Joe Pera Talks with You

Joe Pera Talks with You is the new show I never knew I wanted so badly. I turn to Cartoon Network for entertaining short-duration shows, such as Mike Tyson Mysteries. They're blessedly brief and to the point, and I can watch them as a matter of convenience on my DVR. Joe Pera's schtick is a grandfatherly teacher who presents the various minutiae of life from a thoughtful perspective. My take is that if he weren't such a well-intentioned, sincere character he would be mostly rejected by "normal" society. But our hero manages to win the day while living comfortably between two worlds - the outside world where we meet life, and his inner world of perspectives, knowledge, and values. The overall mood of the show is calming, with "Joe Pera Reads You The Church Announcements" (S1E6) becoming surprisingly edgy. So I've seen 6 episodes so far, and have become a huge fan. Although each episode is self-contained enough that you can dive in, the episodes also present threads relating to themes and personal relationships that you can follow - not knowing some of them will make scenes in some episodes seem random. Thank you, Joe Pera, for talking with me.

Set in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, in the town of Marquette, the viewer is invited into the daily world of a socially awkward middle school choir teacher and his local friends. Far from the worn-out & predictable sarcasm of so much television comedy, Joe's humor is subtle, dry, charming, and incredibly endearing to the point of making you want to know the character personally.

By way of each episode, Joe takes us on a journey through various topics such as: how great breakfast is, Jack-o'-lanterns attaining 1/16th of the pumpkin carver's soul & how to re-grow your soul, talking you back to sleep since you are awake so late, what it's like to hear an amazing song for the first time before you heard it played 20 billion times, and even the Rat Wars of Alberta, Canada and more!

Accompanied by a cast of fantastic characters, the show's often-humorous - and sometimes subtle - references to the odd qualities of Michigan's Upper Peninsula culture are so sharply accurate, it really makes me wonder if one of the producers of the show might have spent significant time there.

Do yourself a favor and take the time to really watch this wonderful show. You'll love it.

Never has there been a show that is so willing to risk viewer engagement to establish and maintain a unique feel and mood.

The acting, editing, sound design and music all work together very purposefully to create a self-aware experience that is very rewarding for those willing to give it a chance.

Overall there is just so much heart and personality in this show, and if you like the first five minutes then it will probably become your favourite show of all time!

The only thing I can compare Joe Pera with, is Bob Ross making a sitcom.

It's so pure, relaxing, minimalistic, heart warming and I love watching it before going to bed to wash the daily cynicism off.

I want to be more like Joe Pera.

It's a show about a guy named Joe Pera talking with you during a variety of situations. A lovable guy, really. It's a different breed of Adult Swim shows that I can actually see getting viewers invested into ASMR and such. A few minor swears, but overall, a very wholesome experience. Can't recommend this enough.