Da Doggone Daddy-Daughter Dinner Dance
Encyclopedia
"Da Doggone Daddy-Daughter Dinner Dance" is the second episode of The Cleveland Show
. The episode aired on October 4, 2009 on Fox
. In the episode, Cleveland
tries to make inroads with his new stepdaughter Roberta by asking her to accompany him to the school’s father/daughter dance.
The episode was written by Julius Sharpe and directed by Chuck Klein. It was viewed by approximately 8.7 million viewers in its original airing.
tries to make inroads with his new stepdaughter Roberta by asking her to accompany him to the school’s Father-Daughter Dance. Last year Roberta did not show up. The evening seems to be going smoothly until Cleveland runs over the family pet Meadowlark Lemon on his way to get an ice-cream cake for celebration. Then his redneck neighbor Lester takes it and eats it. This kills his chances of being accepted by his new kids. Rallo and Cleveland look for Meadowlark Lemon and Cleveland dives in nasty places looking to keep the secret but Lester and the others tell him to be honest, causing his stepchildren to resent him. He tries to makes amends by getting a new dog named Kareem Abdul Jabbark, but he gets killed when Lester shoots him while he is obeying Cleveland's command to "fetch." While Roberta has been stood up by Robert again, Cleveland decides to take action. He first makes it clear to Rallo that he is man of the house, before going to the dance to support Roberta.
Meanwhile, Cleveland Jr. tries to make friends at his new school. Instead, he gets beaten up by a girl and tripped by others. When he runs to the bathroom, he finds out that the school has no stall doors. A guy named Lane is there; impressed by what a good door Cleveland Jr. makes, he befriends him. Cleveland Jr. goes on to make friends and money, but when his dad comes to the Father-Daughter Dance and sees his son working there, he becomes furious. He orders Junior to get out of the bathroom and boil his clothes at home before promising that he will teach him how to play baseball.
graded the episode a B, stating "Fortunately, there were far fewer cutaway gags here than you might have expected for a Family Guy spinoff, and the story itself was mostly pretty strong. It’s still not terrific, but this felt like a solid step in the right direction".
The Cleveland Show
The Cleveland Show is an American animated television series that premiered on September 27, 2009, as a part of the "Animation Domination" lineup on Fox in the United States...
. The episode aired on October 4, 2009 on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
. In the episode, Cleveland
Cleveland Brown
Cleveland Orenthal Brown is a character from the animated television series Family Guy, and its spin-off series The Cleveland Show. He is voiced by Mike Henry. In the first seven seasons of Family Guy, Brown is a frequently recurring character. As one of Peter Griffin's neighbors and friends,...
tries to make inroads with his new stepdaughter Roberta by asking her to accompany him to the school’s father/daughter dance.
The episode was written by Julius Sharpe and directed by Chuck Klein. It was viewed by approximately 8.7 million viewers in its original airing.
Plot
ClevelandCleveland Brown
Cleveland Orenthal Brown is a character from the animated television series Family Guy, and its spin-off series The Cleveland Show. He is voiced by Mike Henry. In the first seven seasons of Family Guy, Brown is a frequently recurring character. As one of Peter Griffin's neighbors and friends,...
tries to make inroads with his new stepdaughter Roberta by asking her to accompany him to the school’s Father-Daughter Dance. Last year Roberta did not show up. The evening seems to be going smoothly until Cleveland runs over the family pet Meadowlark Lemon on his way to get an ice-cream cake for celebration. Then his redneck neighbor Lester takes it and eats it. This kills his chances of being accepted by his new kids. Rallo and Cleveland look for Meadowlark Lemon and Cleveland dives in nasty places looking to keep the secret but Lester and the others tell him to be honest, causing his stepchildren to resent him. He tries to makes amends by getting a new dog named Kareem Abdul Jabbark, but he gets killed when Lester shoots him while he is obeying Cleveland's command to "fetch." While Roberta has been stood up by Robert again, Cleveland decides to take action. He first makes it clear to Rallo that he is man of the house, before going to the dance to support Roberta.
Meanwhile, Cleveland Jr. tries to make friends at his new school. Instead, he gets beaten up by a girl and tripped by others. When he runs to the bathroom, he finds out that the school has no stall doors. A guy named Lane is there; impressed by what a good door Cleveland Jr. makes, he befriends him. Cleveland Jr. goes on to make friends and money, but when his dad comes to the Father-Daughter Dance and sees his son working there, he becomes furious. He orders Junior to get out of the bathroom and boil his clothes at home before promising that he will teach him how to play baseball.
Cultural references
- Cleveland plans to buy a Baskin-RobbinsBaskin-RobbinsBaskin-Robbins is a global chain of ice cream parlors founded by Burt Baskin and Irvine Robbins in 1953, from the merging of their respective ice cream parlors, in Glendale, California. It claims to be the world's largest ice cream franchise, with more than 5,800 locations, 2,800 of which are...
ice-cream cake, and says he has not been so excited since he won an Oscar. The scene cuts to a parody of Halle BerryHalle BerryHalle Berry is an American actress and a former fashion model. Berry received an Emmy, Golden Globe, SAG, and an NAACP Image Award for Introducing Dorothy Dandridge and won an Academy Award for Best Actress and was nominated for a BAFTA Award in 2001 for her performance in Monster's Ball, becoming...
's 2001 Best Actress acceptance speech, with Cleveland as Berry. - In an effort to win Roberta over, Cleveland and Rallo perform Lionel RichieLionel RichieLionel Brockman Richie, Jr. , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records...
's 1983 hit "All Night Long.All Night Long (All Night)"All Night Long " is a hit single for Lionel Richie from 1983. Taken from his second solo album, Can't Slow Down, it combined Richie's soulful Commodores style with Caribbean influences. This new, more dance approach proved popular, as the single reached number one on three Billboard charts...
" Then Cleveland Jr. enters dressed like PrincePrince (musician)Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
with the same hair cut, purple outfit, and guitar that Prince is best known for owning during his Purple RainPurple Rain (album)Purple Rain is the sixth studio album by Prince, the first to officially be credited to Prince and The Revolution, and is the soundtrack album to the 1984 film Purple Rain.Purple Rain is regularly ranked among the best albums in pop music history...
phase. - After the death of the family dog, Cleveland buys a new one, which he names Kareem Abdul-JabbarKareem Abdul-JabbarKareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American professional basketball player. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points. During his career with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and a record six regular season...
k. Rallo is not impressed and says "You can't just replace my dog like Brad PittBrad PittWilliam Bradley "Brad" Pitt is an American actor and film producer. Pitt has received two Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one...
replaced Jennifer AnistonJennifer AnistonJennifer Joanna Aniston is an American actress, film director, and producer, best known for her role as Rachel Green on the television sitcom Friends, a role which earned her an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.Aniston has also enjoyed a successful film career,...
, or John MayerJohn MayerJohn Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
replaced Jennifer Aniston, or Vince VaughnVince VaughnVincent Anthony "Vince" Vaughn is an American film actor, screenwriter, producer and comedian. He began acting in the late 1980s, appearing in minor television roles before attaining wider recognition with the 1996 movie Swingers...
replaced Jennifer Aniston," referring to the actress' highly-publicized personal life.
Reception
The A.V. ClubThe A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
graded the episode a B, stating "Fortunately, there were far fewer cutaway gags here than you might have expected for a Family Guy spinoff, and the story itself was mostly pretty strong. It’s still not terrific, but this felt like a solid step in the right direction".