Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law

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The Ultimate Birdman Fan Lens!

Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law is a television show that first began airing in 2001 on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming block. Birdman is a superhero from an old Hanna-Barbera cartoon who now works as a lawyer at the Sebben&Sebben law firm. His clientele includes The Jetsons, Yogi Bear, Secret Squirrel, and other oddballs from 60s-70s Hanna-Barbera cartoons. The show is a mix of classic cartoon parodies and surreal comedy, and is one of my most favorite TV shows ever.

Voice talent for Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law includes: Stephen Colbert, Lewis Black, Mark Hamill, Tom Kenny, and many others. The show ran four full seasons and ended in July 2007, but had 5 additional interactive episodes produced for the Wii/PS2/PSP game released in January 2008.

This lens covers everything you need to know about Harvey Birdman!

Who is the Man in the Suit? 

A little history lesson.


Birdman and the Galaxy Trio was a Hanna-Barbera animated series that ran from 1967 to 1969, and is the basis of the Birdman characters. The show consisted of two "Birdman" shorts with one "Galaxy Trio" short wedged in-between. Many of the show's villains have become rival attorneys in Harvey Birdman's present-day world, and other Hanna-Barbera characters are now his allies or clients.


Birdman's alias in the original show was "Ray Randall," and he was a human endowed by a sun god with the power of flight and the ability to use solar rays as weapons or shields. The downside was that Birdman had to recharge himself every so often by spending some time in the sun. He had a tendency to call his own name whenever he went into battle, sort of like a 1960's version of Pokemon.

Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law was preceded by a few other shows on Cartoon Network's late-night block that used old Hanna-Barbera characters (even to the point of putting the old character animations on new backgrounds) in new surrealist comedies, most notably the long-running Space Ghost: Coast to Coast series.

The creators of Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law, Michael Ouwuleen and Erik Richter, were also heavily involved in Space Ghost: Coast to Coast. Many of the voice talents involved with Birdman (ex. Mark Hamill, Lewis Black) had also previously shown up as guests or voices on SG. Stephen Colbert originally auditioned for the role of Birdman himself rather than Phil, and the Volume 1 DVD contains an extra feature with alternate voice actors for all the characters (including, yes, Colbert-Birdman).

The series employed traditional cel animation for the first season, but afterward switched to Adobe Flash animation common to many other Adult Swim original programs. HB:AAL employed over 30 digital artists and animators in its lifetime.

Who is the Cat with the Beak? 

Characters in Harvey Birdman: Attorney At Law.


Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law has a large cast of recurring characters as well as a pool of Hanna-Barbera favorites that are brutally altered from their original family-friendly incarnations. Some of Harvey's cases are based on old rumors about some of the characters (ex. Shaggy and Scooby-Doo are stoners). Other figures that don't appear to have a connection to Harvey or Hanna-Barbera also appear, such as George Washington and Jesse Jackson.


Typically an episode will end with all the characters featured in that episode gathered in Harvey's office. Often something untoward will happen to one of the characters (for example, in one episode Bandit the bulldog from Jonny Quest gets caught and carried off by Avenger), and everyone in the office will laugh. No one said Birdman was full of "nice" humor.


The following sections detail all the recurring characters in Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law. For more about Harvey's clients, visit the Clients and Episode Guide.

Harvey Birdman 

Attorney at Law


Voice: Gary Cole
Occupation: Lawyer
Age: 36
Description: Well-meaning but usually caught up in his own issues. Often under the boot of everyone at Sebben & Sebben, Harvey has always been struggling for a promotion or raise but never obtains either. He's also rather dumb, asking Peanut in one episode if he should put a paper that says "EVIDENCE: DO NOT DESTROY" on it in the paper shredder. Likely to be a virgin, and is a classic example of "Nice guys finish last."

Quotes:

  • "I'll take the case!"

  • "Get ready to feel the power... of attorney!"

  • "He does all the legal stuff and I do, uh, everything you need a thumb for."

  • "Hmm. It says here that if a person's not married by the time he's 35, he's got a better chance of being robbed at gunpoint by a desperate and somewhat bloated Christian Slater."

  • "Oh big falcon deal."

  • "Wow... that's a man kiss."

  • "Biiiiiirdman!"


Previous Identity: Birdman/Ray Randall, superhero and agent of the Inter-Nation world police
Previous Show: Birdman and the Galaxy Trio

Classic Birdman:
The introduction to the original Birdman shorts.

Hanna-Barbera's Birdman

Birdman got this from www.toonamiarsenal.com

curated content from YouTube

Avenger 

Giant Dictation-Taking Purple Eagle


Voice: Erik Richter, Frank Welker, Adam Lawson, Andre Sogliuzzo ("caw" is a very nuanced language)
Occupation: Legal Secretary
Description: Exceptionally fierce and generally loyal to Harvey. Enjoys scaring the weak-minded and is slightly defensive about clerical abilities.

Quotes:

  • "Caw."

  • "Caaaaw!"

  • "Caw-caw-caw!"


Previous Identity: Avenger, Birdman's sidekick
Previous Show: Birdman and the Galaxy Trio

Classic Avenger:
Birdman and Avenger in "Avenger for Ransom"

Birdman - 10 - Avenger for Ransom

classic Birdman cartoon from waaay back (1967)...

curated content from YouTube

Peanut 

Peanutty


Voice: Thomas Allen
Occupation: Legal Clerk
Description: Peanut is Harvey's wily, perverse, and calculating aide. He defies fashion tradition that states a pink-and-green sweatshirt automatically removes your "cool" status. In nearly every episode with an attractive female present there is some moment where Peanut is whispering sexual comments to her or about her, and he has far more success than Harvey with dating. The only time in which Peanut is shown to be the brunt of jokes (rather than the one taking advantage of other characters, especially Harvey) is when he goes through the superhero version of puberty.

Quotes:

  • "Who's feeling Peanutty?"

  • "First taste is always free with the P to the N-U-T."

  • "Who rollin' with da nut?"

  • "It is considered customary in our culture, once a business deal is concluded, to blow something up. Kampai. Peanut."

  • "Hi, I'm Peanut. You can be butter, and oh gosh, I guess you can be jelly, and, this is just off the top of my head, how about a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?"

Previous Identity: Birdboy, revived and adopted by Birdman after he was found on a shipwreck as the only survivor
Previous Show: Birdman and the Galaxy Trio

Classic Peanut
A Spanish-language version of "Monster of the Mountain," starring Birdman and Birdboy. Seems appropriate given Peanut's multi-lingual status in Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law

Hanna Barbera's-Birdman:El mounstro de las montañas(1967)

Hanna Barbera's-Birdman:El mounstro de las montañas(1967) *in spanish.

curated content from YouTube

Phil Ken Sebben 

The Boss Man


Voice: Stephen Colbert
Occupation: Owner of the Sebben&Sebben Law Firm
Age: 32
Description: Phil is Harvey's pervasive and not-quite-omniscient boss. He can easily appear out of nowhere and operates his business with practices that would easily be ruinous or illegal in real life (ex. filling a legal office with polo ponies). He is the series' most surreal character, and is often doing something completely outrageous while talking to Harvey or others. He is able to summon the entire law firm by hitting a speakerphone on his desk and yelling "Everyone, get in here!" Phil ends up marrying his sister Phyllis, who has his face with a mustache and long, wavy blond hair, as well as a very large bosom. Like Peanut he is somewhat perverse, often shown in short clips participating in bondage or other illicit sexual activities.

Quotes:

  • "Everyone get in here!"

  • "And for everyone's safety and security, and to preserve our way of life, I'm taking a drastic step and putting up a security camera. Just one... for safety, security, and omniscient, unblinking information gathering of everyone's activities."

  • "While I consider myself to be a benevolent-ish dictator, I have no choice but to introduce a battery of oppressive security measures."

  • "Tell me I'm pretty. I'm a pretty little girl... you didn't hear that."

  • "I'm no Fred Flintstone but I'm gonna make your bed rock!"

  • "[While taking an eye exam] F!, U!, C!... I can't make out that next one."

  • "Well, I'm not a vet, but I do have these pliers!"

  • "Ha ha! Last laugh." (final line of the series)

Previous Identity: Falcon-7, Birdman's boss from Inter-Nation
Previous Show: Birdman and the Galaxy Trio

Classic Phil:
Falcon-7 lays down the law for Birdman in "The Quake Threat"

Birdman - 08 - The Quake Threath

classic birdman cartoon from 1967

curated content from YouTube

Judy Ken Sebben 

Birdgirl


Voice: Paget Brewster
Occupation: "Trusty Legal Sidekick!"
Description: Birdgirl, like Avenger, is one of the few characters in the series loyal to Harvey. One might say that in Birdgirl's case she is a little too eager to be perfectly legal and heroic, often referring to Sidekick Handbook that she carries with her everywhere on how to deal with adversity. She is desperate to maintain her secret identity as Judy Ken Sebben, Phil Ken Sebben's daughter. Unfortunately Phil falls in love with her (or at least obsesses over her) leading to a number of uncomfortable moments. Phil almost marries Judy, only to leave her at the altar for her Aunt Phyllis. At times Birdgirl can have a very strong temper, and Harvey seems to be inclined toward looking at her as his own daughter (though this also gives him a few uncomfy moments).

Quotes:

  • "I'm Birdgirl! Your trusty legal sidekick!"

  • "Daddy!"


Previous Identity: Birdgirl, a young woman who is hypnotized into participating in a plot to discredit Birdman
Previous Show: Birdman and the Galaxy Trio

Classic Birdgirl:
"Birdman Meets Birdgirl"

Birdman - 11 - Meets Birdgirl

A synister plot to destroy our hero's credibility is afoot when a chick dressed like him, a birdchick if you will, hogs all the glory... will our hero manage to set things right?... watch and see :D

curated content from YouTube

Peter Potamus 

Hippo



Voice: Chris Edgerly
Occupation: Attorney at Law
Description: Potamus is rude, crude, and has no real place in a law firm. However, this is Sebben&Sebben so naturally he fits in perfectly. Like many other characters, Potamus is perverse, and there are indications that he has affairs with almost every female character introduced, including Gigi and Jane Jetson. He drives a flying balloon that he likes to park in Harvey's spot. When angry he can turn green and huge like The Incredible Hulk, and this transformation is usually triggered when someone tells him no, they didn't get the thing he sent them.

Quotes:

  • "Did you get that thing I sent you?"

  • "Hey, hey, there he is!"

  • "Gigi! You look absolutely... [He sees she is pregnant.] Gotta go!"


Previous Identity: Peter Potamus
Previous Show: Peter Potamus

Classic Potamus:
The introduction from the 1964 cartoon Peter Potamus

curated content from YouTube

Myron Reducto 

Fun-Size



Voice: Stephen Colbert
Occupation: Attorney at Law
Description: Reducto is a confidante of Harvey's who makes use of his Shrink Gun to change the world as he sees fit. He is obsessed with the size of things: the Inch-High Private Eye compels him to attack, while a music academic's tiny feet turn him on. He tends to shrink people that provoke him (and some who don't), but is otherwise one of the more intelligent and suave characters in the Birdman series. Though he is usually against Birdman in the courtroom, the two are still good friends.

Quotes:

  • "Back-off!"

  • "I'll make you fun-size!"

  • "I'll make you travel-size!"

  • "The key Birdman, are the three R's. Reduce... I forgot the other two."

  • "Big bosoms make me nauseous."

  • "I feel shrinky, oh so shrinky, I feel shrinky, and dinky..." (to the tune of "I Feel Pretty")


Previous Identity: Reducto, a nemesis of Birdman's
Previous Show: Birdman and the Galaxy Trio

Classic Reducto:
"Birdman Meets Reducto"

Birdman - 13 - Meets Reducto

The 'Attorney at law' fans will like this one... it's Reducto's debut on tv :D ... and, of course, he wants to shrink unimportant stuff like the Pentagon or other landmarks... boy... this guy needed a hug when he was young :P ... anyway, enjoy

curated content from YouTube

Gigi 

Femme Fatale


Voice: Debi Mae West
Occupation: Floozy/Gold-digger
Description: Gigi shows up at Sebben&Sebben and proceeds to sleep with every male there (except Harvey). She may be a nymphomaniac or may simply being doing it for attention/money. She marries Harvey (along with a few other people) and moves into his apartment, but refuses to do so much as kiss him even though she says she loves him. Gigi is a master of manipulation, or at least she's good at pulling a fast one on dumb old Harvey.

Quotes:

  • "[Asked if she's comfortable by Mentok.] Not with these clothes on. They're so tight and...clothesy. [Rips her dress off.]"


Previous Identity: Gravity Girl, an extraterrestrial superhero with the power of (you guessed it) manipulating gravity
Previous Show: Birdman and the Galaxy Trio

Classic Gigi:
The first Galaxy Trio short, "Galaxy Trio and the Sleeping Planet"

curated content from YouTube

X the Eliminator 

Geeky Arch-Nemesis


Voice: Peter MacNicol
Occupation: Birdman's Stalker
Description: X was once Birdman's arch-nemesis, but after failing to get his crest so many times he fell into a state of degradation, becoming fat and obsessed with Harvey. When he finds out that Birdman is now an attorney, he relentlessly stalks him. X has Birdman posters, bedspreads, even a bobblehead Birdman phone. He used to live with his mother, but in the final season moved in with another villain (Zardo). He is whiny, fussy, super-geeky, and probably as virginal as Harvey.

Quotes:

  • "It is I: X, the Eliminator!"

  • "If I can get the crest, I can do anything, because I'm a winner! [He does a split and his pants tear open.]"


Previous Identity: X the Eliminator, a more athletic nemesis hired to assassinate Birdman
Previous Show: Birdman and the Galaxy Trio

Classic X:
"X the Eliminator"

Birdman - 02 - X the Eliminator

Classic Birdman cartoon from waaaay back (1967)...

curated content from YouTube

Habeus Corpus 

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Get Ready to Feel the Power... of Attorney! 

Harvey's cases, arranged by episode.


Episode 01: "Bannon Custody Battle"
Client: Benton Quest (Dr. Quest) from Jonny Quest
Case: Race Bannon has challenged Dr. Quest for the custody of the children; Harvey must make Dr. Quest out as the better father.

Episode 02: "Very Personal Injury"
Client: Apache Chief from Super Friends
Case: Apache Chief wants to sue Javalux Coffee after he spills coffee on his lap and loses his superpower of growing to colossal size.

Episode 03: "Shaggy Busted"
Client: Shaggy and Scooby-Doo from Scooby-Doo
Case: Harvey has to prove that Shaggy and Scooby-Doo weren't getting high when they fled from police.


Episode 04: "The Unabooboo"
Client: Boo Boo from Yogi-Bear
Case: Harvey must defend Boo Boo from accusations that he is an anarchist sending politicians and corporations heads gift baskets filled with explosives.

Episode 05: "Shoyu Weenie"
Client: The Chan Clan from The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan
Case: The band Shoyu Weenie wants to sue The Neptunes (from Jabberjaw) for copyright infringement when they find a song by The Neptunes that sounds like their own hit song.

Episode 06: "The Dabba Don"
Client: Fred Flinstone from The Flintstones
Case: Harvey must defend Fred Flintstone against accusations that he is a mafia boss in charge of a criminal ring.


Episode 07: "Deadomutt (Pt. 1)"
Client: Harvey Birdman
Case: Harvey is arrested for the murder of Dynomutt.

Episode 08: "Deadomutt (Pt. 2)"
Client: Harvey Birdman (defended by Blue Falcon)
Case: Harvey is convicted and sentenced for the murder of Dynomutt.

Episode 09: "X the Eliminator"
Case: None.
Client: None.


Episode 10: "Blackwatch Plaid"
Client: Secret Squirrel from The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show
Case: Harvey must defend Secret Squirrel against accusations that he exposed himself.

Episode 11: "Trio's Company"
Client: Inch-High Private Eye from Inch High, Private Eye
Case: Inch-High Private Eye wants to sue his employer after he is fired for being too short.

Episode 12: "The Devlin Made Me do It"
Client: Ernie Devlin from Devlin
Case: Harvey must defend Devlin when he is sued for "imitatable acts" that lead to a young boy's complete paralysis.


Episode 13: "High Speed Buggy Chase"
Client: Speed Buggy from Speed Buggy
Case: Harvey must defend Speed Buggy from accusations of reckless driving.

Episode 14: "SPF"
Client: Ding-a-ling from The Huckleberry Hound Show
Case: Ding-a-ling is suing a porn site for using his name in their URL.

Episode 15: "Back to the Present"
Client: The Jetsons from The Jetsons
Case: The Jetsons are suing modern people for causing global warming, which in the future causes a catastrophic flood.


Episode 16: "Grape Juiced"
Client: Grape Ape from The Great Grape Ape Show
Case: Harvey must defend Grape Ape from accusations that he used steroids in the Laff-a-lympics.

Episode 17: "Peanut Puberty"
Client: Doggie Daddy from The Quick Draw McGraw Show
Case: Harvey must defend Doggie Daddy from accusations that he bit someone.

Episode 18: "Gone Efficien...t"
Client: Yakky Doodle from The Quick Draw McGraw Show
Case: Harvey must help Yakky Doodle petition to change his name.


Episode 19: "Droopy Botox"
Client: Plastic Surgeon
Case: Harvey must defend a plastic surgeon against Droopy's (from Dumb-Hounded) accusation that he botched Botox injections.

Episode 20: "Guitar Control"
Client: Quick Draw McGraw from The Quick Draw McGraw Show
Case: Harvey must defend Quick Draw from a concealed weapon allegation.

Episode 21: "Booty Noir"
Client: Wally Gator from The Hanna-Barbera New Cartoon Series
Case: Harvey must defend Wally Gator from the accusation that he is a redneck.


Episode 22: "Harvey's Civvy"
Client: Harvey Birdman
Case: Potamus defends Harvey against villains that accuse him of crippling them and destroying their homes in his superhero days.

Episode 23: "X Gets the Crest"
Client: Ricochet Rabbit from The Magilla Gorilla Show
Case: Harvey must defend Ricochet Rabbit from the accusation that he destroyed half of the town of Hoop'n'Holler in a fit of hyperactivity.

Episode 24: "Bird Girl of Guantanamole"
Client: Morocco Mole of The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show
Case: Harvey must defend Morocco Mole against the accusation that he is a spy.


Episode 25: "Turner Classic Birdman"
Client: None.
Case: None.

Episode 26: "Beyond the Valley of Dinosaurs"
Client: None.
Case: None.

Episode 27: "Evolutionary War"
Client: Captain Caveman of Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels
Case: Captain Caveman sues his son's public school when they refuse to teach evolution.


Episode 28: "Free Magilla"
Client: Mr. Peebles from The Magilla Gorilla Show
Case: Mr. Peebles sues to regain his custody rights to Magilla Gorilla from the People's Animal Freedom Front (PAFF).

Episode 29: "Return of Birdgirl"
Client: Race Bannon and Benton Quest (Dr. Quest) from Jonny Quest
Case: Race Bannon and Benton Quest sue to get gay marriages legalized.

Episode 30: "Mindless"
Client: Top Cat from Top Cat
Case: Harvey must defend Top Cat against accusations of troublemaking.


Episode 31: "Sebben and Sebben Employee Orientation"
Client: None.
Case: None.

Episode 32: "Identity Theft"
Client: Chemical Castration (Yakky Doodle) from The Quick Draw McGraw Show
Case: Harvey must help Chemical Castration petition to change his name back to Yakky Doodle.

Episode 33: "Mufti Trouble"
Client: Shazzan from Shazzan
Case: Shazzan sues the Mufti for locking him in a vase.


Episode 34: "Incredible Hippo"
Client: Atom Ant from The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show
Case: Harvey must defend Atom Ant against accusations that he produces unhealthy high radiation levels.

Episode 35: "Babysitter"
Client: None.
Case: None.

Episode 36: "Birdnapped"
Client: None.
Case: None.


Episode 37: "Grodin"
Client: Ernie Devlin from Devlin
Case: Harvey must defend Ernie Devlin from accusations that one of his toys hurt a child.

Episode 38: "Juror in Court"
Client: Hair Bear from Help!... It's the Hair Bear Bunch!
Case: Harvey must defend Hair Bear.

Episode 39: "The Death of Harvey"
Client: All of the previous clients.
Case: All of the previous cases.

Harvey Birdman Clips 

Here are my favorite clips and montages from Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law.

Harvey Birdman Intro

Harvey Birdman - Decisions (Steroids song)

Phil Montage





[adult swim] : Harvey Birdman, Attorney At Law - Betrayed Bear

An Ode to Peanut
curated content from YouTube

I'll Take the Case! 

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