Lady Dynamite

I love comedy, especially stand-up. Louis, Chapelle, Hedberg, Burr, are who I consider Legends. I've seen Maria's stand-up in the past and I didn't quite get her or laugh at her comedy. Her name stuck though so I gave this show a chance. This show flings Maria at the world unapologetically. And I get her now! I see her unique talent. You can see that she has that incredible wit, that only comes with decades in the game. I'm really happy for Maria that this show is so great.

You work hard, and you just never know when your time is, well Maria's time is now it appears. She's very brave for sharing her depression, anxiety, mental illness with everyone-- Her humour overcomes it all in the end.

At the beginning, I thought this show was, as people have said here, "derivative" and only marginally funny. Kept it on because I was doing something and didn't have the free hands to turn it off. I had a few chuckles and wasn't expecting much. But every single person on the show is a great comedian and/or actor, and the situations are novel. By the end of the second episode it had gained momentum, I was won over, but switched to The Americans. Then I woke up today and it was the only show I wanted to watch, for some reason it stuck with me. (Probably because it brings up memories of when I was in the music business and how people treated each other, and times when I made great money but walked away, but this time I'm laughing.) So I put on episode 3 and I've been laughing my ass off ever since. It gets funnier and funnier at each new episode!

I came onto IMDb just to find out more, and see there is a contingent for whom it isn't reaching. Well I would say, maybe you have to watch a few more episodes. But I'm someone who loved BoJack Horseman, Action, Party Down, Extras. Also, there are so many funny details that people might not get -- like the Minnesota hair when she flashbacks to Duluth, or the "Latin" saying on the wall of the church. When I see the flashbacks, I'm laughing already, before anyone opens their mouths.

Lady Dynamite is basically a cast of some of the funniest comedians, crushing it. Maria Bamford's references to mental illness are funny without making light of the struggles. This shines some real light on the relationship dynamics that exist because, well, we're all crazy! Cute innuendo throughout, like Deebag's cafe. Some of their material is so random it doesn't seem like it would be funny, but it is. Fred Melamed's character is great. Must watch... I'm binge watching this right now. One note though, the theme song basically makes me want to stick pencils in my ears and push hard. They seem to have made it even longer after the 11th episode. Gotta change that up to avoid accidental self inflicted ear injuries. Other than that great show.

It's hard to describe what this show is, so many levels of comedy and drama, but it works.

Maria Bamford suffers from bipolar disorder, and this show is a semi-coherent fictionalized depiction of her life, how her career operates, her family, and the various people she interacts with in the entertainment industry.

Flitting back and forth in time, each episode covers a specific narrative, should she date this guy, is she going to get the big movie role, is she objectively funny, etc., but each is framed in the roller coaster of emotions that make up her mental state. When she's manic, it's a little off putting, and when she's depressed, it's sad, but her support system of friends, parents, agents and various helpers sort of keep her on track, sort of.

For those unfamiliar with Maria, dial up one of her standup shows so you get some feel of who she is before you dig in to this show. She is about as "alt" as "alt comedy" can be, but she has crafted a stage show and a persona that are truly endearing and entertaining.

Unlike other entertainers who suffer from mental illness and hide it, Maria embraces it, and this show to some degree gives us the world seen through her eyes.

It's a bummer when reviewers bring down the overall rating for a show because it isn't their cup of tea or doesn't work for them stylistically. I have a feeling the negative reviewers here were not familiar with Maria Bamford before watching Lady Dynamite. This is all her, this is her brand of comedy, and she's f'ing hilarious. Clearly many in the comedy community feel the same way, given the number of amazing people she's brought in to be on the show--another major highlight of the show for me.

Comedic sensibility is very personal and certainly this show isn't for everybody, but that does not make it garbage, as I believe one reviewer called it. In terms of the kind of show and style of comedy it's going for, Lady Dynamite is knocking it out of the park! It just might not be your park; good thing there are plenty of other TV shows out there.