The phenomenally drunk Jonathan Ames, giving out awards at the WGA ceremony. Any writer who has ever been disappointed (all of us) will find his pain relatable. There but for the grace of God go I.
This is so fun! Smart people are wonderful when they’re drunk.
This clip, in which an incredibly drunk and witty Jonathan Ames gives out WGA Awards while loudly and unrestrainedly complaining about the cancellation of his show, is terrific and funny and just a bit sad. Bored to Death was one of my favorite comedies on television, and while three seasons is a triumph for a show so incredibly niche, I’m still sad to see it go. (As is, clearly, Jonathan Ames.)
It was a genuinely strange little show, not strange in that way that most shows are, where someone at the network says, “Hey, let’s try something strange. Can any of you guys do ‘strange’?” and a room of Hollywood staff writers nod their heads yes. Bored to Death was a half-hour sitcom written by an old drunk novelist who has never owned a TV. Ames had no reference point for what a television show should look like, feel like, or concern itself with, so he followed his instincts and at times seemed to reinvent TV writing from scratch. The result was an often inconsistent but frequently entertaining show that felt like it didn’t even belong on television. Zach Galifianakis is quite funny in it, Ted Danson is utterly brilliant, and Jason Schwartzman is generally Jason Schwartzman-y — together they’re a complementary trinity, like a Kirk/Spock/Bones of drunk gourmands who roll around Brooklyn getting shot and barely noticing. It’s a lot of fun.
I can’t imagine the show had much appeal outside of the coasts — one episode revolved around Zach G. becoming “a Park Slope mom”, another involves Jason Schwartzman’s character moving into the Williamsburgh Savings Bank. Only a home-canned Bushwick pickle could be more Brooklyn. But that was the point — it was a locally-grown, hand-packed television show covered in warts but loved by the person who made it. (An idea silly enough that Ames winked ironically at it with a subplot in which Ted Danson opens a “farm-to-table” restaurant. Ironic self-awareness is also super Brooklyn.)
If you want to give the show a try, start with the second season. HBO makes it stupidly difficult to watch their shows online, so for those of you not so blessed, here’s another option. Enjoy.
