# Tom Goes to the Mayor (2004)

> Tom Goes to the Mayor is an absurdist animated comedy about an earnest small-town man and an eccentric mayor.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/2583

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 30
- Episode runtime: 11 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: animation, comedy
- Created by: Eric Wareheim, Tim Heidecker
- Network: Adult Swim
- Cast: Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim, Jeff Goldblum, Jeff Garlin, Jack Black, Fred Armisen, David Cross, Sarah Silverman
- TMDB rating: 6.7/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0425720/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: mild
- Tone: deadpan, absurdist, awkward

## What critics say

Viewed as a cult animated comedy whose awkward, deadpan humor divides critics, with its crude animation and thin storytelling drawing the most criticism.

## Synopsis

Tom Goes to the Mayor is a short-form animated comedy from Adult Swim that follows Tom, an earnest and relentlessly cheerful small-town man who sees civic life as an opportunity for friendship and ambition. His odd-couple bond with the eccentric, self-absorbed Mayor drives nearly every episode, as the pair wander through meetings, parades, and bureaucratic mishaps with a kind of deadpan sincerity. The show's humor lives in awkward silences, flat delivery, and the gap between how seriously the characters take trivial matters and how little anyone else cares. Its crude, minimalist drawings and brisk running times keep the absurdity moving, while the tone stays affectionate beneath the mockery of municipal politics. Viewers come to it for the cringe-inducing awkwardness, the gentle melancholy of two lonely men trying too hard, and the offbeat warmth that emerges between them. Because episodes are brief and mostly self-contained, it works as a late-night palate cleanser rather than a demanding narrative. Across its run, the series keeps the same recognizable rhythm, sharpening its satire of small-town institutions without losing the quiet sweetness of its central friendship. It suits viewers who enjoy surreal, low-stakes comedy with an edge of melancholy and a fondness for odd-couple dynamics.

## Shows like Tom Goes to the Mayor

- [I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/75310)
- [Ten Year Old Tom (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/110478)
- [Mr. Pickles (2014)](https://ember.film/tv/54898)
- [Jeff and Some Aliens (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/61085)
- [Big Mouth (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/64522)
- [Animals. (2016)](https://ember.film/tv/57645)
- [Close Enough (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/71954)
- [Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule (2010)](https://ember.film/tv/30015)
- [Superjail! (2008)](https://ember.film/tv/2953)
- [Metalocalypse (2006)](https://ember.film/tv/617)

---

Site overview: https://ember.film/llms.txt