4 out of 5

Director: Various Moral Orel people

I’m not quite sure why this Adult Swim cartoon didnt take off like Venture Bros. and Aqua Teen, except I guess it lacks the pot-smoking oddity that some of those shows have, instead substituting some straight-forward themes that veer off wildly. Moral Orel is exactly what it looks like: a send-up of Davey and Goliath, Leave It To Beaver-esque morals and shows as skewered through the Adult Swim mentality. The characters are instantly recognizable and acceptably outlandish, and although you cannot believe the direction some episodes take (drinking pee, a child impregnating an entire town), its presented in this bizarrely straight-forward manner that makes it all acceptable. It wouldve been interesting to see this show last beyond two seasons, as, during the second disc, the episodes dispense with some of the running gags and start to stray from formula into some geniusly wayward topics. While not as insanely layered as some A.S. shows, Moral Orel is more patient, and for all its perversion, more smartly written. Be sure to watch at least some of the Comic Con panel on disc 2.