Enchanted with “Bored to Death” on HBO

The new HBO series Bored to Death has already won me over just three episodes into my private viewing, which is pretty amazing since I don’t easily fall in love – I have trust issues! But I trust this show; I’d even give it a key to my place. The lovable oddball half-hour comedy features Jason Schwartzman as Jonathan Ames, who is a Brooklyn writer trying to deal with a rough breakup. Olivia Thirlby plays Suzanne, the stable and well-intentioned ex-girlfriend who has broken up with Ames because he “smokes too much pot and drinks too much white wine”. Because of Ames’ unhappiness with the breakup and his life, he (who is a noted mystery novel enthusiast) begins posing as a private detective who advertises on Craigslist (people post crazy things, but does it ever go that far?). What the astute viewer will realize is that as he tackles his cases to feel like the hands-on hero he longs to be, he is ultimately using his strong writing gifts for observation and insight. This doesn’t mean he can get his second novel started, of course. That would be too easy. Writer’s block lives strong! As does laziness.

The always-familiar Ted Danson plays George Christopher, “a high-profile magazine editor” who Jonathan works for occasionally. He is considerably fun to watch because he’s so ridiculously clingy and bluntly eccentric (he is really excited about the idea of getting a colonic). One of Ames’ best friends is the bumbling and cynical comic book illustrator Ray Hueston (lifted right out of a Judd Apatow movie – very possibly), played by Zach Galifianakis. Heather Burns (who you’ll very possibly remember as Sandra Bullock’s innocent pageant friend in Miss Congeniality) plays Hueston’s controlling girlfriend. Even the guest stars for this show are incredible: including Kristen Wiig, Parker Posey, and Oliver Platt.

I feel this show may initially be linked to cult movie High Fidelity. Yes, Bored to Death does open up with a painful breakup that involves a heartsick young man with low ambitions. He has a decent heart, and in my notes I referred to him as ‘pathetically charming – therefore sympathetic and likable’. So there’s that. And yes, the show has oodles of terrific Indie music and distinctive characters – but Bored to Death has a different agenda than High Fidelity. I’m not entirely sure what the agenda is, but I know it definitely feels different. Which is enough for me to call this original!

In fact, when I first heard about this new HBO series I worried it was going to be like another show on the air right now – Castle (Nathan Fillion). I’ve hardly seen any of Castle (shame on me, I know), but I think they’re wildly different shows. It’s like the difference between High School Musical and Juno. I’m not sure about you, but I’ve never given my attention to that High School Musical nonsense, and I’ve seen Juno at least three times.

Bored to Death will have eight episodes for its initial season, and it begins on Sunday, September 20th at 9:30-10:00 p.m. ET/PT. The first two episodes focus on Ames’ new side project as a private detective, but the third episode proves this show isn’t a one trick Maltese Falcon.

P.S. Answering the question before it’s even asked! “What is the Bored to Death themesong?” Answer:  The Bored To Death Theme Song is Performed by Coconut Records, Written by Jason Schwartzman and Jonathan Ames.

Bored to Death official site / Bored to Death on Facebook

Quotes from Bored to Death “Stockholm Syndrome” and “The Alanon Case”

“Therapists are heroic, they’re the superheroes of listening.”

“I want to be the only child in a woman’s life.”

“…Death by one-thousand bad conversations.”

“I’m not going to change. I’m just going to pretend to change. I can’t change – that’s impossible!”

“Do you purposefully try to depress me every time we see each other?”

“God, it’s like I’m surrounded by Holocaust deniers! It happened! I’m sure!”

“You know, my therapists aren’t helping me at all!”

“When I’m with her I’m going to eat vegan, but when I’m not with her I’m going to eat like an American.”

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