virtualxi

As a Kevin Smith fan I can say that I enjoy most of his work in both film and in in recent years Smodcast Internet Radio and to be quite honest I think that this show is targeted for Smith fans only.

The humor has the signature "Smodcast" written all over it. There is comic talk, there are escapades to the flea market and there are dick jokes. In the radio show when the conversation works it is really funny and, when it doesn't you keep listening waiting for the conversation to improve and it applies also to the TV show: When the "comic book men" bounce on one another it is funny to listen but I felt that the haggling with the customers was too "weird" for the sake of being weird... yes, I know there are customers like that in comic book shops - I've dealt with them - but in no way, shape or form would I consider filming them, those are the parts that I'd "switch-off" waiting for the funny talk.

Like I said at the beginning. If you are a Smodcast/Tell'em steve dave you'll enjoy this similarly to how you enjoy the podcast,(see/hear once, laugh, forget about it). If you are a casual viewer... well I don't see how this would appeal to you, not because it is bad but because it is targeted for a very specific demographic for better or worse.

As a SMod fan the only thing that I feel is that this is a bit redundant, specially in the form of a TV show. It is filmed for the sake of being filmed instead of told in a podcast as a funny story.

7/10

Note from the author: this review has been written after watching two seasons. Bored to death is a TV show whose charm relies heavily in its three leads Jason Schwartzman, Zack Galifianakis and Ted Danson. The main problem that I found is that during the first season Schwartzman's character is given the most weight out of the three leaving Danson and Galifianakis as secondary characters that have mini-subplots around the main cases - as the story revolves around a writer drawn to be a detective to solve it's financial difficulties -. Thankfully this has been solved in the second season with an even repartition of plot for the three and consequently has improved the stories, the cast and the overall dynamic of the show. Throughout the two seasons I felt that the show gradually turns from a solve-the-case of the week show to a hang-out-with-us show while the story flows...and boy what a blast it is to hang out with this cast. Danson's hedonistic charm is suave, subtle -and even slightly touching in some episodes with a cancer subplot- with the best laughs when his facade of elegance is down due to his drug use. Galifianakis is perhaps the geek hero (but not a geek himself) as the comic-book writer in a dysfunctional relationship with his girlfriend played by Heather Burns - who's first in the list of recurring character's of the show, also including Oliver Platt and Kristen Wiig-. Finally Schwartzman's character is a struggling writer with relationship problem's and a tendency for solving weird-cases in a very unprofessional way - high point for me is the first episode in season 2 when he has to go into a fetish dungeon-. To sum things up. Bored to death was a slow burner for me, by the end of season 1 I was ready to give up but, with season 2, it pulls out a "The Office" and gets much better. Each season has eight episodes which leads to very cohesive stories and arcs but then again the charm relies on the cast which are great if you like these type of characters. Thanks for reading.

Like it or not this is reality TV hence this show should be taken for what it is: a man applying survival techniques in a moderately safe (but usually horrible) environment. I am not a fan of reality TV but I can't help but to sympathize with Bear in each episode -a truly charismatic and intelligent man-. He will show ultimate survival techniques for different parts of the world, some of them helpful some of them a little too weird but ALL of them fun to watch. The episodes are filled with excellent trivia about the different places and hilarious situations (from a viewer perspective there is nothing funnier than watching a dude eat bugs). I won't deny that this show is not for everyone but I find it hard to believe that any person remotely adventurous won't enjoy watching this fine piece of entertainment.