Episodes

I really feel confused. There seems to be an overwhelming sense of animosity 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 nuance and detail that have gone into this show. There are some reviews here that don't even make much sense.They're just plain angry. (One review actually criticized the hair color of one of the actors!) I say, relax people. If you don't find it to your liking don't watch. But for those of us that do, (it's already a hit in the UK as well as on SHOWTIME) it is a subtle and sophisticated pleasure that doesn't pander to it's audience. This show is about a married couple and their relationship. It's set in the world of television but the TV aspect is secondary. I hadn't seen the two British leads before but I totally love their chemistry. It feels much more honest than most TV relationships. Both actors are subtle and complicated and I can totally buy the fact that they're married. I thought the first episode did exactly what it had to do which is introduce a whole lot of characters plus set up this couple's journey. As for not being funny, I am at a complete loss. John Pankow established "Merc Lapides" in twenty seconds. How could you not laugh at his references to his bigoted New Jersey grandmother, his alcohol addiction, his cancer? And "Carol Rance", the network exec, made me laugh at just about everything she said. Ditto the head of comedy who with just a few grimaces and groans created a hysterical and memorable character. I feel that this is not a show for the masses. It was clearly never meant to be. It's a small gem of a show that respects it's audience and has it's own very unique voice. Thank You SHOWTIME for presenting it.

I watched the first episode of Episodes and was not knocked out but saw that it had some potential. Matt Le Blanc really makes this show with a satirical take on himself and "stars" generally. I am now on the fourth episode and it has just gotten better and better. Most sitcoms are like this - they rarely hit their stride right out of the traps - though Frasier and Friends manage to buck that trend. I have never been a fan of Tamsin Greig or Stephen Mangan but I am beginning to appreciate their talents in this. Episodes is a great concept and is well written and performed. It benefits from having no laugh track or studio audience. Lots of reviewers here have written this off after the pilot episode but it is their loss - I really like this show and hope it works in the US as well as the UK. Added 22/02/11 Just watched the final episode of series 1 and I have grown to love this series-I just hope they recommission it. Matt Le Blanc should be lauded for the kind of bravery in acting that US stars usually forgo. He was terrific in this. Almost the end of December 2012 and I have just gotten around to watching series 2 in it's entirety in one afternoon! Series 1 was good but this is even better - the situation did not seem like a second series was on but how wrong I was. Matt warmed to his portrayal of himself and Tamsin and Stephen were terrific in it. I look forward to series 3.

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

How did I miss this first time round??! Thank god for being able to watch 5 seasons in 2 days on Netflix!!

I've never seen Matt Le Blanc in anything other than friends so I didn't know what to expect from this comedy series, but I loved it.

Subtle humour throughout, but some great one liners that really made me laugh out loud.

While the first episode wasn't the greatest, it set up the story of the show and the second episode was great from start to finish. The humour is dry and is a mix of British and US humour, but it's definitely heavier with the British humour. The head of comedy was brilliant. The head of comedy is one of those blonde bimbo's you see on TV that just say "that's so funny" instead of actually laughing.

To the people that say that the main characters have no chemistry, have you ever seen any married couple on UK TV. That's how they act. Married couples have their ups and downs, they act realistically. Do you want them to act like they have just met and they are so in love. Married life contains struggles and compromise. I think they conveyed this perfectly.

After watching the show, I do worry that most Americans will struggle to get the humour, which in reality is what this show is all about. Showcasing the difference in humour and the difficulty in creating a show that is brilliant in one country, but completely lost in another.