Sween told me about this one all the way back in, like, February, and said I'd enjoy it if I gave it a shot. He was right! This is an easy watch, both quick and hopeful rather than long and dark and dour. It's the semi-autobiographical story of Pete Holmes, one of those guys who've definitely seen before even if you've never really heard of him. He's an aspiring standup comic and a religious, fairly sheltered person. One day his life just sort of falls apart when his wife - who is also his only source of financial support - leaves him. Homeless and broke and with no real career to speak of, Pete never or at most rarely allows himself to get all down and mopey - no, he keeps grinding away at sad night clubs in front of empty seats, trying to make his dream come true.
The show feels like a bit of a love letter to standup comedy, a behind-the-scenes look at the completely unglamorous lifestyle of crashing on people's couches, touring twenty cities in three weeks, begging strangers on the street to check out your show that evening. It's at least a little unrealistic - within the first three episodes or so, Pete has befriended both Artie Lange and T.J. Miller - but the added star power obviously only helps in a show about being an aspiring standup comic. There's a refreshing earnestness here, and I feel pretty good about coming back for the second season in a month or two.
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