Every HBO Comedy Ranked From Worst To Best

For starring in the show that eventually brought us The Simpsons and much more in her career, Tracey Ullman will always be a legend, but her late ‘90s sketch show on HBO was more misfire than hit. Ullman is a gifted comic and sketch performer, and the material that works in Tracey Takes On… is as good as anything in her career, well worth revisiting.

Some of the less good stuff, though, is downright gross. The most cringe inducing is Mrs. Noh Nang Ning, a deeply troubling Asian character who runs a doughnut store. Everything about the character, from the look to the portrayal, is about as bad as you could imagine. Asian American groups protested about the presentation, but Ullman and HBO stuck to their guns, citing “satire” as the excuse.

There are decent characters in there too, and appearances from high quality comedic actors like Michael McKean and Julie Kavner, but the antiquated nature of some of the sketches makes this feel far more than 25 years old.