I do feel like black humor comedy contains elements that make it clear to the viewer it is a comedy - you don’t question its category despite the dark subject matter. Theyre seasoned (even if lightly) with absurdity or silliness maybe. Julia Davis’ (a master of the dark comedy arts) Nighty Night and sally4ever come to mind. - Davis also plays characters who I’m not sure I’m laughing with or at sometimes…
Yes, I hear you! I suppose I'm less interested in claiming it as a comedy – although I do personally find it very funny, obviously – and more curious about the type of comedy it does. Nighty Night is a really interesting one!
Are these writers still on strike or? I don't understand the state of bad tv we have lately with Last of Us S2, Rings of Power, any Star Wars content (besides Andor, apparently), Squid Game S2...
So I actually worked in TV for Hulu for 12 years and just got laid off a couple of months ago. The best way I can explain it is “too many cooks spoil the soup”. There are too many people weighing in on decisions they have no business being a part of—executives weighing in on storylines, people insisting on doing the same things over and over, no one willing to take a risk on something even though taking a risk is the only way good things get made.
And it goes both ways—I think the creator of The Bear lost his way and now he needs and other writers but he refused to give up any control. Almost every episode is written and directed by him this season and he really needed to bounce some of this season off of people on his creative team but I think he refused.
So in all cases, everyone is refusing to work collaboratively and a few people insist on calling all the shots themselves and they’re really screwing it up.
Wow I appreciate the unexpected insight into the process. Sorry about the layoff, I hope you enjoy what you're doing now more than Hulu. It's a shame that they're more focused on marketing their Disney/Max deal and tv shows than producing quality tv, but c'est la vie.
The "bundle" lol. It's a mess. Disney tried to absorb Hulu thinking they could just put Hulu stuff on Disney+ and everyone one just switch over, but the message isn't getting through. So people are like "why the heck is this violent movie from Hulu showing up on my Disney+ account." So they're pushing for you to buy both of them (and now Max wrapped in) and there are so many different iterations of the deal nobody even knows what's what anymore. Disney REALLY screwed it up. I am a legacy Hulu employee and was there when it still had start up vibes and Disney has just drained the life out of the place. A mess. I'm glad consumers are able to see it too.
But on top of this--especially for "The Bear" this season, I feel like all of the actors' agents are sitting there on the set insisting their actors get more play. Like there is this totally weird, boring, unnecessary plotline with Abby Elliott's character that just sucks all the air out of the room and I just feel like I can see it being written into her contract that she gets an episode with x number of scenes where she's the focus, and it just doesn't work. It's very shoehorned in.
I'm so tired of Disney! More people need to take a break from them especially after the Lilo & Stitch fiasco not to mention their want for a monopoly. Also, it's a huge shame about Abby Elliott, I loved her character in the last season. Such a relatable story with her & her family's relationship. With shows like Mobland & Always Sunny, there's hope for entertainment, though there's bigger fish to fry of course.
It’s a pity how sanitised and monotone the series has become this season. The characters edges have all been straightened out, especially Tina, Ebraheim & Richie.
I don’t think this season even needed to happen tbh. Fine dining just isn’t that interesting, never mind the fact it’s unreachable & unfamiliar to 90% of people.
I saw someone else point out that nothing in the show any connection to Chicago anymore, and the customers have basically become invisible abstractions reduced to profit margins.
The show would probably work better in the sitcom formula of ‘a day in the life of this busy Chicago beef sandwich place’.
—But it can’t be that because it ‘has to be good’, because people have to feel like their time watching it has been well spent because they don’t read books.
So TV is all the average person has to obtain meaningful narratives. Most people don’t have the energy/creativity/time to actually read/pursue challenging artistic endeavours so we have to say “actually TV is as good as books, if not better” and the commercial product “has to be as good”.
Most TV has just become crude but serious parody, which people declare ‘you should be spending your time on this’. When in reality the time spent watching ‘the bear’ is no better well spent than the time watching Friends or reality TV on TLC. You invest so much time and energy into these ‘serious tv series’ and it just takes your life force and drains you, and it’s all basically kindled by boredom.
I do feel like black humor comedy contains elements that make it clear to the viewer it is a comedy - you don’t question its category despite the dark subject matter. Theyre seasoned (even if lightly) with absurdity or silliness maybe. Julia Davis’ (a master of the dark comedy arts) Nighty Night and sally4ever come to mind. - Davis also plays characters who I’m not sure I’m laughing with or at sometimes…
Yes, I hear you! I suppose I'm less interested in claiming it as a comedy – although I do personally find it very funny, obviously – and more curious about the type of comedy it does. Nighty Night is a really interesting one!
Hacks is another good blend of the two I think!
There are some huge laugh out loud moments in Hacks. I want to go back and rewatch it for those especially.
This season is unwatchable schlock
That sucks especially considering Hulu is a slog to get through if you have ads which I do
I have no-ads and it was still excruciating. What a nauseatingly pretentious navel-gaze bore this show became this season. So disappointing.
Are these writers still on strike or? I don't understand the state of bad tv we have lately with Last of Us S2, Rings of Power, any Star Wars content (besides Andor, apparently), Squid Game S2...
So I actually worked in TV for Hulu for 12 years and just got laid off a couple of months ago. The best way I can explain it is “too many cooks spoil the soup”. There are too many people weighing in on decisions they have no business being a part of—executives weighing in on storylines, people insisting on doing the same things over and over, no one willing to take a risk on something even though taking a risk is the only way good things get made.
And it goes both ways—I think the creator of The Bear lost his way and now he needs and other writers but he refused to give up any control. Almost every episode is written and directed by him this season and he really needed to bounce some of this season off of people on his creative team but I think he refused.
So in all cases, everyone is refusing to work collaboratively and a few people insist on calling all the shots themselves and they’re really screwing it up.
Wow I appreciate the unexpected insight into the process. Sorry about the layoff, I hope you enjoy what you're doing now more than Hulu. It's a shame that they're more focused on marketing their Disney/Max deal and tv shows than producing quality tv, but c'est la vie.
The "bundle" lol. It's a mess. Disney tried to absorb Hulu thinking they could just put Hulu stuff on Disney+ and everyone one just switch over, but the message isn't getting through. So people are like "why the heck is this violent movie from Hulu showing up on my Disney+ account." So they're pushing for you to buy both of them (and now Max wrapped in) and there are so many different iterations of the deal nobody even knows what's what anymore. Disney REALLY screwed it up. I am a legacy Hulu employee and was there when it still had start up vibes and Disney has just drained the life out of the place. A mess. I'm glad consumers are able to see it too.
But on top of this--especially for "The Bear" this season, I feel like all of the actors' agents are sitting there on the set insisting their actors get more play. Like there is this totally weird, boring, unnecessary plotline with Abby Elliott's character that just sucks all the air out of the room and I just feel like I can see it being written into her contract that she gets an episode with x number of scenes where she's the focus, and it just doesn't work. It's very shoehorned in.
I'm so tired of Disney! More people need to take a break from them especially after the Lilo & Stitch fiasco not to mention their want for a monopoly. Also, it's a huge shame about Abby Elliott, I loved her character in the last season. Such a relatable story with her & her family's relationship. With shows like Mobland & Always Sunny, there's hope for entertainment, though there's bigger fish to fry of course.
Such a shame. I’ll try and watch the first episode at least lol
The first two episodes are OK. #4 is cute. #7 is like torture.
I Yearn for witty characters
Yes black humor is kitchen humor is gallows humor because kitchens are hell yes
It’s a pity how sanitised and monotone the series has become this season. The characters edges have all been straightened out, especially Tina, Ebraheim & Richie.
I don’t think this season even needed to happen tbh. Fine dining just isn’t that interesting, never mind the fact it’s unreachable & unfamiliar to 90% of people.
I saw someone else point out that nothing in the show any connection to Chicago anymore, and the customers have basically become invisible abstractions reduced to profit margins.
The show would probably work better in the sitcom formula of ‘a day in the life of this busy Chicago beef sandwich place’.
—But it can’t be that because it ‘has to be good’, because people have to feel like their time watching it has been well spent because they don’t read books.
So TV is all the average person has to obtain meaningful narratives. Most people don’t have the energy/creativity/time to actually read/pursue challenging artistic endeavours so we have to say “actually TV is as good as books, if not better” and the commercial product “has to be as good”.
Most TV has just become crude but serious parody, which people declare ‘you should be spending your time on this’. When in reality the time spent watching ‘the bear’ is no better well spent than the time watching Friends or reality TV on TLC. You invest so much time and energy into these ‘serious tv series’ and it just takes your life force and drains you, and it’s all basically kindled by boredom.
The dim French detective Tictocq (rhymes with TikTok) will give you all the wit you can handle in https://clarkaardvark.substack.com/p/tictocq-awakes-35
I loved the comedic relief in the intense last episode of szn 4 when Carmy breaks the news & Richie says “you’re 12” 😂 we couldn’t stop laughing.