The Samsonadzes
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 Behold, the poor man's version of The Simpsons!
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The Samsonadzes (Georgian: სამსონაძეები, Samsonadzeebi) is a Georgian computer-animated sitcom created and produced by Shalva Ramishvili. It premiered in Georgia in November 2009 and ran until sometime in 2010.
ნაკვეთი (Plot)
The show stars Gela, a Georgian family man who works at a local bank. His wife Dodo, their children Gia and Shorena, and their talking parrot, Kote, live with him. The show is made up of various plots that change from episode to episode, ranging from Gela's parents moving in to winning the lottery. The show is marketed as a look at everyday life in Georgia, with character flaws resembling real-life Georgian stereotypes like a love of alcohol or a more rural outlook.
აღწერა და მსგავსება სიმპსონებთან (Description and Resemblance to The Simpsons)
The series has been described as "bearing more than a passing resemblance" to the American animated television sitcom The Simpsons, although the creator has denied accusations of plagiarism.
The Samsonadzes are "a yellow-skinned cartoon family, consisting of a dopey husband" (Gela Samsonadze, who works in a bank) "and his lavishly coiffed wife, who live in a made-up city with their children", Shorena and Gia. They also have a parrot, Koke. Their home city has been noted for its apparent resemblance to Tbilisi.
Ramishvili has stated that the series aimed to be "relevant to Georgian reality and touch on social issues that will resonate with a Georgian audience", while its chief scriptwriter, Zviad Bliadze, explained: "We just took an average family and made a parody of the common traits, like laziness or love of alcohol."
რატომ მიგიყვანთ ეს Rip-off "D-oh!" (Why This Rip-off Will Make You Go “D-oh!”)
- To address the elephant in the room, it is a blatant rip-off of The Simpsons, a popular American animated comedy series, with titles that sound identical to each other.
- The creator also tried to deny these accusations by saying "The Samsonadzes is not a Simpsons rip-off, it is about a Georgian family with Georgian Jokes, Georgian social humor..."[1]
- Absolutely horrible animation, even for 2000s standards.
- Speaking of the animation, the backgrounds aren't that good either as they feel emptier than the show itself.
- Some of the cameos felt out of place, such as when Vladimir Putin appeared in one of the episodes.
- Similar to the animation of the show, the voice-acting comes across as unprofessional and lazy.
- Gela, one of the characters in the show, raps "Beggin" by Madcon in an episode, which was incredibly corny. In the same episode, the Chipmunks' cover of Lipps Inc.'s "Funky Town" can be heard in one scene, despite both of them being copyrighted.
- There are numerous design choices that can be puzzling and confusing to viewers of the show, such as some of the characters in the show having beige skin while the Samsonadzes have yellow skin.
ერთადერთი გამოსყიდვის ხარისხი (The Only Redeeming Quality)
- This show can make you unintentionally laugh, especially if it leads to a "so bad, it's good" vibe.
რესეფშენი (Reception)
Many critics and viewers criticized the show as a shameless rip-off of The Simpsons. It currently holds a 2.2/10 on IMDB and 25% on Google. However, it's a different case in Georgia. It became a "hit" almost immediately, "taking Georgia by storm" and "shooting to the number two spot among the most-popular shows on one of Georgia's main TV channels."[2]
