Something Positive

Something Positive (stylized as SOMETHING*POSITIVE) is an American adult animated sitcom created by R.K. Milholland for Fox. This is about a few friends – namely Davan, Aubrey, PeeJee, and Jason – and their daily lifes, struggles, and the occasional mass catgirl cataclysm. Since then, it’s expanded to Texas, California, and a few other nightmares along the way. It premiered on Fox in December 19, 2001. The format of most episodes are often structured with a subversive spin on generally storylines, typically descending into absurdity and over-the-top situations. Due to the initial success of Something Positive, the series developed a cult following which helped expand a mass multimedia franchise including several video games, and soundtrack albums. On November 18, 2021, the series has been renewed by Fox for the twenty-second season.

Premise
There were two friends - a girl named Aubrey, and a jerk named Davan. They'd grown up together in a mystical place known as the Dallas/Fort Worth area. It sort of blew. and Davan didn't even live in Fort Worth or Dallas, but in a little pitstop between called Bedford.

They were chugging away and being themselves when one day, Davan had a realization - he didn't know what the hell he was doing with his life. Aubrey had a sneaking suspicion she was in the same boat, but kept it to herself.

They had some mutual friends, including a Canadian named Pee-Jee, who'd moved to Boston a while back, and decided maybe that was a good idea. So they packed up and moved up north to see if maybe a change of scenery would help them make sense of life.

Thus far, it hasn't - but they're too lazy too move again.

Main

 * Choo-Choo Bear (voiced by Aaron D. Spears) is a "boneless" (technically, Choo-Choo Bear's skeletal structure is sufficiently gelatinous for him to simply appear boneless) and hairless cat (due to, respectively, an unexplained "rare bone disease," and chemotherapy). As a kitten he had yellow and brown fur. He shows up on “special” occasions to disseminate knowledge and snark. If there’s any fourth wall breaking, he will do it. Beyond this, he isn’t a part of the strip’s “reality.”
 * Aubrey Chorde (voiced by Maya Rudolph) is many things: dreamer, business owner, viable threat. She’s come a long way from her childhood of causing havoc in Texas. In the early days of the comic, Aubrey was notorious for awful schemes that seemed so bad they could almost work. And one day, one of them did. She is the owner of the tech support and phone sex company Nerdrotica.com, based in Boston. She’s fiercely loyal to her friends, especially PeeJee and Davan.
 * Jason Chorde (voiced by Ty Olsson) is walking self-esteem with the skills to back it up. A child genius, he’s always got a plan and looking for someone to help enact it. Despite a lifetime of lechery and long ago learning the secret formula for “short term dating success,” He married Aubrey and took her last name in the episode, Texas Marriage Massacre. He’s still scheming though, although recently his antics have slowed in the wake of seeing Wil Wheaton lose an arm.
 * Mike Dowden (voiced by Richard Ian Cox) lived the life of a stereotypical geek. Poor choices, antisocial, condescending. He had faults, too. But he’s trying now – trying to be a good spouse, a good dad, and a good person. He stumbles now and again but he’s learned to pick himself up instead of screaming at the rock he tripped on for its choice of anime.
 * Davan MacIntire (voiced by Scott Halberstadt) is just a guy. Sometimes he’s smart and sometimes he’s very stupid. He’s the friend who’ll listen, although you may wish he hadn’t. Originally from Texas, he lived in Boston for many years before eventually returning with PeeJee to help his father. The least “enthusiastic” of the group, Davan will begrudgingly try anything once. Twice if he needs something to complain about.
 * Fred MacIntire (voiced by Louis Chirillo) has worked hard his whole life. Now he’s retired and spends his time dealing with sickness, gardening and worrying over (and causing worry for) Davan, Dahlia, and Monette. He’s a mouthy senior citizen who knows he’s earned the right to dole out the snark.
 * Penelope-Jennifer “PeeJee” Shou (voiced by Tara Strong) is the “innocent” of the group, or as innocent a woman prone to flurries of violent outbursts can be. Eager to follow a scheme or help a friend, she’s most likely to overlook her own needs and wants for others. After all, not a lot of people would leave behind a life full of comfort and friends to travel to a new place and help a friend watch over his aging father. It’s just as well, though. She was running out of gay men to obsess on in Boston.

Supporting

 * Kim Anansie (voiced by Sherri Shepherd) is a bit of a femme fatale. Smart, scheming, and willing to let others do the dirty work. She’s a bit calmer than she once was. Her love of seeing men helpless got her in a bit of trouble. She now works as Aubrey’s right-hand woman at Nerdrotica. A practicing Wiccan, Kim’s known for whipping up the occasional ceremony at a moment’s notice.
 * Lisa Baugh (voiced by Juliana Donald) is Monette’s partner and Fred’s former apprentice at a helicopter plant. The daughter of a comedian, Lisa doesn’t have a lot of her father’s good humor. She usually spends her time calming down or picking up her considerably more outgoing girlfriend.
 * Canadian Trap Door Alligators reside primarily along the northeaster border between Canada and the United States although sightings as far south as Maryland are not unheard of. Unlike many cold blood reptiles they are quite active even in the dead of winter. It’s believed a breed of the trapdoor gator has begun popping up in the southwestern United States, nesting in ventilation shafts. Some scientists say this is impossible, sighting the trap door alligators’ natural hatred for Nascar as a deterrent.
 * Catgirls (voices by Angelica Page and Jennifer Aniston) are a prime example of what happens when a severe need for attention mingles with the worst part of anime fandom and “tween” culture. Telltale signs your child is now a catgirl: cheap plush cat ears on head, possibly a tail pinned to their pants/skirt, communicates in broken Japanese and squeals, and might have killed four classmates for saying her Twilight fanfic where Edward turns into a glittering undead catboy needed some work.
 * Kyle Cheng (voiced by Kristoffer Cusick) wasn’t a very good boyfriend to PeeJee, which makes it all the more unfortunate he was her first boyfriend in years. He cheated, he lied, and then he was forcibly removed. Now he fucks men which is great because people don’t rag on PeeJee enough about her attraction to gay men.
 * “Coppertop” (voiced by Brian Doyle-Murray) was the nickname of Davan’s never-named boss while working for an ambulance company. He claimed great pleasure from torturing others and may have had a romantic relationship with both Satan and Kharisma. Since the ambulance company shut down the billing facility, he’s moved into education.
 * Vanessa Cubbins (voiced by Kate Micucci) is a sweet woman who’s probably more easily scandalized than anyone else in S*P. In fact, she’s probably the cast’s last true innocent. She puts her degree in philosophy and religion hard to work at the used book store that employs her. Currently she’s dating Davan and trying, very hard, to get used to him.
 * Fluffmodeous (voiced by Daz Black) is still unclear if Fluffmodeous is real or just a figment of Kharisma’s imagination. Either way, if he’s there to help her deal with being in prison he’s doing a poor job of it. But he’s devoted to his “new friend,” and that’s more than she can say for most people.
 * Nancy Harper (voiced by Kellie Shanygne Williams) is an employee of Aubrey’s who bonded with Davan. While he lived in Boston, she became something of a shadow She’s moved up from phone sex operator to management and is pursuing a degree. And, all this grown-up shit terrifies her.
 * Kestrel (who never seems to remember to fill in her last name on forms; voiced by Lara Jill Miller) met the cast of S*P a few times before moving to Boston, but it wasn’t until she found her stolen panties being sold on eBay that she really got to know everyone. She now works at Nerdrotica, where she constantly butts heads with Nancy. Her pre-S*P life is chronicled in the webcomic Queen of Wands, written by Aeire.
 * Berenger Ledbetter (voiced by Brian Froud) is Cab’s troubled son from one of his previous marriages. Foul-mouthed and lacking common sense, Berenger has the occasional moment of clarity. Very occasional. He currently does gay-for-pay porn and lives in L.A. as T-Bob’s roommate.
 * Dr. Cab Ledbetter (voiced by Chris Rock) was a doctor most his life, busting his ass long hours and saving every dime he could so he’d realize his dream: owning a bar. When he finally did, it flopped until PeeJee stepped in and helped him out. After a severe falling out, PeeJee left and the bar faltered. Cab’s since moved operations to a swankier part of Boston and the old bar is just a memory.
 * Dahlia MacIntire (voiced by Grey DeLisle) is Davan’s older sister. She was left physically disabled by a car wreck. A little less snide than the rest of her family, Dahlia helped out Fred in the time immediately after Faye’s death. Now she’s enjoying a life of independence.
 * Monette MacIntire (voiced by Lauren Ridloff) was a friend of the group in Boston who never quite got anything right – especially her supposed lesbianism. Eventually she found herself in Texas, living with the MacIntire family. Occasionally bright, Monette now stars in a sitcom for a third rate network and lives with Lisa in California.
 * Branwen Maher (voiced by Nicole Sullivan) was “the good one,” or maybe “the one that got away.” She and Davan dated for over a year and were pretty happy (despite her blood relation to Mike). In the end, she left Boston for a job offer. She and Davan have stayed friends.
 * Jhim Midgett (voiced by Christian Potenza) was often the straight man for the rest of the group’s ideas (yes, a gay straight man). Probably one of the most dependable in the group, Jhim generally went along quietly with the plans. He was also the subject of a longtime crush of PeeJee’s, although she seems to have recovered from that and has him now designated as merely an object of unrequited lust.
 * Anna Morgan (voiced by Alicia Silverstone) was an overachieving fifteen year old whom Jason quickly thrust into the role of baby sister who must be protected at all costs. But now she’s a twenty-something who must be protected at all costs – and worse yet, marrying. For the most part she seems to have outgrown the old group.
 * Eva Olsen (voiced by Nancy St. Alban) is a brief moment in the episode, Trim Trek (of 2002), Davan was very happy. That moment centered around Eva. Whenever anyone asks why Davan expects the worst, he can generally point to Eva and what resulted. Still, the two managed to make amends. They aren’t friends, but they’ve both moved on and Eva’s finally trying to live a life that’s emotionally healthy for herself.
 * Celie O’Maras (voiced by Drew Barrymore) was Davan’s first girlfriend when he moved to Boston. She broke his heart. She also left him with Monette to deal with. Eventually he forgave her both of these things. Celie is one of the few people Davan has unresolved issues with.
 * Tamara Patel (voiced by Abby Lee Miller) is the child of two academics. Like them, she went into the field of higher learning. Unlike them she opted not to marry just over a childbirth. She and Mike dated for many years before, tired of Mike’s childishness, she left him. They started dating again in the episode, Old Familiar Faces III, and for the most part they’re very happy. Tamara’s the only person Mike’s met who’ll meet his geekiness head-on and bring a little of her own.
 * Ollie Pompey (voiced by Jim Parsons) is the nephew of infamous director Avagadro Pompey. He’s attempting to follow in his uncle’s footsteps and become quite the director himself. He’s known for irritating optimism, an inability to place the blame correctly, and being quite the victim. It was, needless to say, surprising to learn Ollie’s not as stupid as everyone assumed.
 * Redneck Trees are the stuff nightmares are made of, especially if you’re Mike Dowden. An occasional antagonist of his in various roleplaying games, redneck trees aren’t even real within the confines of S*P. Nonetheless they are responsible for 99% of Mike’s rectal puckering.
 * Lawrence Sanderson (voiced by Taye Diggs) is not-quite-new money. His life is dedicated to theatre and he’s usually got his money, and hands, in several shows at once. He first met Davan during an ill-fated show that Sanderson made Davan director of. Almost two years later, Sanderson found Davan and gave him a job. The two have been trading barbs since.
 * Donna Sawyer (voiced by Kristen Wilson) was a childhood classmate to Scotty, Davan, and Rose. She was also Scotty’s longest lasting crush, and the one girl he could never get. When Scotty killed himself, many blamed Donna – except Davan, who overlooked years of dislike to comfort her. That comfort later led to a paternity test.
 * Rory Sawyer (voiced by Albert Aretz) is as hyperactive as any other five year old and smart when he wants to be. He’s not Davan’s son but Davan tries to act like a father and help Donna out with him. He’s a bit cowardly and selfish – even by the standards of small children.
 * Claire Shenstead (voiced by Bonnie Somerville) was an actress friend of Jason’s who spent most of her time as either the focus of pranks, stalking, or unbridled lechery. But she was a respected actress who worked hard and eventually learned not to bring her boyfriends around to meet the others. She’s since moved a safe distance from everyone else.
 * Silas (voiced by Mike Judge) was a weird guy who lived in Davan’s neighborhood and narrated things. No one knows why. Then a car plowed him down and he ended up narrating in hell. He’s since been reincarnated and is now a little child. He’s the only person to make if off the dead cast members page and will remain so – proving that the only way to get a second lease on life in S*P is to be completely useless.
 * T-Bob (voiced by Michael Rooker) spent his first years as the go-to actor for tiny messiahs, modeling panties, and chloroforming. Later he worked with Cab and PeeJee at the bar, usually trying to keep them from killing each other. He’s since moved to L.A. – and the real T-Bob is ten times more amazing than the version could dream of being.
 * Kharisma Valetti (voiced by Julianne Nicholson) has yet to live up to her own hype. An actress (so she says), she grew up in the lap of luxury. Currently she’s in the lap of the penal system for the murder of her fiance’s uncle whom she also slept with. It’s one of the more respectable things on her resume.

Development history
With the subsequent influx of an older demographic on Fox, a demand on programming orientated to adults was inevitable. The series creator, R.K. Milholland originally pitched Something Positive to the channel after previously working as a storyboard artist. He also drew influence from living in both suburban and urban areas within his lifetime, and certain aspects of Western culture. Fox officially greenlit the series, although hesitant on the show's shocking material and dark themes which heavily contrasted the network's mainly "safe" and programming. The development of the first season began in 2001, and the production team was gradually small and ran on a minimal budget at first. It was developed by James Hrib from seasons one through six, then is currently developed by Kimberly Hortareas as its third television project; debuting on the network on December 19, 2001. Despite mixed reviews for the first season, the series became a outright success for Fox following its premiere, especially bringing in higher ratings for its late night broadcasting hours. The second season of Something Positive was more critically acclaimed as it helped further develop its characters as well as its identity. As the series progressed, specifically during the seventh season, so did its audience, and episode plots became more unconventional and darker in tone, symbolizing a newly established format the show would identify with. It also became one of the most successful programs, later expanding an entire franchise.

Writing and animation
The writing team is mainly made up of R.K. Milholland and several other writers. Something Positive utilizes a variety of comedic styles including satire, dark comedy, deadpan humor, surrealism, observational comedy, and shock value. Some episodes take off from its usual standard sitcom format to take on different genres as well, such as fantasy, science fiction, thriller, drama, etc. Compared to other adult animated sitcoms, Something Positive typically refrains from tackling pop culture or current politics, with some exceptions. And despite its morbid, arguably nihilistic nature, the show is portrayed as quite ludicrous, upbeat, and self aware, displaying a jarring balance of realism and absurdity. Most plots are heavily character driven, and explore the various dynamics between its dysfunctional, yet diverse characters. While other episodes are simply plot/comedy-driven and have little to no character development or relevancy.

In terms of art style, Something Positive blends both bright vivid colors with dull shades, creating a deliberately unrealistic, grungy, grindhouse-like atmosphere. Character designs are somewhat exaggerated and cartoonish, with thick-lines reminiscent to street art and graffiti. Background art is noticeably detailed, with bleak colors to constitute its dystopian setting. Animation production is generally similar to most traditionally animated shows, whereas an entire episode takes weeks or even months to fully complete.

Music
American songwriter, Jason Falkner composed Something Positive's theme song, and SPACE composed Something Positive's ending theme song. Background music and original score is composed by James Hintemeyer, Jr. respectively. Scattered within it, Something Positive presents a wide variety of licensed music, featuring mainly lesser known artists. Nearly all songs featured pay some relevance to the theme or situation of the episode's events, or are simply provided in a montage scene. Due to music's overwhelming prominence in the series, several soundtrack albums were released during its run.

Content
The series was subjected to much controversy for its dark humor and violent content. It has also been analyzed as a satirical depiction of American culture, urban/suburban life, rejection, social stratification, delinquency, societal collapse, and consumerism. The show makes heavy use of graphic violence, which just so happens to be prevalent in every episode.