Baskets

The writing, acting, production and direction of this black comedy are fantastic. I realise for anyone looking for an uplifting experience it won't be your cup of tea, but for those with a particular sense of humour it'll be thoroughly addictive.

If you're a fan of Louis CK in general and especially if you enjoyed Horace and Pete you'll love this. It's a great tip of the hat to concept of the sad clown. I also think if you'll find something in this if you liked The Office. Zach Galifianakis's character reminds me of Michael Scott in many ways.

As with any TV show, don't rely on a review, check it our for yourself! :)

At least one resident of Bakersfield should write a review of "Baskets" -- so here goes.

I agree with the majority opinion. This is an excellent dark comedy/satire with some amazing acting and quirky, creative scripts.

From now on I will think of Louie Anderson as a middle-aged woman in a man's body. Martha seems dull and naïve but she's actually the sanest character. Zach's characters are amazing tragicomic nutty brothers.

Why is the show set in Bakersfield? Our city has been the butt of jokes in Hollywood for decades. It continues to be the go-to prototype of a backwards redneck town in the worst part of California. Some years back there was a comedy cop show called "Bakersfield PD".

I was expecting to see some actual places and settings in or around Bakersfield. Some of the road-trip scenes looked like Kern County but I didn't see any identifiable landmarks. Bakersfield has a few odd cultural events, but clowns are not among them, and we only have the usual kinds of rodeos.

According to IMDb, none of the filming locations were in Bakersfield. Oh well...

Casting Louie Anderson as the mother is pure genius! His portrayal adds an extra layer to the series.

I can't help it. I've come to love this show. The characters have grown on me. At first I was a bit taken aback at the style of the show. After about the first four episodes I was hooked. I can't wait to see what happens next to my dear Baskets family. The show is original, there is no laugh track, and it's more true to life than most television these days. Chip is a nice guy, an aspiring natural clown, and Bakersfield is a real town. What's not to love. I'll be rooting for Chip and hoping that the show is successful so that it will continue. Kudos to FX for airing this wonderful, refreshingly unique take on the American family. I think that the Baskets are more true to life than most people would care to admit. I for one have been in dire need of characters that are life like in a show. I hate to over analyze. All I know is that I love it. I hope there will be more.

Louis Anderson is the standout in this series. While Zach Galifianakis is a good actor in his own right, he is great here.. But Louis Anderson is outstanding. His performance makes me want him to be my mom.