Two Underrated Comedies That Take a Whip to Hollywood
Schadenfreude is dark chocolate for the soul
I have a love/hate relationship with many things. Politics, for instance. I’m also pretty ambivalent about weddings. I like other people’s weddings, sans the awkward socializing with people I would never say hi to under any other circumstances, but the only way I’m ever getting married is at gunpoint. Malls are universally horrible, as are suburbs. They’re convenient, but I’ve developed a healthy fear of convenience. It’s a soft chain, you see. Americans who fail to adjust to life in Europe almost always do so because they’re addicted to free parking, short walks, Big Box stores, wall-to-wall carpeting, and English.
I’ve never actually seen an Italian house with wall-to-wall carpeting. I don’t believe it exists.
But if there is one thing I am predictably not ambivalent about, it’s Hollywood. I hate it. Well, I mostly hate it. Sometimes, I hate it less, like when it produces real masterpieces like Goodfellas or American Hustle, or releases a movie that isn’t a Marvel Comics franchise. My biggest problem with Hollywood is its narcissistic obsession with its own kind. If I see one more “coming of age” film about a sensitive white guy, a Woody Allen movie about a neurotic, hebephiliac white guy, or a self-reverential “exploration of the soul” about a white guy having a midlife crisis, I’m going to throw up in the theater, spread it around with my shoe, and leave.
When someone turns that high-powered lens on Hollywood itself, though, I’m 100% there for that. And if you like that sort of thing, too, you might be in for a treat. Good comedies are hard to find anyway, but I’ve got two of them, and they both give Hollywood the shellacking it deserves. Neither is recent, both were critically praised but didn’t get the following they deserved, and both will make you laugh till you split your pants. That’s a Cappuccino guarantee.
Without further ado, here are my recommendations.
Party Down
2 Seasons (2009-2010).
Premise: A group of caterers try to make it in Hollywood.
Written by: John Enbom, Rob Thomas, Dan Etheridge, and Paul Rudd.
Starring: Adam Scott (later, of Parks and Recreation fame), Jane Lynch (yes, that Jane Lynch), Megan Mullally (yes, that Megan Mullally), Ken Marino, Lizzy Caplan, Ryan Hansen (who went on to star in another Rob Thomas show, Veronica Mars), Martin Starr (Silicon Valley), and Jennifer Coolidge.
Why I love it: The humor runs the gamut from drily funny to snarky to slapstick, but every single episode pokes merciless fun at actors, “the business,” fame, trying to be famous, and morons who think they can write screenplays. I’d be embarrassed to tell you how many times I’ve watched both seasons all the way through. There’s a reason this series is still a cult favorite. You know a show is worthwhile when it stands the test of time, and over a decade later, this gem continues to sparkle.
Episodes
5 Seasons (2011-2015).
Premise: A British husband-and-wife writing team are invited to Hollywood to remake their successful British TV series but come up against the wheeling-dealing world of American network television.
Written by: David Crane, Jeffrey Klarik.
Starring: Matt LeBlanc (in a Golden Globe-winning performance playing a satirical version of himself), Stephen Mangan (huge fan of this actor—you can also see him in soapy British drama series, The Split), Tamsin Greig, John Pankow, Kathleen Rose Perkins (who, along with Matt LeBlanc, actually steals the show), Mircea Monroe.
Why I love it: With its mixture of acerbic British wit, slapstick humor, and genuinely funny, likable characters, Episodes has been a big hit with everyone I’ve suggested it to. It’s an ensemble piece, but what I also appreciate is that its two American stars, Matt LeBlanc and Kathleen Rose Perkins, are the real standouts. It’s hard to shine when you’re standing next to a British actor. By the power of their training and talent alone, they tend to make everyone else look about as exciting as a kale smoothie.
If you poke around online, you should be able to find Party Down and Episodes. The holiday season brings the best and the worse out in everybody, so I figured you could probably use a laugh right about now. And laugh you shall.
Have you seen Party Down and/or Episodes? If so, what was your take? Please leave your comments below.
I've never seen either, but I absolutely despise any serial TV that markets itself as comedy. Too often they are only about wallowing in people's stupidity (typically the central characters.) I have, for example, never endured more than 15 seconds of 'Seinfeld'.
I absolutely loved Episodes. I wish that show could have kept going. It was perfect.