10 Shows You Didn’t Realize Were By Seth MacFarlane

Seth MacFarlane was known for having involvement with several Oh Yeah! Cartoons skits on the Nickelodeon network. However, one of his animated shorts, in particular, left viewers baffled.

Zoomates! was about an over-zealous animal activist named Helen who wanted to have all of the poorly maintained animals released from the local big zoo. To convince the underhanded owner (who also threatened her with a conspicuously-placed, multi-tiered trap), she had to adopt and teach a slapstick threesome consisting of a polar bear, an ostrich, and an alligator how to live harmoniously amongst humans.

Unlike other shorts MacFarlane had his hands on, Zoomates! never received its own show, although the end of the first cartoon suggested its creators hoped it would evolve into its own spin-off.

It’s probably all for the best, though, as the concept of animals trying to live like humans left a lot to be desired, and the execution was far worse with a few too many unfunny zingers. Perhaps MacFarlane knew Zoomates! was bound to fail, as mid-project he had to hand over the realm to his partner Butch Hartman.