History WesternAnimation / HarveyBirdmanAttorneyAtLaw

The series follows the adventures of [[WesternAnimation/{{Birdman}} Harvey Birdman]] (Cole), now an attorney at a law firm run by his former boss, Phil Ken Sebben (Colbert) and other Hanna-Barbera characters (most notably Peter Potamus as well as Birdman's sidekick Birdboy, now called "Peanut", who was now an ultra-competent sociopath). Their clients, in their cases, are mainly their fellow Hanna-Barbera characters, in cases that tend to address longstanding fanon theories about them (like [[WesternAnimation/JonnyQuest Race Bannon and Doctor Quest]] being lovers, or [[Franchise/ScoobyDoo Scooby-Doo and Shaggy]] being stoners). Most of Birdman's enemies from his '60s-era show turn up as opposing lawyers or even judges, most notably LargeHam Mentok the Mind Taker (John Michael Higgins) as judge and Myron Reducto (Colbert again), who turns into a [[FriendlyEnemy frenemy]] of Birdman before his untimely death.

* LampshadeHanging: In the last episode, the judge FINALLY figures out that every trial since the start of the series has had the same jurors. Since this is illegal in the real world, the judge has to [[RealityEnsues throw out all of the cases Harvey did]] (except the first?)

----

* ClimateChange: The ''Jetsons''-centric episode dealt with the results of Earth's temperature increase and pollution that resulted in the majority of humans living in the sky by the future year of 2002, which by the episode's airing was [[TwentyMinutesIntoThePast two years in the past]]. Sadly, the Jetsons not only lost their lawsuit against the present, but the episode also ended with an entire city flooded from the rising sea levels that accelerated as a result.

[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/250px-Harvey_Birdman,_Attorney_at_Law_title.jpg]]

In 2019, it was announced that a spin-off (and StealthSequel) show is being produced and centers on Birdgirl in ''WesternAnimation/{{Birdgirl}}''.

* ClimateChange: The ''Jetsons''-centric episode dealt with the results of Earth's temperature increase and pollution that resulted in the majority of humans living in the sky by the future year of 2002, which by the episode's airing was [[TwentyMinutesIntoThePast two years in the past]]. Sadly, the Jetsons not only lost their lawsuit against the present, but the episode also ended with an entire city flooded from the rising sea levels that accelerated as a result.

* GlobalWarming: The ''Jetsons''-centric episode dealt with the results of Earth's temperature increase and pollution that resulted in the majority of humans living in the sky by the future year of 2002, which by the episode's airing was [[TwentyMinutesIntoThePast two years in the past]]. Sadly, the Jetsons not only lost their lawsuit against the present, but the episode also ended with an entire city flooded from the rising sea levels that accelerated as a result.

* KnifeThrowingAct: In a moment of GettingCrapPastTheRadar, Peanut is trapped in a genie's lamp with a woman. He says they're going to go on a "magic carpet ride" and asks her to hand over a roll of nearby rope. Later on, when said genie releases his captives, Peanut appears with the woman tied to a giant target, having apparently been doing such an act the whole time.

%%* {{Adorkable}}: Harvey definitely has his moments.

''Who is the cat with the beak?''

* DemotedToExtra: MightyMightor was originally the judge presiding over most of Harvey's cases until Mentok is introduced, at which point his role in the series quickly diminished.

-->'''Phil:''' Ha ha! Multiple entendre!
-->'''Phil:''' [[OrAreYouJustHappyToSeeMe Roll of quarters]]... Wait, that's not a roll of...

* DroppedABridgeOnHim: [[spoiler: Reducto is absent in the last few episodes. As far as anyone can tell, he died when he was hit by that clown car]].

-->'''Phil Ken Sebben''': "Enhance! Contrast! Tint! Bright! Sleep mode! Vertical hold!"

-->'''Mentok:''' [after getting exasperated by Jabberjaw's laugh]] Oh my god. You. The shark. No more from you today, okay?

** Also done more subtly by the doctor in SPF, telling Harvey [[spoiler:that some day he will die. Maybe from the sun, maybe not tomorrow, but some day! Probably painfully, too.]] Doubles as a [[visual pun]], as you can see the doctor take out his golf clubs and go for a walk outside after telling Harvey to shade himself. (Get it? Fore-Shadowing? Come on, now.)

** Doubles as a Gag Censor. In an episode where harvey goes to prison, he is forced to be hosed off naked. In a freeze frame shot, what seems to be pubic hair covering his crotch is actual Phil's head.

* FriendlyScheming: [[spoiler: Taken UpToEleven in "Deadomutt": Harvey is falsely accused of murder, sentenced to death and spends 5 years in jail... and all of this is just pretext to a surprise birthday party.]]
** Specifically his 40th birthday. [[{{Fridge logic}} He was 35 when the "friendly" scheming started]].

* BiTheWay: Harvey has had relationships with both genders. As usual for the show, it's mostly played to make things bizarre. A frequent male lover of his is Boo-Boo.

* {{Adorkable}}: Harvey definitely has his moments.

* BaitAndSwitchCredits

* {{Crossover}}s: Arguably the entire premise of the show
* CourtroomAntic: Every one in the book.
* CrowdedCastShot: Former TropeNamer.
* CrapsackWorld: A running theme of the series.
* CryingIndian: Apache Chief in "Back to the Present".

* DidIJustSayThatOutLoud: Judy/Birdgirl and her megaphone.

* DoggedNiceGuy: Harvey

* GenderInvertedTrope: G.G., and all her husbands.
* GenkiGirl: Birdgirl, [[UpToEleven turned up to 11]].

* ReferenceOverdosed: Too many [[ShoutOut Shout Outs]] to count, and more than just the obvious ones covered by {{Crossover}}. Just about every scene contains a reference to something else, be it other shows (an ActorAllusion ad for ''Series/TheColbertReport''), movies (Harvey reenacting the dance scene from ''Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast''), politics ("Guitar Control") or recent (Boo-Boo Bear as Elián González) or historical (Magilla Gorilla as Patty Hearst) events.
* RefugeInAudacity: Seriously, how did they get away with some of those jokes?

The series received little merchandise from Adult Swim, which included figures of Sebben and the giant bear. On January 8, 2008, a [[VisualNovel/HarveyBirdmanAttorneyAtLaw game]] for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2, UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable and UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} was also created by Creator/{{Capcom}}, which used the ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney'' game engine and had five new cases; it got mixed reviews, however its biggest criticism was being the absence of Colbert and his voice double, which forced Capcom to cast a replacement voice.

In 2018 it was announced that the series would be having a half-hour special titled ''Harvey Birdman: Attorney General'', which premiered on October 14, 2018. A [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fC0zgOJq7CU Preview]] and an [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0LndqK3zzI Ad Impeaching Phil Ken Sebben]] was uploaded to Youtube.

In 2019, it was announced that a spin-off (and StealthSequel) show is being produced and centers on Birdgirl in ''WesternAnimation/Birdgirl''.

The series received little merchandise from Adult Swim, which included figures of Sebben and the giant bear. On January 8, 2008, a [[VideoGame/HarveyBirdmanAttorneyAtLaw game]] for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2, UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable and UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} was also created by Creator/{{Capcom}}, which used the ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney'' game engine and had five new cases; it got mixed reviews, however its biggest criticism was being the absence of Colbert and his voice double, which forced Capcom to cast a replacement voice.

** "Attorney General" takes shots at the 2016 presidential election and UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump. Specifically, it depicts Jill Stein and the Green Party as just being a bunch of stuck-up socialites that don't actually seem interested in taking office and are just doing it to look good, Phil's administration trying to keep him from [[OpenMouthInsertFoot tweeting]] (a common criticism of Trump), and Phil being a ManChild who is completely inept at being president.

In 2018 it was announced that the series would be having a half-hour special titled ''Harvey Birdman: Attorney General'' set to premiere on October 14, 2018. A [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fC0zgOJq7CU Preview]] and an [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0LndqK3zzI Ad Impeaching Phil Ken Sebben]] was uploaded to Youtube.

* DentedIron: The worn-out, pain killer addicted stuntman Ernie Devlin. He's a tough bastard, but his decades of daredevil stunts has taken a serious toll on him.

---> "Oh no you don't. No "brain thieving" in ''my'' courtroom, you understand?. This is ''mind taking'' country, partner. You got it? ''Good''."

* StagingAnIntervention: Harvey gets one when he gets addicted to tanning creme. Among the people staging this include Phil (Who has a bunch of cigarettes in his mouth) and X (Who has a gambling addiction).

''Habeas corpus,''
''Marvey[[note]]slang for "marvelous"[[/note]] attorney!''

** "Attorney General" takes shots at the 2016 presidential election and Creator/DonaldTrump. Specifically, it depicts Jill Stein and the Green Party as just being a bunch of stuck-up socialites that don't actually seem interested in taking office and are just doing it to look good, Phil's administration trying to keep him from [[OpenMouthInsertFoot tweeting]] (a common criticism of Trump), and Phil being a ManChild who is completely inept at being president.

** Invoked and spoofed with X's death ray, which is a button-covered, desk-sized console that uses vacuum tubes and takes half a minute to charge up (once X can find an electric outlet) before firing (or a vacuum tube blows out) that he nonetheless treats as a portable weapon. Understandable as it was created for the original series back in the 70's.
** Spoofed when WesternAnimation/TheJetsons (from the far off year of 2002) try to sue the present. George convinces the court room that a punch card reading "Jury-Vac" computer is more efficient and reliable than an actual jury.

* TinfoilHat: A variation - the police officers sent to apprehend Mentok are wearing helmets lined with aluminium, which Mentok's telepathic powers can't penetrate. He also can't affect Ernie Devlin, who has a metal plate in his skull from a stunt accident.

-->'''Phil:''' '''Fall, you bastard!'''

--> '''Quick Draw [=McGraw=]:''' I'm a sheriff. A cowboy sheriff.
--> '''Harvey:''' [[Music/BonJovi On a steel horse you ride.]]

* SerialNumbersFiledOff:[[invoked]] Parodied in "Identity Theft", when Harvey points out how many cartoons followed the mold of ScoobyDoo, complete with barely altered characters.

The series follows the adventures of [[WesternAnimation/{{Birdman}} Harvey Birdman]] (Cole), now an attorney at a law firm run by his former boss, Phil Ken Sebben (Colbert) and other Hanna-Barbera characters (most notably Peter Potamus as well as Birdman's sidekick Birdboy, now called "Peanut", who was now an ultra-competent sociopath). Their clients, in their cases, are mainly their fellow Hanna-Barbera characters, in cases that tend to address longstanding fanon theories about them (like [[WesternAnimation/JonnyQuest Race Bannon and Doctor Quest]] being lovers, or [[Franchise/ScoobyDoo Scooby-Doo and Shaggy]] being stoners). Most of Birdman's enemies from his '60's era show turn up as opposing lawyers or even judges, most notably LargeHam Mentok the Mind Taker (John Michael Higgins) as judge and Myron Reducto (Colbert again), who turns into a [[FriendlyEnemy frenemy]] of Birdman before his untimely death.

The series follows the adventures of [[WesternAnimation/{{Birdman}} Harvey Birdman]] (Creator/GaryCole), now an attorney at a law firm run by his former boss, Phil Ken Sebben (Creator/StephenColbert) and other Hanna-Barbera characters (most notably Peter Potamus as well as Birdman's sidekick Birdboy, now called "Peanut", who was now an ultra-competent sociopath). Their clients, in their cases, are mainly their fellow Hanna-Barbera characters, in cases that tend to address longstanding fanon theories about them (like [[WesternAnimation/JonnyQuest Race Bannon and Doctor Quest]] are lovers or [[Franchise/ScoobyDoo Scooby-Doo and Shaggy are stoners]]). Most of Birdman's enemies from his '60's era show turn up as opposing lawyers or even judges, most notably LargeHam Mentok the Mind Taker (a judge) and Myron Reducto (also voiced by Colbert), who turns into a frenemy of Birdman before his untimely death.

The show was arguably the break-out hit of the original batch of Adult Swim shows that debuted in 2001, but suffered mightily after the initial six episode run. The series fell victim to a massive case of ScheduleSlip with huge gap between airings and only 2-3 episodes airing within a single year. The series retooled itself after the first season as well, becoming a workplace comedy instead of a law show, with the cases taking the backseat to the antics of the law firm itself. Particularly those of Phil Ken Sebben and his wacky schemes, which almost all involved [[BreakTheCutie humiliating and tormenting Harvey]]. Birdgirl was also introduced (as Phil's daughter) as Birdman's unwanted female sidekick, who while competent in the courtroom, almost married her father due to her slavish devotion to the old school rules about never revealing one's secret identity.

The reformat ultimately backfired on the show, when Colbert, whose characters were now front and center and drove most of the show's plots, dropped the show to focus full-time on ''Series/TheColbertReport''. This meant [[PutOnABus getting rid of]] Reducto and Phil Ken Sebben, who, despite being fan favorites, were ultimately killed. In the end, the show was finally cancelled. Though at the least given enough lead time so the writers could close it out properly (even getting Stephen Colbert to reprise his roles ironically).

The series received little merchandise from Adult Swim, which included figures of Sebben and the giant bear. On January 8, 2008, a [[VideoGame/HarveyBirdmanAttorneyAtLaw game]] for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2, UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable and UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} was also created by Creator/{{Capcom}}, which used the ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney'' game engine and had five new cases; it got mixed reviews, however it’s biggest criticism was being the absence of Colbert and his voice double, which forced Capcom to cast a replacement voice.

No relation to the 2014 Creator/MichaelKeaton film {{Film/Birdman}}, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DP8g7yH584g although the joke's been made]]. Or another [[Franchise/AceAttorney bird-themed attorney]] with his own accomplishments.

* SciFiWritersHaveNoSenseOfScale: Spoofed. The Jetsons claim to be from the "far off year of 2002", while Harvey just nonchalantly looks to a calendar marked "2004".

** "Attorney General" takes shots at the 2016 presidential election and Creator/DonaldTrump. Specifically, it depicts Jill Stein and the Green Party as just being a bunch of stuck-up socialites that don't actually seem interested in taking office and are just doing it to look good, Phil's administration trying to keep him from [[OpenMouthInsertFoot tweeting]] (a common criticism of Trump), and Phil being a ManChild who is completely inept at being president.

** Harvey tried to use this to get Devlin off (the first time). [[YouFailLawForever He forgot this was a lawsuit trial.]]