2. The Brink
Political satire has always been ripe for television. Whether it's Peter Capaldi's The Thick Of It or Jeff Daniels' The Newsroom, if there's one thing audiences are hungry for its a middle finger being humorously raised to politicians and the government at large. Another HBO political satire, then what could possibly go wrong? Okay, so Jack Black can be a little goofy, but he's got great dramatic chops when he needs them. Coupled with Academy Award winner Tim Robbins, you'd think The Brink had all the constitute ingredients to be brilliant. Sadly, the show was anything but. The humour wasn't very humorous and the satire just didn't have enough bite. Despite strong performances by Black and Robbins, the tone of the show is often fast paced to the point of genuine exhaustion, and it just doesn't have enough laughs to make the ride worthwhile. The show was briefly renewed for a second season by HBO before they backtracked and threw it in the trash.
Brian Wilson
Contributor
Commonly found reading, sitting firmly in a seat at the cinema (bottle of water and a Freddo bar, please) or listening to the Mountain Goats.
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Brian