No Kidding

I've watched the first two episodes of Kidding, the new Showtime comedy-drama that's Jim Carrey's return to TV.

He plays Jeff Piccirillo, better known as Mr. Pickles, star of a long-running kiddie show.  He's at the top of his profession when one of his twin sons dies in a car crash.  He has trouble adjusting, and he and his wife, Jill, split. (I think that's the order--it wasn't clear to me if they were already divorced when the accident happened.)

He wants to make death a subject in his show, and break other boundaries, though he's fought by the show's producer, Sebastian Piccirillo--also his father.  Meanwhile, one of the puppeteers on the show, Deirdre--also his sister--has problems with her own kid.

Kidding, created by Dave Holstein and directed by Michel Gondry (who directed Carrey in Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind), is an odd project.  I think the show is trying to be funny and unsettling at the same time, but only manages the latter.

The main problem, aside from the lack of laughs, is Carrey's character is not fun to be around.  He's a mixture of innocence and anger, which perhaps could work, but as written and played comes across as annoying.

The show has a stellar cast. In addition to Carrey, there's Judy Greer as Jill, Frank Langella as Sebastian and Catherine Keener as Deirdre.  But talent can't make up for a shaky premise and indifferent scripts.