Bored to Death
Channel: ABC 1
Day & time: Friday, 10.05 p.m.
There's no way you'll be bored
I'm
generally not a fan of channel surfing. Usually I try to pick a show
and stick with it - even though that can be difficult at time. But
occasionally, I have the urge to grab the remote and flick around to
see what's on. It was on one of these occasions that I happened to
stumble across a show on the ABC entitled Bored to Death.
Now the name of the show wasn't really all that inviting,
but the
presence on screen of noted film actor Jason Schwartzman caused me to
put down the remote. It was a stroke of luck, because Bored to Death is surely one of the
most original and flat-out entertaining shows on the box at the moment.
The show had its debut in America in 2009 on HBO, but it's only now
being shown here (it's now in its third season in the US). I can
imagine executives at the major Australian commercial networks running
screaming from this show. It certainly doesn't fit their usual
'profile' - no laugh track, no simplistic plot formulas, no Kardashians
- and therefore would not 'compute' in their struggle for ratings.
The series is the brainchild of novelist and sometime screenwriter
Jonathan Ames. Indeed, the main character, played by Schwartzman, is
called Jonathan Ames. Whether that is the result of hubris or
self-deprecation is up for debate. The show delves into the film noir
tradition, although it's firmly set in the present.
Ames - the character - is a struggling writer. When his girlfriend
Suzanne (Olivia Thirlby) breaks up with him, he struggles even more.
Taking inspiration from a Raymond Chandler novel, he advertises his
services as a private detective - not in a seedy magazine, but on the
website Craigslist. This gives a nice example of how Ames melds the
noir elements into a contemporary timeframe.
Suffice to say that Jonathan's early attempts at detective work are
rather bumbling; and they're not exactly aided by the efforts of his
ham-fisted best friend Ray Heuston (Zac Galifianakis). However, the
assistance of his confidante and sometime employer George Christopher
(Ted Danson), a wealthy magazine editor, at least brings some financial
clout to the table (even if George isn't the sharpest tool in the pack
himself). Jonathan solves cases more by good luck than good management,
but that doesn't seem to stop people from hiring him.
The character of Jonathan clearly owes something
to the silent film
era, and particularly the work of Charlie Chaplin. This is made clear
in the opening scene of one episode, which clearly mirrors the famous
'hanging from the clock' scene in Modern
Times. Jonathan, like Chaplin's characters, has that rare
combination of being incredibly stupid but also incredibly lucky (and
endearing) at the same time.
Ames (the screenwriter) has a happy knack of consistently producing
material that's funny, incisive, observant and genuine all at the same
time. If you've spent any amount of time watching stock-standard
television, you'll realise what a rare commodity this kind of writing
is.
The show looks great too, thanks to some excellent production values.
The New York settings are lovingly shot, and the interiors often
feature that 'old world' feel in keeping with the noir theme.
Jason Schwartzman is pitch-perfect as Jonathan. Sure, this is a quirky
show and Schwartzman is the current king of quirky, but you couldn't
ask anything more from him in terms of his performance. Zac
Galifianakis, while outwardly looking similar, is in fact a long way
from his Hangover persona as the feckless Ray. His depiction of the
comic book artist with serious relationship issues is a joy to behold.
Then there's Ted Danson, who is absolutely hilarious as George.
It seems this show has a bit of a 30
Rock style vibe going on, as noted stars line up to appear on
it. Cult film director Jim Jarmusch appears as himself in an early
episode, and the likes of Oliver Platt, Olympia Dukakis, Bebe Neuwirth
and Kristen Wiig have all graced the show.
Bored to Death is one of
those rare gems that lurks in the nether reaches of television waiting
to be discovered. Thankfully, the ABC has done just that. Mind you, it
took them a while to do it - so much so that season 2 is already
available on DVD in this country. But if you're not minded to shell out
for the disc, then be sure to catch (or record) the show. You'll be
glad you did.
David Edwards