By Romey Norton - November 5, 2024
Catch and Hatch Studios brings an adult animation like no other, with the hilariously ridiculous series The Pinto Variety Hour. Watch as an angry bean named Pinto struggles to get the respect he wants as the host of a failing variety show called The Pinto Variety Hour. Not only is he trying to keep his job, he’s trying to be a good husband and good father and is pretty much failing at it all.
The show follows Pinto trying to thrive at work and home with his wife Flo and their two teenage kids Lucy and Max. The Pinto Variety Hour show has low ratings, so it’s up to Pinto and his quirky, whimsical crew to handle the sponsors so the show remains on the air. Pinto puts all the stress of the show being successful on his shoulders, (if beans have shoulders), reflecting typical modern-day issues. The truth is, he would get very far without his assistant Martha.
Whilst this plot is good, strong enough to hold a full series and even multiple, Pinto does come across as not very good at his job, and his character is hard to like, so at times I wasn’t really rooting for him. Because I didn’t believe in him, my allegiance went to Martha, hoping she would become a star in the show and take over.
The family-centered moments are the best - they could have used a younger child to create more drama and dynamics. But the family environment and conversations are fun and engaging. My favourite character is Sandy who feels like a Smithers and Mr. Burns (The Simpsons) put together, with his cheeky charm and creepiness.
I really enjoyed the animation in this series, the characters are well-crafted crafted, very zany and the voice-over acting is fantastic. There’s not just beans, we have rodents, lizards, sea creatures, and more as they’ve created a realistic, yet wacky world. How Pinto walks/runs is hilarious, and this type of over-the-top ridiculousness is what gives shows like this an edge.
There are adult jokes, but I think they could have gone further. There is space for inuendoes and poking fun at the real world. There’s a very funny section where the show pokes fun at real-life shows such as Love Island when Pinto meets a new presenter who is his competitor.
Overall, The Pinto Variety Hour is whimsical and fun. With episodes being under half an hour, this easy-to-watch adult animation is the comic relief we all need in our lives.
This review is of the half-hour pilot episode, and from this, I can’t wait to see what the rest of the series has to offer. I hope we get more crazy, quirky characters on The Pinto Variety Hour, to keep us entertained.
The Pinto Variety Hour was nominated for Best Animation at the Breaking TV Festival
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