No Activity

I loved both the Australian and American versions of this show, so I was really looking forward to its return. Knowing it would come back in animated form, I was curious to see how it would translate into a cartoon format, only to discover it simply doesn't.

All the silliness and spontaneity of improvisation is lost, along with the finer details provided by the actors' facial expressions. Virtually none of the aspects of the original "No Activity" series that made it funny and unique survived the change. Not to be unkind, but watching this felt more like being forced to sit through a bad table read of a script, very low energy and flat, than a finished product.

While it is a mater of personal tastes, I also did not care for the animation itself. The style is reminiscent of many commercials and comes across as very wooden. There is nothing charming or special about it, so in that sense the departure from live action brings nothing positive to the table, only detracting without enhancing.

In the end, I found watching this latest iteration of "No Activity" to be a little heartbreaking. While the show's makers may have had many valid and well intentioned reasons for transitioning to an animated fourth season, it failed to deliver much in the way of comedy or engaging characters.