For eight episodes, Dallas (Kat Dennings) and Robo (John Cena) explored the solar system in crazy sci-fi adventures involving time travel, bar runs and cannibal bikers. Unfortunately, YouTube canceled the ShadowMachine (Bojack Horseman, Robot Chicken) series leaving Dallas and Robo lost in time.
Fast-forward to 2020 and SYFY is bringing back the short-lived series to its new TZGZ animation block of programming on August 8.
“We came out at a time where a lot of services came out and, for lack of a better term, [Dallas and Robo] just kind of got lost in the shuffle. I couldn’t think of a better home than SYFY to do a show like Dallas and Robo,” Cena told Newsweek. “The fact that they’re dedicating time, resources and effort to TZGZ and this animated block on Saturday night. I think it’s the right time. I think it’s the right network. I think they’re sending the right message to people who can watch and enjoy the show and want to see more of it. I’m so grateful that SYFY took a chance on us.”
Cena, who may be best known for his 18 years in the WWE, has already branched out into television, film and animation—see Ferdinand and that spokes-elephant for pistachios for more examples—but Dallas and Robo isn’t just another role for the 16-time world champion, he was its executive producer.
He says that when he met with ShadowMachine to talk about the series, they asked him to get involved with the development process. The time helping develop Dallas and Robo was a completely new experience for him and he became attached to the series, which is why he’s genuinely happy to see it return especially with the current pandemic and everyone looking for new content to watch.
“I think this is a great way to reintroduce a show that I have put my heart into,” Cena said. “It’s on the perfect home and it was really an eye-opening process to be a part of the whole development of the show, but in the most positive ways, I think we got a good show and I hope everybody enjoys it on Saturday nights.”
Not only was being the EP of Dallas and Robo an experience, playing the titular artificial intelligence helped Cena stretch his acting muscles. Cena says that for 18 years in the WWE, he was this over-the-top, energetic, larger-than-life personality and now he gets to play Robo where everyone else around him is that way and he’s the one keeping Dallas and the others in check.
“Those are the best opportunities now that I have to show any sort of range because for years I was on this overly-attitudinal program with over the top emotions and feelings, so much so that I’m a constant meme in the universe because I hardly ever emoted,” Cena said with a laugh.
“I watched Dallas and Robo and I don’t hear me. I hear Robo and I think that’s the takeaway. I think that’s the most important thing where it’s like ‘Wow, it’s Robo, not John.’ I was very happy when I was able to hear myself unbiasedly and hear someone else,” he added.
Dallas and Robo is not your typical animated series like Tom and Jerry, Looney Tunes or the Hanna-Barbera cartoons that Cena grew up watching, it’s more akin to what you’d see on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim; violent, over-the-top adult scenarios and a bevy of expletives.
Couple that with a cast that includes names like Stephen Root, Jane Lynch, and Giancarlo Esposito and you’re in for a good time. We can’t fail to mention Kat Dennings’ performance as Dallas who Cena couldn’t stop gushing over.
“I was able to record with Kat a bunch and she’s so gifted and just really leaned into this, she didn’t swim upstream, she embraced being Dallas 100 percent,” Cena said. “She knocked it out of the park and it was so fun because when we were together I showed up in a three-piece suit, but I’m also the straight edged, logical robot. Even that perception really got to help this when we shut the door in the sound booth. She did an amazing job and we do have a great cast.”
With Dallas and Robo about to return, when asked about whether SYFY will pick up the series for more episodes than the eight in its original run, Cena wouldn’t say, but reiterated how important it was that the series is coming to a place where it can be found by people to grow a fanbase in a way that Family Guy and Futurama, other once-canceled animated series, did.
“Using a competitor as a template, the way Family Guy was built into like ‘Hey, if you want animation you go here.’ Adult Swim is doing the same thing and I think SYFY is being unbelievably innovative by putting together their own block of animation,” Cena explained. “You now know on Saturdays around midnight to tune into this weird niche animation. Some stuff you dig, some you won’t, but you’ll get new experiences.”
“Just like in WWE isn’t for everyone, but for people who know they know exactly when and where to watch. I think that’s really important with giving something the best chance of success,” Cena added.
“Those into animation are gonna dig it. I really think so. I think it has a great cast, the animation is slick,” Cena continued. “Nowadays we are all searching for content especially given these circumstances. This is something that’s been given a second life. I think it’s something that’ll make people laugh and in this day and age that’s something we could use a whole lot more.”
Catch the return of Dallas and Robo on SYFY every Saturday starting August 8 around midnight.
