Episodes

Matt LeBlanc’s return to television may come as a surprise to some, but hey, let’s face it!  It was inevitable!  You think he really was going to let everyone remember him for Joey???

Filling the role of…Matt LeBlanc, Matt LeBlanc portrays himself on Showtime’s upcoming series Episodes, starring…you guessed it, Matt LeBlanc.  It also stars Stephen Mangan, and Tamsin Grieg as the shows other primary protagonists.  If you’ve never heard of these two actors, it is because you aren’t from England!  They are huge comedic stars over there, and they are absolutely hilarious on Episodes.

The premise is this: a British couple who also happen to be comedic-writing partners are approached by a television network executive to produce an American remake of their show about an elite private boarding school for boys.  When they get to America everything goes awry and Matt LeBlanc ends up getting cast as the school’s headmaster, much to the chagrin of the show’s creators.  Hilarity ensues.

When I say hilarity ensues, I mean it.  It isn’t your normal American sitcom hilarity, nor is it quite the tongue-in-cheek hilarity that often is used on Showtime’s other shows.  Episodes is a genius mix of American overt, blatant, in your face HUMOR, and British tongue-in-cheek, witty rapport, sarcastic HUMOUR.  I realized that every time a joke didn’t go over with my girlfriend it was because it was a British joke.  Every time a joke did go over with my girlfriend it was because it was an American joke.  I of course laughed at all the jokes because I have a superiorly sophisticated sense of humour.  She would spell it humor.

Anyways.  Matt LeBlanc.  I had reservations upon hearing that he was the star in an upcoming Showtime show created by Friends co-creator David Crane.  ”Was this going to be an R-rated Friends?” I thought.  It’s not at all.  Matt LeBlanc actually displays some serious acting chops, and I say this surprisingly due to my recent research regarding his career thus far.  Why has he not been cast in anything really awesome ever?  He’s a good lookin’ dude, he’s got a head of slick grey hair, he’s pretty well built…No clue why I haven’t seen him in a while.

The humor is nothing like Friends.  I think an enormous reason behind that is because of the laugh track.  Friends had a laugh track, and generally laugh tracks imply that the audience it too stupid to know when to laugh.  Episodes is not for a stupid crowd.  It is for a crowd of people who are willing to really listen in close for the quick-witted British-style dialogue, even though there are plenty of opportunities for Judd Apatow-style fart humor (for us stupid Americans).

I love the show.  Truly.  Episodes has what it takes to be an incredibly genius show, except I think it is going to fail in the states.  That is because it is a show that will grow on people over time.  That kind of strategy doesn’t work here in America.  I think if this show were to be broadcast in England it would do incredibly well.  Matt LeBlanc is a well-known actor, and I think British audience would and will love Episodes but I really do not have enough faith in American audiences to appreciate the genius behind it.  That being said, I hope it does dramatically well, lord knows all the other Showtime shows are.

Episodes premieres the same night as Season 4 of David Duchovny’s MASTERPIECE SHOW Californication.

Showtime, great job, Episodes is amazing, and I sincerely hope it kicks as much ass as your other shows do!

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