getupday

Key and Peele are the most acerbic, gutsy, and funny duo on American television today. In fact, comedy duos seem to be a lost art form in the United States (gone are the days of Laurel and Hardy, Abbot and Costello, and Martin and Lewis). Perhaps, that's why Key and Peele seems fresh, while at the same time, hearkening back to pre-war era comedy. The writing is heavy on satire, but the performances are rife with pratfalls. In an era of snark and ironic distance, it's invigorating to watch a comedy in love with the execution of a sketch, not just the target of a joke. The cinematography also elevates the show above the usual crop, with its filmic look and splendid editing. Noting about this show is slapdash (Judd Apatow improv, this ain't). The show's writing and performing is deliberate and the dividends are many! Highly recommended.

I must say, the premise is admittedly frustrating: A man in a terrible car crash with his wife and son finds that each time he goes to sleep, he wakes up with a completely different reality. In one, his wife survived the crash, while his son died and in the other, his son survived, but his wife did not. Though neither outcome seems dreamlike. He lives and works in each, accepting both as absolute fact. Add to this already complex premise his duties as police detective having to solve not one, but two crimes per episode and...whew...I'm exhausted. But also, highly entertained and captivated! Jason Issacs, who plays the lead in this dual reality is superb, as always and surrounded by an exceptional supporting cast. I hope NBC renews this show, I have a feeling it will be must see television.

Ricky Gervais called Louis C.K. "the funniest comedian working in America today", so it's fitting that Louis should repay the compliment with a guest spot for Gervais on his show. And what a guest spot! Gervais is allowed to do what Gervais does best, say ridiculously sublime and horribly tasteless things while still remaining oddly endearing. Ricky's jokes in anyone else's hands could seem the punch lines of a sociopath. Whether Louis C.K. will fulfill Ricky's pronouncement as "the funniest comedian working in America today" remains to be seen, but he's off to a good start. Each episode of Louis is presented in two vignettes, two seemingly random episodes connected by a greater theme, such as aging, love, death, health, wealth and happiness, etc. And so far, Louis C.K. has surrounded himself with excellent playmates (Gervais, for one). Now let us hope that he takes a cue from Ricky Gervais and keeps his comedy grounded in a painfully bittersweet hyper reality, as opposed to a Jerry Seinfeld/ Larry David world of snarky cynicism. The random quirkiness of his show has already drawn Seinfeld comparisons, but it's pretty obvious Louis has a hope for humanity his predecessors have never had. Louis C.K. (the character) is both a schlemiel and a schlimazel, a loser either way you look at it, but he has a dignity befitting a Ricky Gervais character. And that's a winner anyway you look at it.