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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this subtly paced comedy is aimed at adults, although most older teens can handle the content, particularly when it comes to lessons about principles, fame and the creation of art. There's some unbleeped swearing that's often uttered in streams, with audible words like "f--k," "s--t," "bastard," and even "c--t." There's also some sexual innuendo and social drinking, in addition to an ongoing joke about a tween smoking cigarettes.
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More sexual content than the review suggests
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What's the Story?
Fresh from raking in accolades for their hit Britcom Lyman's Boys -- a nuanced comedy about a portly headmaster (Richard Griffiths) and his daily dealings with staff and students -- married writers Beverly and Sean Lincoln (Tamsin Greig and Stephen Mangan) agree to move to Los Angeles and adapt the show for American television. But their modest hopes for mainstream success are shattered through a disheartening series of EPISODES when the network president (John Pankow) and his cronies decide to cast former Friends star Matt LeBlanc (Matt LeBlanc) as a hockey coach and rename the show Pucks!
Is It Any Good?
When you get wind of a series that's built around Matt LeBlanc -- the guy we all know as the catch-phrasing Joey "How YOU doin'?" Tribbiani -- it immediately conjures up bad memories of Lost In Space. Or Joey. But dare we say this Showtime dramedy is the best thing LeBlanc's done to date? Fans crowed for his broad antics on Friends. But by parodying his own career on Episodes and playing a fictionalized version of himself, he's funnier than ever before.
Greig and Mangan ground the story and turn in winning performances as the series' befuddled Brits, and the rest of the casting is spot-on. But the show's shrewd handling of the insidious relationship between British and American television -- and Hollywood's unabashed more-is-more approach to comedy -- is even more entertaining.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about fame and what it means to be a celebrity in American culture. What does it take to be successful in the entertainment business? If you had your own chance to be rich and famous, where would you draw the line?
What are the major differences between television series that air in the United States and Britain, at least according to the show's writers? Which do you prefer? Is British humor really that much different than American comedy?
How close does the series get to the realities of Hollywood, particularly when it comes to the creation -- and occasional destruction -- of art?
TV Details
- Premiere date: January 9, 2011
- Cast: Matt LeBlanc, Stephen Mangan, Tamsin Greig
- Network: Showtime
- Genre: Comedy
- TV rating: TV-MA
- Last updated: July 2, 2022
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