Crashing: New Comedy on HBO

Crashing is the newest comedy show on HBO. Written and produced by talented comedians, Judd Apatow and Pete Holmes, the show is truly hilarious and honest, dealing with problems all twenty-somethings have faced.

The show follows struggling comedian, Pete Holmes (as himself), and his adventures on his way to stardom, through the end of his marriage to his first true ‘gig’ at a comedy club. Throughout the majority of the episode, which airs Sundays at 10:30 pm on HBO, you either feel second-hand embarrassment for the guy, or you want to give him a hug since he just can’t seem to catch a break.

Pete is a lovably innocent character, who has no idea how to live in the rough neighborhoods of New York.

The reception of the show has been overwhelmingly positive. Audiences fell in love with Pete Holmes after his special, Faces and Sounds, premiered December 3rd. Four episodes into the first season, HBO renewed Crashing for a second.

The show features other famous and well-known comedians, such as Sarah Silverman, and T.J. Miller, and includes the debuts of some of Holmes’ fellow comedians. In a homage to the days when comedians would buy two drinks at an open mic so they could perform, Holmes gives these newcomers a chance in the spotlight. Many of the characters, in fact, are simply playing fictionalized versions of themselves, such as Greer Barnes and Artie Lange, who, if you don’t recognize the name, played that fake store Santa in Elf who “sat on a throne of lies.” (No Joke.)

All in all, Crashing has a star-studded cast while avoiding the common pitfall of becoming superficial. The actors and the writers of Crashing are obviously drawing on their own experiences as starving artists, and that is what makes this show so honest and real. I would highly recommend that, if you’ve had a bad day, or simply have time on your hands, invest a few minutes in the first episode, and you will be hooked.