revere2

25 May 2012

Maybe not the worst thing on TV

I've now watched five or six episodes of this program.First the good: The pacing isn't rushed, there's no laugh track, andMatt LeBlanc gives a generally competent performance.Now the bad: This is a program mostly about people I wouldn't want toknow in real life, and with whom I can't really identify. Almost allthe central characters are either despicable users, whinypassive/aggressive types, are carrying on an affair with a marriedboss, or are despicable in some other way(s). The program displays ahigh degree of sexual content, whether it's a scene about a characterbragging about the size of his genitals, or a scene of the married bossand his assistant copulating. Is it just too hard to be funny withoutshowcasing squalid, trashy, vulgar, and contemptible behavior? Is thistruly the stuff we Americans crave? I am 56 years old, and clearly this program is aimed at someone whosevalues and preferences bear little resemblance to mine.

ace_in_peace

24 May 2012

had my doubts

One night, out of curiosity for what the cast FRIENDS was up to now, Ivisited the FRIENDS IMDb page and found, to my surprise, that MattLeBlanc was back in showbiz. It was a kind of treat for me, and seeingthat David Crane was involved, was the cherry on top. With a lot ofenthusiasm I began to watch the show, but with each passing minute myenthusiasm kept dropping and I thought to myself this will be another"Joey". The plot seemed it wasn't that well thought out and I justcouldn't get myself to connect with any of the "American" characters.The only saving grace were Stephen Mangan and Tamsin Greig who, Ithought, were fantastic.Their acting was flawless and I could clearlysee the chemistry between them. They were the only "funny" characterson the show and I just couldn't see the show going on beyond it's firstseason. I had given up hope and dint plan on following the show anyfurther than the first episode. As the week passed I found myself beingcurious again and told myself "This is just the first episode. Maybe Ishould give the show one more chance", and you know what? I am glad Idid. The second episode was surprisingly better than the first. Wherethe first episode just managed to get a few chuckles out of me, thesecond one had me laughing out loud. The acting of all the involvedcharacters had become more polished, the dialogues were actually funny,and most of all, LeBlanc did not disappoint, not one bit! He wascharming, likable, and FUNNY! LeBlanc, Mangan and Grieg, together, werea breath of fresh air. They have great chemistry with one another andthey give a superb performance on-screen. I am defiantly going tofollow the show from now on and I would like to encourage others, whowere disappointed by the pilot/first episode, to give the show anothertry. It holds A lot of promise.

24 May 2012

Disappointing...

I didn't know what to expect when I put on the first episode ofEpisodes on as I hadn't read any previews. I knew LeBlanc was playinghimself in it, and I knew two English actors from The Green Wing wouldbe main characters in it. The main thing I knew was that the creator ofFriends had made it. So it should be good right? Wrong. So very wrong.Somehow, I managed to get through the entire episode without turningthe TV over. The two main characters are simply not believable as acouple as they have zero chemistry. Stephen Mangan's only expression ishis natural one, wide-eyed shock. He has the face for comedy, but notthe delivery. Tamsin Grieg is a much better actor than Mangan but hasvery little opportunity to display any talent with such awful lines. Icannot judge LeBlanc as he's not exactly a feature of the firstepisode.The situations Mangan and Grieg find themselves in are predictable. Youcan see what's coming a mile off. This can be OK as long as the comedyis executed well. But unfortunately it is very poorly executed. Scenesoften become dragged out and far too long. This is bad enough when theoriginal joke is funny. When it's not even funny to start off with thelong scenes become almost painful.Sadly, this first episode was cringeworthy. Not in the same way as TheOffice where you are cringing for the characters, but because you arecringing for the actors having to deliver such feeble lines. There arefar too many 'tumbleweed moments'. If this gets a second series I willeat all my hats.I will not put myself through episode 2.

Aaron Monson

23 May 2012

Great

While the first episode wasn't the greatest, it set up the story of theshow and the second episode was great from start to finish. The humouris dry and is a mix of British and US humour, but it's definitelyheavier with the British humour. The head of comedy was brilliant. Thehead of comedy is one of those blonde bimbo's you see on TV that justsay "that's so funny" instead of actually laughing.To the people that say that the main characters have no chemistry, haveyou ever seen any married couple on UK TV. That's how they act. Marriedcouples have their ups and downs, they act realistically. Do you wantthem to act like they have just met and they are so in love. Marriedlife contains struggles and compromise. I think they conveyed thisperfectly.After watching the show, I do worry that most Americans will struggleto get the humour, which in reality is what this show is all about.Showcasing the difference in humour and the difficulty in creating ashow that is brilliant in one country, but completely lost in another.

Movie_Masher

17 May 2012

Episodes

The show said it perfectly 'I want to make love to your show'. Well, Iwant to make extreme amounts of passionate love to this show andeverything it stands for.Behind the comedy and witty satire, this show has a deep and meaningfulpurpose. It shows exactly what the entertainment industry is like. Howa perfect couple, deeply devoted to one another could potentially behilted by 'The industry' that they have worked so hard together to makeit into.This show is funny, heart felt and in a lot of ways elegant. The actingis sublime and the story is strong.I would recommend this to anyone looking for a REAL show to watch. Justwait and see how thick and fast you fall in love with the charactersand their struggle with the glitz and glamour of Hollywood as they walkdirectly into the belly of the beast itself.

Marbles86

16 May 2012

Watchable, but a considerable waste of potential so far

I love shows like CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM and LARRY SANDERS and amgenerally fascinated by the behind the scenes workings of Televisionand film, so I was quite excited about EPISODES. Sadly, on the whole ithas been disappointing. For a start the supposedly "brilliant" comedythat is being "ruined" by the American writers ("Lyman's Boys") soundsdull as dishwater, and it's hard to believe it would be so acclaimedand popular in modern British society. For a start, if Matt LeBlanccould notice it's a rip-off of HISTORY BOYS right down to the star,wouldn't someone in the UK have noticed it by now? The "remake" the USproducers are making is not a believably dumbed down version, butsomething so far removed from the original (even its title "Pucks")that it begs the question if it is really worthwhile for them to keeppaying the writers for the "Lyman's Boys" rights.I know Matt LeBlanc isn't the most versatile of actors, but some of thelines he's been given are blatant "Joey lines". Still he and JohnPankow (and in a small way Daisy Haggard) are the only people reallykeeping this afloat. I've never been a fan of Stephen Mangan but he'sOK here, and his character is semi-likable. Tamsin Greig's character onthe other hand is almost completely unbearable and it's hard to see whyanyone would put up with her constant whining, however horrible LA is.It can't be because she's got too much artistic integrity; if that werethe case she would turn down the money and leave.As of this writing I have seen the first four episodes of, er, EPISODESand they have just about been decent enough for me to probably tuneinto the next three, but unless something special happens I think thisseries is going to go down as a major missed opportunity.

prestonloyola

16 May 2012

fantastic so far (as of ep 3)

After watching the first 3 shows, I'm impressed, will be a great showif this level of writing can be sustained. "Episodes" is a crossbetween "Entourage" (minus the glorification of wealth and conspicuousconsumption), "Curb your Enthusiasm" (minus bad acting), and "Extras"(minus cameos, and bits that sucked of which there were many). I don't know why there are so many negative reviews (as of 1/25/2011) -perhaps Americans are having trouble relating to the lead Britishcouple? In any case, seeing the inner workings of Hollywood'sentertainment industrial complex through their down-to-earth eyes is agreat premise, casting Matt LeBlanc was a genius touch, and I hope thisgem continues for a lot more 'episodes'.

15 May 2012

Mildly amusing

The DVD has not yet been released in the U.S. but I bought my Episodes Season 1 in mp4 format from the popular fruit-named media store based in Palo Alto for $2.99 per episode in HD. You can buy the DVD from Amazon UK but you should ensure that your DVD player will play Region 2 DVDs; the Blu-Ray from Amazon UK is supposedly region-free.So far, I have watched 5 of the 7 total episodes of Season 1 and can't say that I find the show all that entertaining. It is definitely not a sit-com; I would consider it as more a drama with an outside shot at wry humour. There is nothing funny watching the marriage of an English couple unravelling from the stress and plasticity of Tinseltown, or of an assistant having an adulterous affair with the producer (both at least have the decency to be in agreement that he should not leave his blind wife) or of an actor having lost custody of his two young sons even though he is a doting father, if an incorrigible skirt-chaser. There are no smart quips or comical situations to make up for these depressing scenarios.That said, however, I really did enjoy the show for Matt LeBlanc's stellar performance as an actor. I am not the type to pigeon-hole an artist for his/her one famous role and, as much as the ensemble cast of FRIENDS shone, I find Matt LeBlanc at his peak in Episodes. I also admire that he is not afraid to show his age with his greying hair which, if anything, makes his look even sexier. His every facial expression and body language shows some well-honed and confident acting skills. Every lift of his eyebrow or curl of his lip is well-orchestrated to the very moment. LeBlanc shows that he can play a blasé sardonic alter-ego of himself as well as he played simple puerile Joey in FRIENDS. He fully deserves his Emmy; if anything, it was long overdue.The rest of the cast is forgettable. I do not find much warmth or chemistry between them and the characters they play are not exactly likeable. Tamsin Greig is somewhat unemotional in her acting but it could be because she plays the typical Englishwoman who does not wear her feelings on her sleeves. Stephen Mangan's character has the potential to develop further, especially if he is allowed to get into more antics with LeBlanc, but currently he is somewhat restricted as the good husband always trying to appease his dissatisfied wife.All in all, I would still plough through the rest of the season and may even purchase Season 2 when it becomes available.

gregsawyer2006

10 May 2012

Smart, quiet and funnier than any other comedy on SHOWTIME.

I really feel confused. There seems to be an overwhelming sense ofanimosity toward this show.In a world where HOT IN CLEVELAND is a hit,it makes me sad that so many people don't seem to appreciate the nuanceand detail that have gone into this show. There are some reviews herethat don't even make much sense.They're just plain angry. (One reviewactually criticized the hair color of one of the actors!) I say, relaxpeople. If you don't find it to your liking don't watch. But for thoseof us that do, (it's already a hit in the UK as well as on SHOWTIME) itis a subtle and sophisticated pleasure that doesn't pander to it'saudience. This show is about a married couple and their relationship.It's set in the world of television but the TV aspect is secondary. Ihadn't seen the two British leads before but I totally love theirchemistry. It feels much more honest than most TV relationships. Bothactors are subtle and complicated and I can totally buy the fact thatthey're married. I thought the first episode did exactly what it had todo which is introduce a whole lot of characters plus set up thiscouple's journey. As for not being funny, I am at a complete loss. JohnPankow established "Merc Lapides" in twenty seconds. How could you notlaugh at his references to his bigoted New Jersey grandmother, hisalcohol addiction, his cancer? And "Carol Rance", the network exec,made me laugh at just about everything she said. Ditto the head ofcomedy who with just a few grimaces and groans created a hysterical andmemorable character. I feel that this is not a show for the masses. Itwas clearly never meant to be. It's a small gem of a show that respectsit's audience and has it's own very unique voice. Thank You SHOWTIMEfor presenting it.

FreyJaz

09 May 2012

Brilliant!

I have no idea what half the other reviewers have been watching! Theshow is British/American. You can't just cut out the only thing Britishabout it (the couple). They add the British humour. I really don't seehow the show would be funny if it had an American couple trying to dothe same thing. The whole point of the show would be lost. Isn't thatwhat 'Episodes' is about? Taking a good show and turning it into'Pucks!'? Anyway, I think the series is amazing. Tamsin and Stephen areutterly hilarious, and very easy to relate to. Matt LeBlanc makeseverything all the more amazing! He is playing somebody I find verydifficult to sum-up, but I do hope that he is not playing himself. Notcompletely anyway. I can't wait to see what they do for the nextseries, hopefully it will be just as good as this one, if not better.

Pete Tarasiewicz

08 May 2012

Atrocious

Decided to give it a chance as I like to check out new shows hoping Iwill eventually get hooked on it. So as a fan of Green Wing, and manyBritish shows for that matter I was preparing myself for some wickedhumour and funny skits...but well... that didn't happen.Had to turn off the TV after painfully dreadful 30min of the mostboring plot ever crated. I'm still speechless and wondering who isresponsible for accepting show like that in widely known TV station,seriously I overhear more amusing stories in a bus on the daily :|Acting is painfully uncomfortable and awkward to watch so I assume itwill be pulled off the air after as much as couple of EPISODES :)

Mesh13-03

08 May 2012

Its not Joey, Its the writer.

I have great hopes for Episodes especially for the obvious reason, MattLe Blanc and David Crane back together, but Crane isn't the onlywriter, is it? There is another guy named, Jefferey Klarik. Not sayinghe is badwriter, but judging (bias, I know!) from his writer-graphy, hehas a sheer of bad luck! Now, Episodes started out great and ended upalright. Nothing went wrong for the first six episode but the finalepisode for me was weak. It was cheap, not funny and predictable. Ilike the actor, especially Matt Le Blanc, I am an avid FRIENDS fan buthonestly speaking I am not fond of Joey. But here Matt build his owncharacter and playing his self version was hilarious as hell. I do likethe British couple, they are talented and funny as well. Some reviewsindicated that people don't get the humor, I do! Like I stated above,the first to six episodes were brilliant (screenplay and humor wise)but the final episode killed it! I'm glad they got renewed, I wanna seewhere Episodes is going and I hope it's gonna be entertaining as it'ssupposed to be.

josh_evans96

06 May 2012

A Perfect blend of British and American humour

The first two episodes are quite funny as it introduces the charactersand get the story going but from then on it had me laughing out loud atthe mix ox of clever and witty humour. The three main characters "MattLeBlanc", "Stephen Mangan" and "Tamsin Greig" bounce off each otherreally well and bring the characters/plot alive and vibrant.Unfortuently there are only seven episodes so far but there will be anew second season nine episodes in length which I'm sure will be fullof the same quick witted jokes that has become frequent in the newcomedy. I hope if you read this you will watch and enjoy it. This is amust see 10/10

A56T

06 May 2012

I love it I hate it

Episodes has a lot going for it. It is sharply written and the cast aregood with Matt Le Blanc proving to be the star of the show and stealsevery scene he is in. Mangan and Grieg do their bit and the show withina show element is good fun.However it cannot be ignored that the show has a very dark undertonethat keeps rearing its head. The jokes about Merc's blind wife are invery poor taste and the constant effing and blinding is both offputting and not needed. What does it add to Crane and Klarik's script -nothing. It just cheapens the show.I sat through the dull first episode (let's face it, it was dull), Isat through the effing and blinding the vomiting but I cannot sit backand watch scenes like the one featured in episode five. First of allthe rape jokes were really really in poor taste and to then end theepisode with clear masturbation and porn sightings just concluded myviewing of the show. Just because a show is on cable doesn't mean you can disregard allsenses of decency.

Nadia Rao

03 May 2012

Highly recommended

Hilarious culture-clash take on two British screenwriters who crashland in Hollywood to adapt their award-winning sitcom for the US. Thisis "The Office" cringe humor meets "The Player" showbiz absurdity.The two leads Stephen Mangan and Tasmin Greig do a finely nuanced jobas the bewildered Londoners in the seductive yet soul-twisting LalaLand. And Matt LeBlanc does a great dry-witted, Golden GlobeAward-winning spoof of himself.The show also lies in "Curb Your Enthusiasm" territory with itsbehind-the-scenes glimpse into a cynical studio system where celebrityclout, personal politics and petty vanities trump artistic integrity atevery turn.Worth a look-see.

02 May 2012

GREAT SHOW

This show is very funny. A great send up of behind the scenes Hollywood. Don't hesitate to check it out if you're a fan of shows like Extras, Party Down, etc. The person who gave this a crappy review probably loves Two and a Half Men.

blueheart-1

30 April 2012

Miss by a mile

I bet this looked so good on paper, lets have a show where somesuccessful British SitCom writers go to LA and see how they cope withthe pressures of studio life. We'll have some really good Britishactors, Steve and Tamsin were great in Green Wing, and Matt, what canwe say, everybody's favourite Friend.But.. just how funny is it that the studio boss says he loves the showbut he hasn't seen it. The guard won't let them through the gate totheir house. Everyone is so insincere.It brings to mind the "Pilot" shows from Sienfeld, only the writers forthat show remembered to put some jokes in. We can't identify with thecharacters, not being BAFTA winning writers or comedy superstars, sothey have to be really well written. Sadly they are not. Such a wickedwaste of the talent available.

Rifqi

29 April 2012

Funny Funny Funny

Well, out of Friends former member's new ventures, I have to say thatEpisodes is the funniest...I watched this without too much expectation,I already watched Cougar Town and Sunshine Pilots so that's reasonable.Because those other shows is not funny-so-I-blurt-laugh-unconsciouslykind of thing, smile yes, but laugh no...This show is fresh air of comedy in TV shows that heavy in drama,horror, and police procedural. I also love Tamsin Greig and hercounterpart (forget his name), they add certain quality of 'British'flavor that I really love.Matt Le Blanc is funny and those writers from London is not lightweightcomedian either. And the chemistry between three of them is palpableand hilarious, it's a rare feat for this kind of show. Hopefully thisshow will be catching a wind and growing huge because it really hasgreat quality of comedy.Highly recommended for good laugh and insight about how TV studiowork...

bliss3333

27 April 2012

Hysterical

I *looooove* this show! It will unfortunately crash and burn because itis far too smart for most television viewers. How can it be funny whenthere is no studio audience to let me know when to laugh? :p MattLeblanc should win an Emmy. He is the perfect smarmy narcissist (andhopefully bears no resemblance to himself.) The British couple arepitch-perfect. Writing is dead on, capturing all the nuance of theclash of British and American culture. I was working in LA for a whileand as a Canadian, I can relate to the subtle (and not so subtle)differences between cultures. I have always loved British comedy forits subtle, sniper-style humour. This show marries that style with themore traditional broad American comedy - while neither diluting norcorrupting either. Can't wait for the next episode!

Man-O-Man

27 April 2012

Utter garbage but ...

First of all I am an American "who gets" British humor just fine solet's clear that up for the art house elitists on the board who thinksthis is a "groundbreaking" TV series for the enlightened.It is not that at all. In fact, it is your typical "this is supposed tobe clever" disguise that in this case takes 2 British writers out oftheir element and drops them in La La Land with the over-plasticized,phony, shallow and vapid bubble head crowd. WOW, that is just SOclever! Who ever thought of that? Downright original I tell you.Next, let's make the British woman completely uptight and have her hatemost of the people she comes into contact with in Hollywood becausethey are so different and she is just so "right" and uptight she cannotblend in. Now, let's make her British husband just the opposite and avery likable chap who gets caught up in the world of narcissism, moneyand silicone. Brilliant! Throw in a woman with massive tits as the boytoy oogle babe and make the British wife not like her, in fact let'smake her even more insecure by setting them up in situations that havebeen done a million times before! Finally, add a former has-been TVstar in "real life" and center (or shall I say "centre"?) the showaround him and throw in his own personal life. Matt LeBlanc is sounlikeable I don't even know where to begin. The "Joey" jokes have wornso thin and were so predictable you could see them coming like a highspeed rail. If this is him in reality, he's disgusting, phony, cluelessand one dimensional. If it is him acting like how people think MattLeBlanc "might be" in real life, well you won't garner many new fansthere either Matt. So to a few other reviewers who appear to think that the viewers who donot share your views and who do think this show is rubbish and just"don't get it", well I can assure you that I for one DO get it Thankyou very much. In fact, I feel quite confident in stating quite clearlythat it is not the intelligent, witty, brilliant show that you think itis but more of the same tired dribble wrapped up in a big, fat, stinkybow aimed at people who would fall for such a ploy. Oh the irony…