Baskets

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.

When the series started, and I saw that Zach Galifianakis was starring, I set my DVR to record the series. Yes, I started watching for Zack Galifianakis- I now watch it, primarily, for Louis Anderson. During last season I told my husband, If Louis Anderson doesn't win an Emmy I will be physically ill. Louis won the Emmy, I didn't have to get ill. So glad that Zach & Louis CK saw his potential outside of stand-up. The rest of the cast, it goes without saying, is so special, Scripts are so well written. Truly a gem, I feel very lucky to have found it.

Any fan of Louie should also really enjoy this as he is one of the head writers. Like Louie it's beautifully dark, depressing, awkward, and absurd, without being completely over the top. I can't give it a star rating yet, as rating a show as a whole off only the pilot is silly, but I have to say I truly enjoyed the pilot much more than I thought I would and I was going in with pretty high hopes.

I will say this is not for everyone. Anyone who likes Zach Galafianakis because of The Hangover or Due Date will likely be unpleasantly surprised by this side of him. This is more along the lines of his older stand-up and his work with Tim & Eric.

Without spoiling anything there are some slapstick gags that would be considered "low brow" by some, but the fact that they are simply there and not acknowledged by anyone maintaining the somber mood of the show makes them much more hilarious than simply the joke itself.

As a final note, Louie Anderson is possibly the best casting choice in history.

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! :)