Government Cheese

Between Aeysha Carr's wicked sense of humour, and director Paul Hunter's zany music clip background, the two creators and writers have got this absolute hilarious series covered. It is a blend between the Coen brothers and Wes Anderson, with David Lynch in the mix, creating what could have been a basic story and embellishing it with magical creative flare. To top it all off is David Oyelowo, playing the main role of Hampton Chambers to near perfection, entertaining us with the wild antics of an ex-con attempting to make it straight in an unforgiving world. Oyelowo is backed by a brilliant cast who play it right, giving this outrageous story an extra edge with the quirky characters and surreal moments...

There is a lot going on in Government Cheese and, for the most part, it works. The actors are all very appealing. The writing is quirky and engaging. The period sets, costumes and music are fantastic. Having said that, I'm not sure the whole show comes together, as there are a lot of disparate elements, rabbit holes and dead ends that make the first season a bit scattered.

Still, I appreciate that Apple TV+ continues to produce out-of-the-box, entertaining series that you typically won't find anywhere else. This includes offerings like Acapulco, Hello Tomorrow, The Big Door Prize, The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin, Palm Royale, etc. All those series kept me entertained, even if some of them didn't completely work.

Without giving anything substantial away, Government Cheese leaves a lot of balls in the air at the end of season one. So, like some of the above-mentioned shows and others, I really hope that Apple TV+ greenlights a second season. As far as the first season, I'd rate it an 8.2.

Loving the style and setting of this. Anything that has the music of Can in it is obviously a labour of love and this programme is swimming in love from the set design to costuming and the performances. Wonderfully cast and acted. As the title says it's very reminiscent of Greg Garcias work to if you enjoyed My name is Earl or Raising Hopeand most latterly Sprung, the style of this and choice of shots will feel very familiar. Having to enter extra words just to meet an arbitrary word count is both ridiculous and and wasteful. If you can say everything you want to say within a few sentences why prolong?

I really did not expect to like this show based on the premise/aesthetic: surprised myself by watching all four episodes in one day. David Oyelowo's characters often come across as self-righteous, and it's interesting to see him in an edgier role where that attitude is not yet fully earned.

Comparisons to Wes Anderson and the Coen brothers will abound, but it most reminds me of Lodge 49. It's never really clear how much the religious/magical realist elements reflect reality vs. The characters' own sometimes questionable judgment. The whole cast is great: Simone Missick is always appealing, and Sunita Mani almost steals the whole show in what may be a one-off appearance.

One of the most underrated shows airing right now. I watch pretty much everything and this is the show that has really gripped me. I don't know where it's going but I love it. I suspect some thought this was a Wes Anderson rip off or more irritating indie quirk and rejected it out of hand. But it has a genuinely nuanced originality, both in style and story. Reminded me of Lodge 49 in the tangents, mystery and free flowing narrative. Congrats to Apple for backing this - we need more of it!

Terrible it doesn't appear to be getting the attention and acclaim it deserves. A huge recommendation - can't let this series die!