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The Omid Djalili Show (2007–2008)
10/10
Critical acclaim for Djalili who like Chappelle fuses multiculturalism with pop culture and a little bit of footy for a laugh-packed show
7 February 2010
The Omid Djalili Show I can only say is probably one of the funniest shows i've seen yet, and unlike the other reviewer despite having seen his stand-up before the sketch series', i can only say his creativity and hilarity factor has risen dramatically in the second series.

Omid takes multiculturalism and uses bizarre yet hilarious situations or characters and makes truly outrageous skits which tickle the funny bone for more reasons than slapstick. His use of music, dancing, as well as great one on one banter and impeccable joke telling as well as accents brings this show to one of my all time favorites in sketch comedy. While shows like Mind of Mencia waste our time with poorly crafted ethnic jokes and some awful dane-cook-wannabe presentation, the Omid Djalili show takes some elegant acting with the heart and spirit of true comedy which not only makes you laugh your pants off, but actually think. His observations and accents give the west London/east London feel and often bring to his audience a view of the middle east coupled with immigration in England, English mannerisms, Football frenzy and a great deal of energy, enthusiasm and passion.

The Omid Djalili Show caters to all audiences. For the adults who are too serious, he breaks down the barriers of often limiting political correctivity and gives the world a dose of the truth, from his sketch on British recycling (which is a short non-stop truth comedy sketch) to his stand up with the audience.

For those immature, he has steven 'the dragon' thompson and a "flamboyant" movie director, and for the rest he has some good sports humor, a little bit of belly dancing and some funny accent humor which is too funny and far too accurate to be offensive.

As such, this show is the new breed of sketch comedy, bringing in a little bit of everything to entertain both the heart and the mind. For those who complain of the lack of quality comedy in the world today, the omid djalili show is the true heir of the chappelle show, with a twist of brit wit and maturity.
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The League (I) (2009–2015)
7/10
Why the league has all the potential, but cant get out of first gear:
5 December 2009
Warning: Spoilers
I think the biggest issue with this show is in the character of Pete (Mark Duplass) who is the blessed character. minus the maybe two occasions where his life turns to suck kind of he frequently happens to get the girl, win the match up, and gloat, and he's not EVEN funny! I think his character needs to expand, he needs to face a semi-depressing life beyond fantasy football. he should have regrets and he cant always get the girl! I think a fine balance between his current character and Ruxin is necessary if there is to be any more watch-ability in this show. For one. Duplass is a horrible actor. He constantly has the same look on his face and his acting shows it constantly, he cant even pretend to be happy or sad. and to be honest, the best part in the whole series for him was being the bitch in intercourse with his wife.

The other characters however are a breath of fresh air in the otherwise dreary world of poorly casted sitcoms. And while some characters grow into their roles like Alec Baldwin in 30 Rock, you constantly find a poor start for characters in other sitcoms and the poor acting brings the show down and then there is no season renewal.

Jon Lajoie as Taco really headlines the team, and with the exception of the vaginal hubris song (which could have been the next everyday normal guy, but wasn't) his acting has been top-notch. then you have the lovely duo of Kevin (Ranasszini) and Jenny (Aselton) then you got human giant alum Paul Scheer doing a respectable job as the foil in Andre and a great sleeper in Ruxin (Kroll) and the show is great. But the best part is that all the other actors have a beautiful symbiosis together. Ruxin's a total ass-hole to everyone only to be treated like one. Kevin is the adult, but he's secretly whipped but he's funny and modest. Jenny is cute and adds an element of tomboy. Andre is obviously the stupid one who gets suckered (but this is Ruxin or Kevin's job, not Pete's) and then taco is there to clear up the lines and be hilarious. Only for Duplass to suffocate the fun out of it. I don't even know why his character is relevant, but i think if they want it done right, they knock him down several notches.

If i were the writers. Make his life a bit worse. make it so he doesn't win all the time. give him a sense of vulnerability which he's supposed to have! yes. he left his hot wife because he didn't want to be the bitch,but that doesn't mean he can pick up a hot girl at the bar, or get the hot hotel receptionist. The hot girls are meant for taco exclusively, thats the joke of Taco being taco. Otherwise why the hell are you gonna have a stoner player! whats the point!? Make him a better friend for one. make him less lucky everywhere else. Make him lose at what he's most confident at, but also make sure that he's still a force to be reckoned with. but humiliate him more. having his OWN porno tape while he's going to bring a girl into his room doesn't really count, and neither does a naked jenny. fix it. seriously.

make Petes' life worse as his fantasy life improves, or at least don't give him a girl. cater his character to the casting of duplass . Duplass cant do funny as much, he can do jerk, and he can do squabbling with his wife but he can also be a convincing friend, make him defend andre once in a while, but also enjoy things like tattooing his face on his back. Make his character a little bit of Kevin, he cant be humble, but he should be the second guy to breakup the squabbling. and Ruxin's potshots should do more damage to him. But honestly, his character cannot continue to be the protagonist of the show as he is now, and he needs some big losses so the team can knock him down to earth. i have a feeling there will be an Andre victory, and i hope that is the catalyst to make this show better. honestly it's why i still tune in while i can. because i hope for the show to pleasantly surprise me much like the pilot did. because since then it has all gone downhill. though three penis wine was pretty funny.

but here's the bottom line. fix Duplass' role, or add a new guy. maybe Omid Djalili as a British soccer fan who is dating Pete's ex. i mean come on SHAKE IT UP DAMNIT!! because in its current incarnation, much like the simpsons today i will slowly stop tuning in on FX on thursdays and decide there are better things to do with my time, like do my homework.
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