Season 1 – The Comedians

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Stephen C @bob25009 Jul 24 13 funny FXX episodes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ages 17 and older, mature audiences only!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See more 11/09/2016 While there was some funny moments, I still struggle liking Josh Gad as an actor. Billy Crystal hasn't been in his prime in years and it kind of shows with old tired Jewish shtick. The show lacks the uniqueness we have expected from FX. See more 10/28/2016 <@ if (review) { @><@= review @><@ } @> See more 06/20/2016 This embellished mockumentary about two very different comedians being paired together to make a sketch comedy series is pleasant, charming, meta and occasionally magic. Billy Crystal and Josh Gad play "hyper" versions of themselves, in the sense of their redeeming qualities and dickheadedness being fictionalized to make each funnier than they probably both are in day-to-day life. But it's done carefully and with craft. Gad plays himself as a man-child who is far from brilliant, or even conscious of common sense, except when dealing with Kristen: the neurotic, helpless, near-brainless producer; in which case he is fully aware of her nonsense and often calls her out. As in episode 2, when Gad gets invited to Crystal's home by his wife, and he asks Kristen for gift ideas when arriving, she suggests wine and a gift certificate, among other things, to which he replies, "There is literally a level of autism to some of these suggestions." It's funny, and the delivery is dynamite, but at times Gad's lines don't come off as believable based on the character the writers have created for him. I laugh almost everytime he lands a joke, but they don't always fit the level of intelligence or awareness they've given the audience with the expectations set from the get-go. Billy Crystal is funnier than he's been since the early '90s, and he's made himself relevant to a generation younger than Baby Boomers. Kudos to him for doing something different and attempting something other than his typical "silly Jewish schtick" (which is referenced time and again throughout the series). The fictional character of Billy Crystal in The Comedians is, like Gad's, embellished for richness; he's the "good guy" he's always appeared to be, but he makes sure people know that. In a scene in episode 8, the pathetic invertebrate head writer character for The Billy & Josh Show (show within the show) is showing Crystal the new desk chair he purchased for $1,700 out-of-pocket, and Billy can't help but try it out. He sits, admiring the lumbar support and raves about it with subtlety until the next cut of him wheeling the chair down the hallway to his dressing room, while the writer sadly looks on without a word. The supporting cast is brilliant. Stephnie Weir is hilarious and completely incompetent as the fictional show's on-set producer, with all of her interactions and direct-to-camera 'confessionals' being spot-on and believable. Denis O'Hare plays Denis Grant, the fictional president of FX Network who has waining faith in the production of the show, and pushes back the premiere date, inciting panic in Crystal, Gad and Kristen over the show even airing. Mel Brooks, Will Sasso, Rob Reiner and the duo who co-wrote award-winning songs for Disney's Frozen and Broadway's the Book of Mormon all guest star in episodes. As a whole, the show is fantastic. I could see how some viewers might not love the show; it's sometimes dry, a bit slow, the occasional joke feels forced, and when it comes down to it some people are just going to not like certain aspects. Some people simply don't like Billy Crystal (I've never been too fond). Some people find Josh Gad insufferable (I think he's mostly great). Some people are sick of the whole mockumentary style of comedy (it's starting to get old...), and some people might just not get what this show is doing (the whole meta thing; show about a show about comedians by comedians playing comedians who are versions of themselves). Critics generally shat upon this show, which unfortunately led to its demise after one season, and I can sort of see why they might have. I don't agree with them, but it's conceivable. I think it works and it's actually made me appreciate Billy Crystal more than I have since City Slickers. But for some, it might just be the perfect storm of things that annoy people, wrapped tightly in one 13 episode package. See more 06/11/2016 The best comedy comes from pain and the uncomfortable situations these guys created made for some funny bits. Sorry there won't be a season 2. See more 05/29/2016 This show got better and better as the season progressed. Watch it. Cancelling it was very ill-advised. See more Read all reviews

The Comedians — Season 1

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