‘Dragon’ a fun take on cartoon cliches
Connoisseurs of odd cartoons should not miss “American Dragon: Jake Long” (8 p.m., Disney), an amusing amalgam of a million cartoon cliches, martial arts gibberish and hip-hop slang. The makers of “Dragon” clearly enjoy mixing and matching pop-cultural eras and references and throw everything but the kitchen sink at the small screen.
Jake is a teen with a secret identity. He’d like to skateboard and chat in 10-year-old hip-hop patois with his ‘tween pals, but his Yoda-like grandfather keeps calling him away for instruction. Apparently, Jake is a dragon, or rather half a dragon.
His mother descends from a long line of Chinese dragons entrusted with protecting the order of an invisible, mythical universe of unicorns, fairies and elves. But she went and married a mortal, the goofiest TV dad since Darrin Stevens of “Bewitched.”
For reasons known only to the cartoon gods, Jake’s grandfather also has a sidekick assistant, a 600-year-old canine named Fu Dog who has chosen to talk in the gruff manner of a cabdriver from a 1950s movie. An inveterate gambler, Fu Dog places bets with his bookie every time Jake gets into a fight with a rival dragon or other mystical entity.
For all the multicultural urban hipness on display, the animation style of “Dragon” is a throwback to the 1960s, and the theme song would not be out of place on “Josie and the Pussycats.” On the plus side, any cartoon that splices so many influences into its mix is worth watching at least once.
Then again, any cartoon in which a character says “my bad” and “aiight” more than once can also prove grating.
Can Adrian Monk survive the departure of his gal Friday, Sharona (Bitty Schram)? Can “Monk” (10 p.m., USA)? As Season 3 continues, the neurotic San Francisco detective is reeling from Sharona’s decision to return to her husband and her native New Jersey. It will take murder to snap him out of it.
When Natalie (Traylor Howard), a widow and mother, kills an intruder in her home during the second break-in in a week, police begin to wonder what these bad guys were looking for. Spooked by the intrusions, Natalie turns to Monk and tries to persuade him to put aside his worries and help her out.
After a series of comical missteps, he stumbles on a motive that is out of this world.
Not to give too much away here, but this episode is clearly designed to move the widowed Natalie into Monk’s life as an assistant – and maybe more.
Pretty, stable and matter-of-fact, she clearly feels for Monk, but so far they share none of the comic chemistry cooked up between Monk and Sharona.
A shared scene in a science museum, where Adrian suffers a bout of claustrophobia inside the “miracle of birth” exhibit, is funny but a tad forced. It may take more of these over-the-top moments to generate electricity between Monk and Natalie.
Lea Thompson stars in “Jane Doe” (9 p.m., Hallmark), a new mystery movie series. She plays the title character, a suburban mom and expert puzzle master who moonlights as code-breaker for federal authorities.
“Doe” is one of three new Friday-night mystery series from Hallmark, joining “McBride” starring John Larroquette and “Mystery Woman” starring Kellie Martin.
“Funkmaster Flex Super Series” (9 p.m., Spike) profiles up-and-coming racing stars and features guest appearances by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Lil’ Kim, the Teutels of “American Chopper” fame and many more.
Other highlights
Campaign secrets weigh heavily on “Joan of Arcadia” (8 p.m., CBS).
On back-to-back episodes of “Bernie Mac” (Fox), Jordan’s self-esteem kicks in (8 p.m.), and family mortification (8:30 p.m.).
A costly favor on “Jonny Zero” (9 p.m., Fox).
Richard Hatch (who played Apollo on the original “Battlestar”) guest-stars on “Battlestar Galactica” (10 p.m., Sci Fi).
Cult choice
A shopkeeper (Rod Steiger) in a rundown neighborhood can’t escape his experiences in Nazi death camps in the 1964 drama “The Pawnbroker” (7 p.m., Turner Classic Movies), directed by Sidney Lumet.