Huff

I started watching the show to get me through to the next major shows, i.e. HBO Sundays. From the first episode, I was hooked. Not to mention the line and sinker that goes along with being hooked. You love characters... You hate the characters.

By next season... this show will rival any on television. Many Emmys and Golden Globes to come.

I don't know which I love the most.

Huff's Nobility

Izzy's Prejudice's and Flakiness.....(she great!)

... Russell's .....what can I say? (Oliver Platt continues to be one of best actors I've ever seen).

Nigel Cleveland

Wow. The best series yet since the first season of Soprano's. This series has story lines that happen in everyday life but with wonderful twists and witty commentary. All the characters fit in perfectly with each other and each individual character brings a life to the show that keeps you watching.

The actors are talented and strong so it leaves you wanting more. Each week I have never been disappointed with the concepts and ideas the show produces. Again, the actors are very talented and the script is perfectly written for each of their character's leaving the viewer to thirst on what will happen to them next. The show in it's entirety is by far outstanding and commendable.

The show stars Hank Azaria as psychiatrist Dr Huff(stodt). Without revealing too much, I'll just say the show basically revolves around his work and his personal life and all the trials and tribulations the characters face.

Right from the start, you realise, "this is quality television". The characters are interesting and appear convincing, the script is brilliant and everything is pretty well executed. At the end of most episodes you get that burning desire to watch the next one ("oh, what's going to happen next?!"). That's always a good indicator for a good show.

Hank Azaria is convincing in his depiction of a troubled psychiatrist. The actor who plays his kid is brilliant, as is Oliver Platt in his portrayal of the libertine lawyer who always seems to get into trouble of his own design.

For those of you wondering why there have only been two seasons: I can't quite fathom why the execs decided not to renew the show for another season. But I do know this, though: often it's best to quit while the going's good. Otherwise, by trying to top something that's already peaked, you run the risk of ruining something special - take Nip-Tuck, for example. By just going on and on they've ruined a great show that, after season 3, I think, was a mere shadow of its former self. So, don't worry about the cancellation of Huff. The end of season 2 was the point to stop, and by so doing the show was wrapped up admirably and with a good resolution at the end.

SHOULD YOU WATCH THIS SHOW?

I can recommend 'Huff' wholeheartedly and without reservation. This show, albeit largely unknown, is certainly a gem among television shows. Though I must say: It took some getting used to seeing Hank Azaria in this role after having seen him as Agador, the hilarious gay waiter in 'The Birdcage'. The contrast between the two roles is so stark, it'll make it even more enjoyable watching him in 'Huff'.

This show is likely to grow on you if you enjoyed 'Six Feet Under', 'Nip/Tuck' or 'Californication'. All these shows are somewhat brutal and unrelenting in depicting harsh realities and unusually offensive (for American television) language. It'll definitely keep you interested and you may enjoy it with a clean conscience as it is intelligently made.

What a great TV series Huff is. Hank Azaria plays the part with extreme reality and never shirks displaying the many foibles which makes a character leap off the page and onto the screen. Huff has odd hallucinations - I guess you could call them daydreams- where he imagines what might happen or he will see an odd refugee who keeps popping up to judge him. The refugee is like one of those cartoon angels or devils that sit on a character's shoulder in judgement. Huff's wife played by Paget Brewster is in my opinion the best actor in the ensemble and this is from a superb group cast. Page's take on Beth is so realistic you feel like a nosey neighbour peeking through their windows. Oliver Platt plays Russell Tupper, Huff's lawyer friend and he too is a fine actor. I started out disliking his character but soon warmed to him as he has a childlike quality but in spite of some of the foolish things he does (such as drugs and hookers) he can then turn things around and go out of his way to put the world to right - usually with the help of his faithful assistant. Izzy, Huffs mother, is played by Blythe Danner and it is the first time that I have seen her playing a part that isn't subservient or slightly ditsy. She actually play quite a determined, opinionated part but even so, like most of the cast, has a tender side - just takes a lot more for her to reveal it. Anton Yelchin plays Huff's son Byrd and that boy is gonna be big! Huff's younger brother Teddy who is mentally troubled is played to perfection by Andy Comeau. Huff also has a great receptionist played by the sassy Kimberley Brookes. If you are not too keen on extreme cursing stay away but personally I think it is the cursing that makes it so very real, so believable and I hope that it gets enough attention and doesn't get cancelled because that would make me angry and you wouldn't like me when I'm angry (oops - slipped into Hulk mode there!)

Paul King

Sometimes US TV shows just click, and produce something that goes beyond the slick, expensive productions and network push that define such forgettable water-cooler 'classics' as Desperate Housewives, Lost, and most reality TV. Here, Huff brings together a fascinating set of actors who are really allowed to flex their abilities on this riveting, passionate and touching show.

Despite the development of plot generally feeling slow and episodes ending with slightly over-the-top and shocking twists, the dialogue in particular is expertly written and interpreted in standout performances from all of the leading cast, from Hank Azaria in the lead to the delicious extremes of Blythe Danner, Oliver Platt, Paget Brewster and Andy Comeau, with a full introduction to a remarkable young talent Anton Yelchin. The only shame so far has been the under-use of Kimberly Brooks as Huff's secretary, given how much fun has been had with her opposite number in Platt's character's office.

Destined to be cruelly overlooked throughout its run on television as a 'cult show', this is a real treat for fans looking for something original, made by people who care about their work and perform it with mastery.