It takes a lot for a comedic work to impress me more than burping puppets or porn stars cleaning candlesticks, but I have found a show that makes me laugh out loud more than Comedy Central's Crank Yankers and The Man Show: the network's newest police series, Reno 911!.
The best way to describe the show is that it takes the white-trash train-wreck attraction of Cops and the cool uniforms of CHiPs, and adds great writing and a cleverly designed cast (reminiscent of Police Academy) to those shows' ample amount of unintentional comedy.
The show looks like it costs less to produce than an IKEA CD rack, but the jokes are sharp and delivered with perfect timing. So far, the highlight has been the scavenger hunt the officers participated in to win two tickets to an execution or, as one officer put it, "like front-row tickets to NASCAR where you know Jeff Gordon is gonna die." Points were awarded for legitimate arrests made on perps over 6'-5", ones with animal tattoos, men with "teats," crackheads wearing wigs and the best-looking hooker. Points were doubled if said arrestees were Jewish. Hilarity ensued: baiting tall delivery men into committing a crime, applying makeup to a street walker before hauling her in, and the ethical debate of planting crack on a wig-wearing grandma.
The only demerits were the endless promos for the Dennis Leary roast and the "new" Man Show with a couple of hosts that seem too snide to carry on the good-natured vibe of Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Corrolla.
In Five Words or Less: Mahoney, Tackleberry Would Be Proud
Very funny stuff. Many of the cast members I remember from a sketch comedy show from a little while back that was also very funny. I'll have to track that down.
Posted by CJ at August 11, 2003 1:12 PM