Wyatt Cenac's Problem Areas

Uncancel this show.



No? Okay then I'll continue. Wyatt's two season HBO docuseries is like the holy grail of formats for me - being a semi-sarcastic, searingly investigative and wholly constructive look at pragmatic solutions to societal problems. The first season is dedicated to policing (which turned out to be quite prescient and is hardly going to get less relevant as time goes by) and the second education. There's a notable attempt to be more overtly comedic in the second season as well, which is welcome but didn't help it much. The overall vibe is all wood-pannelling, gentle flute musical interludes and the perpetually laconic Cenac who seems to have an easy rapport with everyone he talks to.

I can see why the thing didn't necessarily take off - but it felt so specifically crafted for me that frankly I can't quite believe it exists in the first place. I learned a huge amount from this - it can be easy to see the US from the outside mainly negatively but in going and talking to the empathetic passionate people on the ground, educators, activists, craftspeople - and doing it in a warm and slightly silly way the show opened a whole other side of that country up for me. It's sad that the show has gone, but that the humans it highlighted persevere somewhere is a lovely thought.

This show reminds me a lot of Joe Rogan's podcast. The primary differences being that the humor is flat, no one's smoking weed on the show, the interviewer actually goes out into the field and the interviewer just happens to be Black. The show gets your attention during the opening, with graphics straight out of the seventies that take you back to PBS circa 1971 and great jazz music, which just sticks with me now whether I'm watching the show or not. Even the set looks like your great grandfather's set.

But what feels like a nice sunny afternoon watching a community access program back in the day quickly transitions into serious conversation about hard hitting issues, dispersed with jokes so dry even the British might miss out on them. Which is completely different from what we expect from shows like "Last Week Tonight" or the Vice programs we have come to expect from HBO. It is a shame that I have to pay $15.99 a month to watch this show. But that is the magic of HBO in an age where Netflix has shows for everyone young and old, and aliens on Mars and network TV is trying to figure things out without insulting anyone's sensibilities, occasionally taking risks like ABC does with Black-ish and Young-ish or "Fresh Off Of The Boat" but for the most part keeping things mundane.

A nice, subtle, laid back show that isn't turned up, lit, or amplified like so many other news shows feel the need to be in this day and age. Like the news shows from the seventies. I guess that is the point.

First off, what the hell is wrong with people rating this show? This is a great show. What part don't you like? True stories? New ideas? Another way of looking at things? Multiple expert opinions. I don't get it. This is so well do. Wyatt is really good

Smart, funny, and informative like Last Week Tonight (Jon Oliver is a producer on this) but with its own style and tone. I'll definitely be back for more.

Right up there with Full Frontal and Last Week Tonight. Suprised to see such a low rating here. Renewed for a second season already, so hopefully more people will see it.