Re-uniting Steve Carell and Greg Daniels after their success on the US Office was always going to be a big deal, making it a Netflix show based on a bizarre President Trump idea, and you have a perfect media storm.
You can see Netflix has really spent money on this, from the production to the cast, and it’s great to see that and definitely makes a difference. It’s impressive to look at and helps set it apart.
It’s certainly not the perfect show and I think it’s attempts at satire are both too on the nose, and also at times not clear enough, and it lacks many true laugh out loud moments. However, if you just take it as an amusing show with an amazing cast and huge budget, then it’s certainly worth a watch, especially during lockdown.
The cast is an absolute who’s who of comedic talent, with the smaller supporting roles going to stars of shows like Veep, Friends, and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia , and allowing these talented actors to pop by for small bursts (Kaitlin Olson and Lisa Kudrow were particularly effective).
As for the main cast; Steve Carell is maybe slightly miscast in the lead role, whilst still being one of the best things about the show and using his undoubted comic timing to great effect on numerous occasions. Ben Schwartz does a good job in a very limited role and John Malkovich is great as essentially the co-lead of the show, and his chemistry with Carell was a great surprise and they work very well together.
A stand out for me was Diana Silvers, playing a role that could have been cliched and annoying, is actually very relatable and entertaining. Silvers has a great on-screen persona, and with this building on her ‘Booksmart’ breakout, I think she is going to go onto big things.
The season ends on a cliffhanger and I would assume they will be bringing the show back for a second season, even if it hasn’t been official I confirmed, and I will be interested in tuning in.
Rating = 3/5
Howe's World of Film and TV 