Comedians in their element
Since its creation in 1975, the show Saturday Night Live (SNL) is one of the most prolific nurseries of comic talents who subsequently find their place in Hollywood, on both the small and the big screen, sometimes with their very own productions, which resemble them and which bring people together. At least sometimes… One wonders if this last quality will apply to the two fiction series concocted by (and starring) “graduates” of this august institution, which are appearing on digital platforms this week. One seems to us at least more original and catchy than the other…
I Love That for Youwhose title comes from a popular expression that signals indifference rather than true appreciation, is aptly suited to its co-creator and star Vanessa Bayer, cast member of SNL in the 2010s, particularly adept at composing comic characters that arouse unease making them a little sad.
His heroine, Joanna Gold, inspired in part by her own life, since she too overcame childhood cancer, arouses laughter and a certain pity. This 30-year-old, who still lives with her parents, without a satisfying professional and love life, has dreamed since her years spent in hospital of becoming a host on a TV shopping channel. She manages to realize her dream, which allows her to meet and be mentored by her childhood idol, network veteran Jackie Stilton (Molly Shannon, another star of SNL). Her happiness is short-lived, since she is fired quite quickly. Fragile and clumsy Joanna manages to save the day by exposing her cancerous past and lying that the crab is back…
The plot of this series, always on the thin line between slightly wicked satire and heartfelt dramatic comedy, is built on the effect of this lie in the lives of the protagonists. The result is a solid production, often very funny, sometimes moving, but unfortunately not very endearing. We give him a chance…
Series The Pentaverate might sound familiar to those who follow closely (and even from a distance!) the career of Canadian comedian Mike Myers, cast member of SNL more or less regular throughout the 1990s and 2000s. This short comedy series draws its inspiration from a comedy he starred in 1993, Eh yes, I married a murderess, the first film in which he held more than one role. It was about conspiracy theories around a secret society, which are at the heart of this new production created and scripted by Myers, who plays no less than eight roles, including those of the bad guys on duty and that of the hero, a Canadian journalist who must uncover the famous secret society to keep his job and save the world. Fans of the comic with a thousand caricatural characters, who take pleasure in his stories which do not always fly very high, will be on familiar ground. The others will no doubt pass their way…
I Love That for You
Crave, from April 29
The Pentaverate
Netflix, from May 5
Just before Kirk
Franchise star trek this is its eighth live-action TV series (excluding the three animated TV productions and numerous films) and we wonder if the source of inspiration will ever dry up. It must be said that the return to the “future” preceding the “original” series of the 1960s, with Star Trek: Discovery, launched in 2017 and which has just ended on Paramount+, gave it a new retro impetus. This sequel, which takes place a few years before the arrival of Captain Kirk, brings us back to the iconic ship USS Enterprise along with a very young Spock and several other characters from the very first TV version. A second season has already been confirmed. Even before the premiere. A safe bet, you say?
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (VOA and VF)
Crave, from May 5