Somebody with a finely attuned sense of irony thought it would be fun for mega-successful Friends alumnus Lisa Kudrow to star in a faux reality show about a former sitcom star making her TV comeback. She plays erstwhile “it” girl Valerie Cherish, first seen auditioning for what she believes will be a starring role, only to learn that she's lending support to younger, hipper stars. Playing “Aunt Sassy” on a show called Room and Bored, Valerie struggles to keep her ego in check while at the same time grabbing as much attention as she can. Kudrow, one of The Comeback's producers as well as its leading lady, obviously called in some favors: the 13-episode 2005 series was studded with guest stars, including Jay Leno, Marilu Henner, George Lopez, Kim Fields, and director James Burrows (all playing themselves). While the backstabbing, take-no-prisoners showbiz milieu is replicated with reasonable fidelity, and Kudrow comes off extremely well as the insecure and insincere actress who never gets tired of jockeying for advantage, The Comeback is often hit and miss and, in fact, only lasted on HBO for this single season. DVD extras include a half-dozen episode commentaries and a pair of featurettes with Kudrow in character. A strong optional purchase. (E. Hulse)
The Comeback: The Complete Only Season
HBO, 2 discs, 390 min., not rated, DVD: $39.98 September 18, 2006
The Comeback: The Complete Only Season
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