to be at least pretty good.

But NBC killed it before the show got rolling-- thereby proving the cracks about the network were on-target.

Thought up by veteran MTM writer-producer Allan Burns, "The Duck Factory" was set backstage at an animation studio specialising in "The Adventures of Dippy Duck." This delightful but short-lived comedy got a video release when Jim Carrey's career took off, and disappointed people expecting to see him clowning around the place; as the talented young animator newly arrived at the studio and who's charged with retooling the show (his first suggestion is to kill off a main character, but when the producer objects, Skip [Carrey's character] quickly bounces back with "Did I mention this takes place in outer space?" As anyone who's seen enough Hanna-Barbera shows will attest, this gambit is hardly unrealistic...), he mostly plays straight man to the more off-tilt people around him. He's never been as good since. (I'm serious.)

As a lifelong cartoon fan, this behind-the-scenes show was a treat - one episode taking potshots at well-meaning but often misguided PC consultants was particularly good (the show fell victim to whining about cartoon violence and agreed to tone it down, but the results were so dire that they went back to the old fashion - and this was several years before "The Simpsons" did the episode with Marge taking on Itchy and Scratchy!). Plus the cast included the great Don Messick as the star of their voice cast and Jay Tarses as the show's writer who wanted to be more; "The Duck Factory" may only be a footnote in the MTM story, but it deserved to be more. And note: Apart from the abortive pilot "Carlton, Your Doorman" (as in "This is..." - it revolved around the unseen character from "Rhoda"), this was MTM's only foray (so to speak... if you're not a cartoon fan, you won't get the joke) into animation.

"Where's the cat?" (QUACK!)

I'm surprised no one mentioned that the fictitious "Duck Factory" studio was purportedly inspired by the true-life animation studios of Jay Ward, which brought us Rocky & Bullwinkle, Mr.Peabody & Sherman, Dudley Do-Right, etc. Ward was an infamous penny-pincher who worked his staff under almost sweat-shop conditions. Although he always pleaded poverty, Ward managed to squirrel away a sizable fortune for himself. (Which is the set up for this show's pilot.) To his defense, Ward surrounded himself with some of the best writers and voice artists in the business, most of whom were thrilled to work with him. Their enduring product speaks for itself.

My summary is a quote I stole from another reviewer (Shark), so he/she gets the credit, but it accurately describes this charming bit of TV history.

I don't know how the other reviewers can remember such details of a series airing 20 years ago. I can't recall any great plots or dialogue; however, I do remember that the show impressed the hell out of me through sharp writing and well-cast, engaging characters.

Hindsight is 20/20, of course, but I believe I saw Carrey's star potential -- or at least the charisma that propelled his career. I also remember the appeal and promise of Teresa Ganzel, an actor unfortunately better known for her sexy little-girl voice and well-proportioned bod than her performances.

Oh, well, I just want to be on record as saying that The Duck Factory is a series that deserved more time and respect than it got, and, if you can find it on video or in TV-land, it is definitely worth a look.

The basic concept was earnest, young art school grad Jim Carrey lands his dream job at a venerable animation studio only to find the crazy people who work there are running the place into the ground and it is up to him to be the responsible grown up who keeps it all together. See the irony? One of the greatest physical comics ever, a man who is himself a living cartoon character, is locked into a straight-man role, while everyone else on the show is supposed to be a lunatic. Carrey is such a good actor that when he emerged a decade later as a wild man on "In Living Color," I was absolutely amazed. It didn't help anything that this show took the time slot of the truly inspired "Buffalo Bill" show with, oh, you know, Dabney Coleman, Gina Davis...

This little gem of a comedy (the title refers to a cartoon studio whose main character is a duck) didn't get its due. It stars Jim Carrey in his pre-crazy period as well as the wonderful Jack Gilford. The entire cast is a delight in this show that really deserved a stay of execution. I'm glad that imdb says its out on video, but I've never seen it anywhere. I'll guess I'll keep looking.

Well, I got this on video as a birthday present and was shocked with what I saw. Jim Carrey was playing a normal person and to tell the truth was not as funny as he could have been but hey he was still funny. He'd played this cartoonist fresh in Hollywood. All the actors try their best but to tell the truth the storyline is a bit thin on the ground.

I saw this in a shop, and as I like Jim Carrey, I decided to get it. On the back, it said that "If you enjoyed 'Cheers', 'Airplane' and 'Absolutely Fabulous', you'll really appreciate the humour, the biting one-liners and the brilliant characters of The Duck Factory!"

If only it lived up to it's hype. Jim Carrey plays an inexperienced cartoonist, working for the studio that creates "The Dippy Duck Show". However, the owner has just died, and the studio verges on having it's show being cancelled. If you enjoy watching extremely unfunny things, like a hooker trying to get to grips with being a receptionist, or the middle-aged battleaxe being humiliated by being forced to wear a skimpy outfit, then you'll probably enjoy this. A Maud rating of 1 out of 5. And that's only because I like Jim Carrey.

This show had talented actors (Jim Carrey, Jack Gilford, Jay Tarses, Don Messick, etc.) and an interesting premise (life behind the scenes of an eccentric cartoon factory). But it never quite clicked...the writing was mediocre, and the network never gave it a chance to develop into the decent show it might've become. In a way, it was a show ahead of its time -- with the '90s animation boom, perhaps this would've drawn a bigger initial audience and the show would've had time to find itself. For animation fans, though, it was a rare chance to see longtime voice-over artists such as Messick, Janet Waldo and Bill Scott. And, of course, there was Carrey -- only 22 at the time -- who might've had more opportunity to showcase his wackiness had the show continued.