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HIS NAME IS "EARL," HIS SHOW IS BRILLIANT
October 28, 2005
Checking out the TV landscape today, there may not be a more perfect fit of actor and character than Jason Lee's turn as the reformed do-gooder and titular character of NBC's "My Name is Earl." Fans of Lee's uproarious early work in several Kevin Smith movies, including "Mallrats" and "Chasing Amy," have known for a while now that the guy is a comic natural who's mostly been wasted in a string of forgettable big-screen flicks.
So this year he decided to try his hand at the small screen. NBC found the right concept for him, and "My Name as Earl" has quickly become one of TV's very best comedies. No, check that. It's become one of TV's very best shows. Each episode brings plenty of funny, but the large audience the show draws must also be due to "Earl"'s surprisingly warm and fuzzy heart.
You see, "Earl" is high-concept comedy, something that's much needed in these, the possible final days of the classic-style sitcom. Earl himself is a good-for-nothing freeloader who stumbles upon an epiphany after winning the lottery but then losing the ticket when he's struck by a car. Earl decides, with an assist from Carson Daly(!), that this tragedy has befallen him thanks to a case of bad karma. Earl has done nothing but lie, cheat, and steal his whole life, and now all those misdeeds are coming back to bite him right on the keister. A change of lifestyle is in order, and Earl pledges, from now on, to do good deeds whenever possible and to treat others with respect.
Before long, that winning lottery ticket has mystically returned, and Earl has compiled a list of every person he's ever screwed over in life. To repay his karmic sins, Earl will help out each name on this list, thus earning their forgiveness and reversing his luck for the better. With the lottery ticket cashed and his dim-witted brother (Ethan Suplee) at his side, Earl sets out to rewrite the story of his life.
Now that's a premise for a sitcom. And, so far, it's served as a solid foundation to build a wholly unique world on top of. On the surface, Earl lives in a stereotypical redneck universe, filled to the brim with pickup trucks, crushed beer cans, and bad country music. His ex-wife Joy is a pure white trash villain, painted in broad strokes, with bad Southern accent and all. But while "Earl"'s writers have no qualms about making the occasional redneck joke, the show isn't mean spirited at all. In fact, Earl's way of life is celebrated instead of ridiculed. (In one episode, while summing up why he once dated a girl, Earl says simply: "She was cute and had a satellite that sent kung-fu movies from space.") Heck, what guy doesn't want that in a woman? Earl's quest search for a peaceful, hassle-free life is a noble undertaking that all viewers should relate to.
What to say about Lee? With his '80s porn-star mustache, unruly hair, and don't-sweat-the-easy-stuff attitude, Lee has created an instantly indelible TV character. It's so much fun watching Earl lend a hand to those around him and in turn becoming a better person for it. (A theme in play since the show's premiere when he helped hook up his gay former classmate, Kenny, after initially crossing him off the list because of "special circumstances." Trust me, Earl and his brother visiting a gay bar - priceless.)
Better yet, this show has found its legs early. The scripts are sharp and funny, The supporting cast is perfect, including Lee's old "Mallrats" co-star Suplee and Jaime Pressly as the screeching, conniving Joy. "Earl" should enjoy a long and healthy life on NBC. If you're not watching yet, jump onboard now. If "Arrested Development" was the opening salvo of a new style of TV comedy, "My Name is Earl" may be the show that convinces America that tired sitcom formulas just aren't good enough anymore. Televised comedy is now capable of much more dynamic storytelling. "Earl" proves it.
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