I watched this show when it first debuted and for a while afterwards, then sort of let it get away from me. Noticing that I had seven episodes waiting for me on the DVR, I nearly deleted them while uttering “meh”. Then I watched one. Then another. Then another.
This program is very well-acted, extremely well-written, and damn funny; every episode contains a good number of laugh-out-loud moments. Some slapstick, but also some very clever writing that assumes a certain level of intelligence (or at least cultural awareness) of the viewer.
And what else would you name a pig other than Mr. Curly Tail?
I like the show. The dad has a good acting range, considering he was a Terminator in The Sarah Connor Chronicles. And I like how they’re aging the kid normally, and that they are giving Chloris Leachman more “lucid” screen time now.
It’s a great show. It’s not only funny, but warm. You get the sense the characters really care about each other. So many shows now seem to consist of (albeit funny) people being assholes to each other.
I don’t have the TiVo set to record it, but I will watch it when I think of it. Every time I do I enjoy it, so I think I need to set a season pass.
I enjoyed the one where the son pretended to be his grandfather to keep Cloris happy. I also like how the family at the core has a love and a strength that you wouldn’t expect from the circumstances.
Love this show. Especially enjoyed the episodes where Jimmy and Sabrina got together and the one where she goes off her meds. And I really enjoy all the Gooch songs.
I’ve been watching every week since the beginning. I don’t have many shows on my must-watch list, but since we don’t have DVR, this is definitely at the top. It makes me wish I kept up with My Name is Earl because I love it so much.
I first groaned at the “acting out the Sunday Funnies” bit, but when Jimmy held the dialogue balloon over Hope’s (dressed as Woodstock) head, I just had to laugh. And I felt sorry for Mr. Curly Tail - he was Quite A Pig! (Loved the Charlotte’s Web references)
Don’t lose any sleep over it. Earl pretty much lost all its charm in its last couple seasons. The prison season is best forgotten entirely, and the show never really found its feet again after that. It’s a shame because it was so good.
Starting fresh with *Raising Hope *seems like a sort of creative rebirth, and I think Garcia may have learned a lesson (I hope, anyway) about fixing what ain’t broke. Time will tell, I suppose.
This is one of those shows where I heard the premise and thought, “oh, give me a break”. Then I watched the first season on Netflix, and pretty much immediately put the second season on my “must DVR” list. I love when they have flashbacks to Jimmy’s Drakkar Noir phase - especially when they showed what a crush Sabrina had on him!
Which makes it even funnier that my favorite episode is from Season 1: Blue Dots. It’s the one where Burt finds out he is a registered sex offender from way back because he got Virginia pregnant when she was a teenager.
