New Fox series ‘Bordertown’ seems drawn from current events

It’s getting hard to distinguish real life from an absurdist cartoon.

Bordertown, the newest member of Fox’s Sunday night animation block, debuts at 8:30 p.m. with an episode in which a strident “Show Us Your Papers” law is enacted. Those believed to be illegal immigrants are stuffed into a “deportation cannon” and, bang, they’re sent on their way.

In next week’s episode, citizens of the town of Mexifornia decide to put up a massive border wall. Ironically, undocumented workers reap the benefits when they’re hired to build it.

Viewers might assume that Bordertown was created in counterpoint to polarizing views raised by a certain Republican presidential candidate, but they would be wrong.

“We’ve been working on this show for almost two years,” cast member Nicholas Gonzalez recently pointed out while in Fort Worth to promote the show. “We made the border wall episode long before Donald Trump even entered the race.

“The crazy thing is we also have an episode where our version of an El Chapo-type crime lord, Pablo Barracuda, tunnels his way out of prison. We made that before the real El Chapo did it.”

It’s as if, instead of “ripping” stories from the headlines, this show has somehow anticipated them.

“To be honest, I’m a little bit worried what might happen in the news next,” Gonzalez says, only partly in jest. “If current events keep mirroring what we do, we’re all in big trouble, because the show takes things to pretty absurd extremes.”

Bordertown focuses on the lives of two neighboring families: the Buckwalds and Gonzalezes.

Bud Buchwald, voiced by Hank Azaria of The Simpsons, is a bigoted Border Patrol agent who’s uncomfortable with the cultural changes redefining the world around him.

Ernesto Gonzalez, one of several characters voiced by Gonzalez, has been in the States less than 10 years, but he’s already realizing the American dream, thanks to his modest landscaping business.

Bud is jealous, feeling like he’s being left behind, and his bitterness escalates when Ernesto’s American-born nephew, J.C. (also voiced by Gonzalez), gets engaged to Bud’s daughter Becky.

Their misadventures are topical and timely, but also filled will silly one-liners and sight gags. It’s as if an issue-driven Norman Lear comedy has morphed into an off-the-wall Family Guy farce.

Speaking of Family Guy, Bordertown was created by Mark Hentemann, a former Family Guy writer and showrunner. Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane also serves as an executive producer.

Gonzalez, a San Antonio native who is better known for live-action roles in shows such as Resurrection Blvd. and Sleepy Hollow, said he was eager to sign on because of the producers’ track record.

“As an actor, an animated series is a dream job,” says Gonzalez, who also plays the Pablo Barracuda character. “It’s fun to do so many different characters within the framework of a single show.

“Also, it’s a great way to work: surrounded by funny people doing really funny material. But best of all, this is a show that allows for commentary and satire on things that actually matter.

“There’s no other cartoon on television tackling these issues every week, which makes it exciting.”

Bordertown wallows in politically incorrect humor, but at least it’s an equal-opportunity offender.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re conservative or liberal — no point of view is sacred in this show,” Gonzalez says. “No one is safe. Everybody is made fun of at some point or another.

“But it’s always with a purpose. Even Bud, as offensive as his views are, is vindicated at times.”

This story was originally published December 29, 2015 at 12:25 PM with the headline "New Fox series ‘Bordertown’ seems drawn from current events."