3 Comedy Series That Are Worth Your Time, and 5 Reasons Why You Should Watch Them
Besides watching the second season of True Blood, Breaking Bad plus Dollhouse and Fringe (refer to this entry), I'm now hooked to these 3 new (and not so new) comedy series. I think you guys should check it out.
Party Down
What it's about :
Party Down is about a group of struggling actors who are stuck working for tips while waiting for their big break. As employees of the L.A. catering company "Party Down," these misfits mingle with guests at everything from sweet sixteen parties to the most lavish Hollywood soirees.
5 reasons why you should watch it :
- Created by Paul Rudd and friends. Rudd was initially slated to star in the series but declined because he was so impressed by Adam Scott portrayal of the character Henry.
- Bill Haverchuck (Martin Starr) from Freaks and Geeks is in it. Yaay!
- The rest of the cast are amazing – Ken Marino, Jane Lynch, Adam Scott and Lizzy Caplan are familiar funny faces doing what they do best.
- It’s freakin’ hilarious! ..and dirty. But unlike shows that resort to dirty stuff for cheap laughs, Party Down's dirty jokes are earned. It’s a bit of Arrested Development meets Undeclared meets The Office (in my opinion).
- Not only riotously funny but the show also touches on some great, dark and ultimately hilarious subjects. In a culture driven by success, the show looks at which point a life becomes a failure, and what constitutes a loser. You’ll laugh at the jokes, but you can’t help sympathizing at them too.
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Eastbound and Down
What it's about :
Relief Pitcher Kenny Powers (Danny McBride) was poised to rule the Big Leagues, but two things got in the way: his fading fastball and his insufferable personality. After a spectacular career flame-out, Kenny came home to Shelby County, NC and picked up a job as a substitute gym teacher (mostly so his brother Dustin would stop threatening to kick him out). He's spent every moment since then cashing in the last of his dying fame while plotting his inevitable comeback... one beer at a time.
5 reasons why you should watch it :
- I don’t know about you guys, but I think Danny McBride is a mullet-haired comedic genius. His jokes are crude and offensive, but never failed to make me laugh.
- When you have McBride, you have Ferrell (Will that is). He pops up in a couple episodes and stole the scenes.
- The main character Kenny Powers is so unbelievably repugnant, misanthropic, major a-hole that you have to see it to believe it. He’s an egomaniacal prick who doesn’t give a shit who he offends. And you can’t help but laugh at his mean jokes.
- Darryl Philbin (Craig Robinson) from The Office is in it. Yaay!
- Kenny Powers is so quote-worthy like freakin’ Chuck Norris. Check this out.
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Head Case
What it's about :
Dr. Elizabeth Goode (Alexandra Wentworth) is brash, unconventional and judgmental in her own unique method of therapy, and thus, has become the "it" therapist to those in Hollywood in need of a "Goode" mind adjustment. Her office is filled with a who's who from the world of entertainment, sports and music. Although her method at times is a little, shall we say, off kilter, they always wind up returning for a session.
5 reasons why you should watch it :
- Every episodes featured different stars all playing themselves in guest starring roles. Some of the guests featured are Rosanna Arquette, Andy Dick, Lea Thompson, Christopher Lloyd, Cindy Margolis and Jeff Goldblum.
- I just love the improvisational comedy. There are story outlines, and premises but with a lot of improvisation between the characters. So the quality of a given episode hangs a lot on the celebrity guest stars ability to play along with the show’s low-key sensibility. That’s brilliant IMHO.
- It has the same vibe as The Office and Curb Your Enthusiasm with the single camera and no laugh track approach. It makes me feel like a voyeur.. :P
- The main character Dr. Goode is narcissistic, judgmental, self-involved, and non-relatable to her patients but Wentworth makes the character so likeable and twisted that even her facial expressions are sometimes more humorous than the wild dialogue.
- One of the reasons the series worked is because of it’s length. At only 15 minutes per episode (sometimes less), I think it was intended to be sharp and snappy.
