Halfway Home

What’s the Story?

In the improvised sitcom HALFWAY HOME, five unrepentant convicts live together in a halfway house, where they receive counseling and prepare to return to life outside the prison system. Kevin Ruf plays Kenny, the counselor who tries to guide the convicts back to the straight life with tough love and strict rules -- rules that he sometimes breaks himself. Kenny's constant companion is arsonist Alan (Regan Burns), who follows Kenny around like a puppy dog, repeating his therapy-speak lingo back to him verbatim in an overeager attempt to please. Other housemates include former prostitute Eulogio (Oscar Nunez), who uses sex to get what he wants; druggie Carly (Jessica Makinson), who happens to be a pogo-stick-jumping champion; Serenity (Octavia Spencer), a rotund street tough convicted of armed robbery; and Sebastian (Jordan Black) -- aka "C-Bass" -- a rich kid from suburban California who fronts like a Muslim terrorist.

Is It Any Good?

With its young, talented cast, Halfway Home successfully mines race, politics, pop culture, and stereotypes for edge-pushing humor. While it's not intellectual, the show plays cleverly with stereotypes and includes subtly witty touches (the hand lotion a character uses to masturbate is called "Hypnotique") -- as well as broader humor (who doesn't laugh at a good poop joke?) -- to create layers of comedy. But given the topics the show deals with, it's not clear sailing for tweens, but older teens should be able to handle the material. That said, parents may still want to preview before letting them tune in.