Tracey Ullman's State of the Union

Back to the main review

What’s the Story?

In TRACEY ULLMAN'S STATE OF THE UNION, chameleonic British actress Tracey Ullman continues her love of pointed parody by targeting the United States and the motley cast of characters who call it home. With the help of accents, outlandish costumes, and elaborate hair and make-up, Ullman impersonates just about anyone -- from real-life celebrities like Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and imported English soccer star David Beckham to fictional characters like Nebraska housewife Erma Billings, a woman who has restless leg syndrome and a soft spot for Ryan Seacrest. And, of course, she does it all with a healthy dose of cynicism that leaves no topic untouched.

Is It Any Good?

On one hand, State of the Union is a smartly crafted satire that holds a mirror up to the ridiculousness of a modern age in which celebrity worship is at an all-time high and critical thinking is at an all-time low. But on the other hand, it's essentially a random showcase of outlandish characters that run the risk of becoming tiresome. A few of Ullman's impersonations are spot-on and genuinely hilarious (her Renee Zellweger is laugh-out-loud funny), but others (like an Indian pharmacist who regularly breaks into Bollywood-style song-and-dance routines) are one-dimensional and, frankly, kind of lame.

In terms of content, Ullman seems to be pandering a bit to the United States' political elite. (After all, what percentage of Americans could actually identify left-leaning blogger Arianna Huffington -- one of Ullman's impersonations that gets an awful lot of screen time -- in a police line-up?) Ullman also relies a bit too much on the antics of tabloid darlings like Lindsay Lohan's club-hopping mom, Dina, for cheap laughs. But the topical nature of the show's humor and its potential to stir viewers to think help propel it well above purely mindless fare.