Huff

I recently discovered this show and I've been watching the first season all week now, 2-3 episodes a night, thanks to Showtime On Demand. This is the kind of series that's been growing on me, more so than something I've loved from the get-go, like say Queer As Folk or Weeds. But grow on you it does, and now I would say I am addicted and when ya get a chance, I think I might need therapy, Dr. H.

The characters are all deeply flawed and also deeply human, and you grow to understand and even love them as the episodes go on. I like the son, Byrd, in particular; as portrayed by the incredible Anton Yelchin, he's sensitive and not afraid of being so. And there's Teddy, Huff's mentally-challenged brother, magnificently brought to life by Andy Comeau. The show ALSO features a tour de force weekly performance from Oliver Platt (as the insanely drug/sex addicted lawyer Russell), and even though he provides a lot of the series' comic relief, he's not a caricature either, he's a genuine person with genuine feelings, genuine pain.

Hank Azaria and Paget Brewster get the pleasure of portraying beautifully-drawn characters week after week as well, of course, 3-dimension people who are coping the best they know how with the monumental challenges of their lives, and Blythe Danner (as Huff's mother) is equally blessed, with a sublimely conflicted character whom I couldn't stand at first but now I think I wanna give a big hug.

Last night I watched the Christmas episode, "Christmas Is Ruined", which I would say is one of the best family holiday episodes I've ever seen. It felt true, pure and not in the least bit derivative, which is a huge compliment considering how many family holiday episodes on TV and holiday films there have been in the recent past.

If you're a feeling, intelligent human being on this planet, and you are currently subscribing to Showtime, there's no excuse for your not checking this series out. If you don't have this channel available to you at this time, I have one word for you: DVD.

Added on 6/28/06: So Showtime cancelled the series, after only 2 seasons, citing 'low ratings'. Is this exasperating or what? Isn't the entire point of premium cable supposed to be to run programming for reasons OTHER than ratings? Hopefully another more forward-thinking network will pick up this brilliant series. To leave the show in the lurch, the way they're doing, is tasteless, tacky and pathetic, in my opinion. Showtime viewers and everyone connected with the series deserve better, much better.

I got a chance to see the pilot film for Showtime's new series "Huff". The film is about a psychiatrist (Hank Azaria) who deals with the violent suicide of a patient while managing his wife, son, and overbearing Mother. There was less going on here than meets the eye... a good pilot should set up a series' premise and leave you wanting to tune in next week. Even after watching the entire episode I could not understand exactly what the "premise" of the show was.

Maybe in future weeks they will improve on the format of the show, but in the pilot the events surrounding Huff at work, home, and play had little to do with one another and left me wondering, "So what?" On the plus side the acting in the show is great... Hank Azaria is the rare leading man who knows how to convey the full range of human emotion. He is the glue that holds the whole thing together. Paget Brewster is g r e a t as his wife... she is one of the rare actresses who can be both funny and dramatic, sometimes at once. Oliver Platt I do not "get". He's always got this half-drunken smirk on his face and he tries so hard to act hip that I lose interest very quickly. Blythe Danner- a usually lovely actress- is wasted here as the "outrageous," ball-breaking, suffocating mother of her adult son Huff. She needs to stop speaking lines that would get her thrown out of a biker bar and start becoming a real human being.

In conclusion I think this show has a lot of potential... they have the heart, they have the soul... now all they need are stories that will highlight the characters, especially Hank Azaria's Huff. In the final scene of the pilot Huff goes to visit his brother, and while I will not ruin the story by going into detail, it is one of the most touching scenes you will ever see. Good luck to Hank and "Huff"... I hope it gets the audience it deserves.

GRADE: B+

The show stars Hank Azaria as psychiatrist Dr Huff(stodt). Without revealing too much, I'll just say the show basically revolves around his work and his personal life and all the trials and tribulations the characters face.

Right from the start, you realise, "this is quality television". The characters are interesting and appear convincing, the script is brilliant and everything is pretty well executed. At the end of most episodes you get that burning desire to watch the next one ("oh, what's going to happen next?!"). That's always a good indicator for a good show.

Hank Azaria is convincing in his depiction of a troubled psychiatrist. The actor who plays his kid is brilliant, as is Oliver Platt in his portrayal of the libertine lawyer who always seems to get into trouble of his own design.

For those of you wondering why there have only been two seasons: I can't quite fathom why the execs decided not to renew the show for another season. But I do know this, though: often it's best to quit while the going's good. Otherwise, by trying to top something that's already peaked, you run the risk of ruining something special - take Nip-Tuck, for example. By just going on and on they've ruined a great show that, after season 3, I think, was a mere shadow of its former self. So, don't worry about the cancellation of Huff. The end of season 2 was the point to stop, and by so doing the show was wrapped up admirably and with a good resolution at the end.

SHOULD YOU WATCH THIS SHOW?

I can recommend 'Huff' wholeheartedly and without reservation. This show, albeit largely unknown, is certainly a gem among television shows. Though I must say: It took some getting used to seeing Hank Azaria in this role after having seen him as Agador, the hilarious gay waiter in 'The Birdcage'. The contrast between the two roles is so stark, it'll make it even more enjoyable watching him in 'Huff'.

This show is likely to grow on you if you enjoyed 'Six Feet Under', 'Nip/Tuck' or 'Californication'. All these shows are somewhat brutal and unrelenting in depicting harsh realities and unusually offensive (for American television) language. It'll definitely keep you interested and you may enjoy it with a clean conscience as it is intelligently made.

"Huff", a truly excellent show, contains some of the best acting you'll ever see on any screen, large or small. Every one of the cast members is astonishing in their ability to illuminate the human condition, and those on the show who won awards prior to cancellation - the peerless Blythe Danner, Oliver Platt, Hank Azaria, et al - deserve all the praise that has been heaped on them.

That being said, can we please hear a HUGE round of applause for Andy Comeau? Mr. Comeau's embodiment of the nightmare world of schizophrenia - the euphoric highs, the paralyzing lows, the terrible logic of a psyche at war with itself - has been such that, when he's on screen either alone (as he's been required to be a great deal given the nature of the role) or with others, he is such a convincing vortex of desperate, heart-rending activity that you simply can't look away, no matter how painful. His changes, his reactions are so subtle that he becomes the centre of every scene he's in, no matter what else is happening.

In short, his portrayal of Teddy Huffstodt is a remarkable achievement. Congratulations, Andy. May significant roles be yours for years to come. I suspect that I'm not the only one who noticed - not by a long shot - and predict that plenty of people will be watching whatever it is you choose to do next.

Cheers,

K.

I started watching the show to get me through to the next major shows, i.e. HBO Sundays. From the first episode, I was hooked. Not to mention the line and sinker that goes along with being hooked. You love characters... You hate the characters.

By next season... this show will rival any on television. Many Emmys and Golden Globes to come.

I don't know which I love the most.

Huff's Nobility

Izzy's Prejudice's and Flakiness.....(she great!)

... Russell's .....what can I say? (Oliver Platt continues to be one of best actors I've ever seen).

Nigel Cleveland