The third season of Showtime's scathing satire of the American TV industry continues with the death spiral of Pucks!, a sitcom created by British couple Beverly and Sean Lincoln (Tamsin Greig and Stephen Mangan) that has been systematically dumbed down by network executives to match the show's star, Matt LeBlanc (played by the actor in a wickedly exaggerated parody of himself). As Beverly and Sean repair their damaged marriage and endure the indignities of network intervention and show business insincerity, their only real consolation is that Pucks! is a ratings disaster. Although they plan their return home to London, Sean finds himself tempted by a network bidding war to produce another project. Episodes has become sharper and smarter since its debut, taking on both the cutthroat culture of Hollywood and its effects on those in the middle—which essentially inflates the egos of the powerful and damages the self-esteem of those struggling below. The leads (including Kathleen Rose Perkins as junior executive Carol Rance) are likable even when engaged in questionable activity, and the Lincolns are intelligent wits in a garish culture, wielding a wicked sense of humor that is about the only thing keeping them sane. Overall, this is a clever show with an insider's vibe and self-effacing quality, thanks in part to the work of co-creator and co-writer David Crane, one of the creative minds behind Friends. Compiling all nine episodes from 2014's third season, this is recommended. (S. Axmaker)
Episodes: The Third Season
Paramount, 2 discs, 255 min., not rated, DVD: $29.98 May 4, 2015
Episodes: The Third Season
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