Brockmire

Brockmire is ridiculously funny, recklessly irreverent, and pulls comedy out of pathos, bad behavior, and worse decisions. There's also an element of redemption that events seem to forever tease just out of reach. I have not seen Azaria in his previous work, but he's certainly much more than just 'a voice' in this. Make no mistake, this is HIS show. Peet and Williams get opportunities to shine and even steal the occasional scene, but Azaria holds it all together with consistent skill, even avoiding the bear trap of overdoing the central gag of the series, which is the announcer's voice that was the genesis of the whole shebang. As a baseball fan, I thought this might be inaccessible to sports neophytes, but I was wrong. My baseball-free adult son cackled through the first five episodes next to me on a road trip. Azaria may have had to go through a cable channel I'd never heard of to get this made, but my guess is that he'll have his pick next time out.

Brockmire is where raw meets class in a reality show of blue collar meets Money Ball. I have no idea why this concept isn't already putting the 4th season in the can ahead of the second. Wake up IFC. This show is why guys like me watch TV.

Funny, sometimes raunchy. All the characters are pleasantly dysfunctional. Captures the essence of small-town Rust Belt Pennsylvania in an amusingly accurate portrait. I'm enjoying this show immensely. :)