**1/2 - Is there anything more annoying than having to listen to a bunch of screeching yahoos play the irritating children’s pool game ‘Marco Polo’? Yes, there is and that would be listening to a bunch of screeching yahoos play the irritating children’s pool game ‘Marco Polo’ from the comfort of one’s apartment while trying to watch some god damn television. That was my experience while I attempted to view the first season of the animated comedy show “Archer” on this balmy 2011 Memorial Day weekend, as there was some kind of Boy Scout jamboree or something staying at the pool-equipped Comfort Inn that is within throwing distance of my back window. I only hope that my enjoyment of the show wasn’t affected negatively by the viewing environment. The 12-episode inaugural season from the creators of “Sealab 2021” and “Frisky Dingo” follows the adventures of spy Sterling Archer and the espionage agency that he works for which is run by his mother and staffed by a slew of eccentric characters. I have never seen “Sealab 2021” but I would rate this as on par with season one of “Frisky Dingo” and probably a notch below the second season. Part of what hurts “Archer” may be the full length (22-minute) format that was used as opposed to the 11-minute format used on their previous project, as parts of these episodes tend to drag a bit and belabor marginal ideas. Plus there is a pretty high frequency of crude and extreme attempts at humor which I don’t find all that appealing. It’s not bad for the first season of a program, but I don’t have any particular desire to watch it again, although I’ll likely give the 2nd and 3rd seasons a try.
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