Apple TV Plus’ Strange Planet misses the mark

I like candy corn, in that I often forget it exists till it’s directly in front of me and when I have a couple of pieces of it, I smile and enjoy my time with it. But I also know that I’d gag if I had more than just a couple of pieces. I could feel the artificial vanilla taste clinging to my throat, and my senses would be overwhelmed.

The same is true for me Strange Planet, Nathan Pyle’s webcomic turned animated television show, which works way better in short, sweet bites than it does a whole series.

Webcomics have been popular since their launch in 2019. Why would it be otherwise? It’s about a planet full of blue aliens who participate in many similar activities that human beings do, but they describe said activities in the most specific terminology possible. It’s intended for the reader to laugh as they observe their daily habits from an alien perspective. Isn’t it funny that tea is basically a hot leaf liquid?

But, as it turns out, watching 25 minutes of these aliens going through the motions of everyday life and explaining what they’re doing by basically reading the dictionary definitions of their activities (and also thesaurus searching for the most complicated synonyms) is not nearly as charming as reading a four-panel webcomic. In fact, at its worst, it’s grating and off-putting.

A group of three blue aliens wearing flight attendant uniforms, making a toast in an airport bar.

Strange PlanetIt is just as sweet as the webcomic it was based on. Like its webcomic equivalent, sweetness is best enjoyed in small amounts. If I read a few too many of the Instagram posts in a row, I feel like I’m being baby-talked to, so a full episode length of these cloying niceties that sound like they’re narrated by Young Sheldon comes off as particularly condescending. Some comics are worthy of a full-featured animated series. Some comics work better as they are. Strange Planet It is the second.

This is not to say that the show isn’t good because it’s cozy or sweet — I love cozy and sweet shows where characters get along! It’s just that the overly saccharine tone combined with the robotic approach isn’t very funny when it’s not isolated to one four-panel comic. It’s because the Strange PlanetThe reason comics are so funny is that each one is about an individual human experience. It’s fun to focus on only a couple activities from afar and think about what makes us human. But even if each episode of the show follows a particular tradition, supplementing that one activity with everything else about living as a regular human — which is, in turn, also explained in this overly technical jargon — tramples over the charm of the comic.

Candy corn is good in small amounts. Also, I like candy corn. Strange PlanetWhen I am able to remember it and see a panel in my Instagram feed, webcomic. I laugh. The sweetness is appreciated. The traditions are so special. Strange PlanetHighlights can be very powerful, particularly when they are taken for granted. It’s the same with candy corn. I always return to it in autumn. But I know that if I indulge a bit more, I’ll regret it and end up mulling about how much it makes my stomach hurt.

Strange Planet Apple TV Plus allows you to stream the show. The new episodes come out every Wednesday.

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