If you're a fan of food, family and schlumpy fatherhood comedy, the latest episode of Jim Gaffigan's TV Land series is sure to please.
Jim Gaffigan, the affable, slobbering comedian who's won over a cult following with his series of stand-up specials, is now starring in an Emmy-nominated show that's a bit more edgy than the more slapstick stuff that tends to win the big awards. He's not a controversial comic in the way that someone like Bill Maher might be, but he's certainly no lightweight.
His series owes a debt to the great family sitcoms that came before it, with its gentle, offbeat humor. In addition to the standard stand-up routines, he's enlisting his fellow New York comedians as guest stars in Season 2. In "The Trial," Carrot Top and Artie Lange appear, while in the episode "Ugly," Tig Notaro plays a construction worker who catcalls Jim's wife.
It's the kind of show where you can tell Gaffigan and his wife, Jeannie, have put a lot of thought into it. They've written the episodes, and they both star in the show. In a world where celebrity-endorsed shows seem to be the norm, it's refreshing to see a show that takes its time and has some character development. As the show enters its second season on June 19, it ratchets up its odd, slightly dystopian view of the world for some funny, laugh-out-loud moments.
