State of the Union

From the "Bloggies" awards, to Angelina Jolie being attacked by an angry mob of her own children, to Renee Zelwiger's chronic narcissistic squint, to Hindu pharmacists calculating the effects of Viagra on septuagenarians in musical "bollywood" form, this is more classic humor from one of the most talented women in the world. Having been a big fan in the mid-eighties and beyond, I haven't missed a single series/episode of the magical Miss Tracey Ullman since she arrived from "across the pond". One of the funniest series she has created to date, in "State of the Union" she pokes fun at just about every conceivable nonsense the USA is known for.

T. Ullman is a prodigiously talented and intelligent performer but even she can't redeem strained, one-joke sketches, reminiscent of the worst of Saturday Night Live. When she hits the mark, she is gut-bustingly funny and simultaneously moving. That is her great characteristic: compassionate and piercing insight combined with equal-opportunity-offender humor and a gift for mimicry. But in the 2010 season of her Showtime series, like the 2009 season, too many sketches fall flat. She's just so good a performer that one keeps watching, hoping the material can rise to her level. Even one or two successes out of eight or nine tries per night makes her game worth watching, but just barely. And she isn't helping by padding out the shows with extended, repetitious and uninspired musical numbers.

P.S. - Yes, I know Ullman is one of the writers. But she still needs help in that department if she wants to get laughs.

It is incredible that this mindless junk has gone on for three seasons. I keep giving it another chance for Tracey's sake, but it is always terrible. There is absolutely nothing good to say about it.

It is possibly the worst show I've ever seen, and that's up against some pretty stiff competition. Ullman can do so much better. This show is pathetic.

Does she even watch the show herself? If she is actually approving this soulless crap then she has apparently lost her mind. I may never watch anything else she ever does.

Let this travesty die.

Watching some of Tracey Ullman's previous shows, I was impressed by her range of characterisation but rarely found myself laughing. I blamed poor writing. I was hoping for better with this series. Maybe it is unfair to judge after one episode, but here goes anyway. Not only did I not laugh at all, the closest I came to smiling was when I thought about how bad this was. The "best" segment were of Renee Zelwegger and David Beckham, but as they are both caricatures in real life, comic interpretation is unnecessary. What is more disappointing (and which will dissuade me from watching another episode) is Ullman's rather hesitant performances (maybe a better director was needed.) Too often I felt that I was watching a rehearsal rather than a finished product. With a bit more polish I may even have raised a hesitant grin.