If You're A Fan Of The Office...

Lisa Kudrow's new fake-reality-tv-show-about-the-making-of-a-bad-sitcom on HBO -- "The Comeback," about a fairly minor actress from a forgotten sitcom "coming back" older and less in-demand in a bit role on new, awful show -- is pretty funny. She's basically a female David Brent, and has lifted a lot of the cringey sneaky humor from that show. It's much closer to an American version of The Office than the actual American version of The Office.

It's funny, embarassing, and sadly pathetic by turns (sometimes all three at once). Not laugh out loud hilarious, but frequently chuckleworthy, and, just like David Brent, there's so much pathos here you can't help but feel sympathy for her, even though she's a self-absorbed, self-promoting halfwit. Brent-like, she's always awkwardly aware the camera is watching her, and frequently makes absurdly self-serving speeches to the camera.

Kind of funny to hear her keep insisting that what reality tv viewers want to see is "dignity," and how much "dignity" she exemplifies.

It'll do until the new season of Arrested Development.

Oh, and it co-stars Sarah Silverman's little sister, who's pretty cute, but doesn't look or sound much like her sister. She's usually behind the camera though (she's the director of the reality tv show), so you actually don't get to see her all that frequently.

PS: Lisa Kudrow, it turns out, is pretty smart. She was a science major in college -- molecular biology or something like that -- and she's the co-creator and co-writer of the show. Usually I would just call that credit-grubbing by a star, but I figure the credit is legit here.

posted by Ace at 04:47 PM

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