Saturday, May 05, 2007

Just Between Us...

...Jeff Ltd. is a pretty tough watch.

It's described on the CTV site as a comedy series featuring bachelor-entrepreneur Jeff Stevens, a nickel-and-dime advertising and promotions "genius" who chases get-rich-quick schemes and women of all types with reckless abandon.

I watched it when it first started up and just didn't 'get it'...but kept hearing people compare it to Curb Your Enthusiasm (or being in that vein), so I watched 'Jeff' again last night. Still didn't get it (translation: I didn't laugh). And am trying to figure out the comparison.

HBO site describes Curb Your Enthusiasm as candid, unsparing and self-deprecating, Larry David has a knack for getting himself into uncomfortable situations that end up alienating him from peers and acquaintances. 'Enthusiasm' shows how seemingly trivial details of one's day-to-day life--a trip to the movies, a phone call, a visit from some trick-or-treaters--can precipitate a "Murphy's Law" chain of misfortune to hilarious effect.

You see, Larry David is a little petty and narrow-minded for someone who essentially 'has it all', but in the situations that arise, he generally has good intentions. And so when things blow up in his face...hilarity ensues. On the other hand, Jeff is just so...I dunno, unlikable? He's intentionally smarmy and lecherous and he seriously tries to nail chicks and scam people...and yes, it generally blows up in his face (like a trick cigar, according to the CTV site), but because the blow up is expected, and because he doesn't really have good intentions...the show, Jeff Ltd. is just not that funny. Or if there's hilarity ensuing, it's not for me.

I sure there's a good comedy 'do and don't' rule in here somewhere, but my little scifi/paranormal action adventure pea brain can't seem to articulate it.

8 comments:

Halifax TV/Film said...

I agree with you. I only watched Jeff Ltd once and I didn't get it either. Like you say, with Curb Your Enthisiasm you feel empathy for Larry David because most of the scrapes he gets into are not his fault or started because he gets pissed off at somebody else's attitude. The episode where he had to use the disabled washroom and was "reamed out", so to speak, by the guy in the wheelchair is one of those real life things. And Larry took his medicine. But then later he found the wheelchair guy in the regular stall he turned the tables on him, maybe unjustifiably, but its stuff we all think about, admit it or not. But politcal correctness or actually good taste would prevent us from saying anything. But not our Larry.

Anyway, gone on too long. Jeff Inc., yeah, not so much.

Anonymous said...

I find Jeff amusing! I don't go out of my way to watch comedy, but if Jeff happens to be on I find myself being amused about as much as with Corner Gas.

But I've never been a comedy fan. It all feels so frivilous, and life is funny enough as it is.

Although I do like to inject the funny into my writings.

jimhenshaw said...

I believe CTV originally titled the series "Jeff".

"Limited" was added later by the marketing people to more honestly define its appeal.

wcdixon said...

Ba-da-bump!

ME said...

I agree with you, Dix. I find it a hard watch and I've stuck out quite a few episodes. I've always found Jeff Seymour kind of creepy and find him hard to take, so that might be part of it.

Diane Kristine Wild said...

My one sentence review was: "It made me want to poke my eyes out." So I'm not fond of it either.

wcdixon said...

And this isn't about kicking a show that's down...just trying to figure out what it was trying to be or do. I actually quite liked Jeff Seymore on 'The Eleventh Hour'...

Kelly J. Crawford said...

Yeah, Jeff was superb on The Eleventh Hour but, as Caroline said, in this role, he's kinda creepy.