Eastbound & Down

I was waiting for the premier of HBO's 'Eastbound & Down' pretty much obsessively since I saw the original pilot online last summer. It premiered in February and over the course of its first five episodes--there will only be six this season--has been an unrelenting source of hilarity and plain-old great television.

For those who haven't been watching, 'Eastbound & Down' is a show about an ex-pro baseball player, Kenny Powers, who's fallen from glory. He's moved back to his hometown to live with his brother and try to assimilate his outrageous and egomaniacal style for the time being until he returns to the majors. Thing is, because of his horrible shape, attitude and nasty habits, he'll probably be there longer than planned. Anyway, premise aside, this is the funniest sitcom-esque show I've seen since 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'. The two shows share an unconventional deconstruction of the sitcom's typical form and cliches, but ultimately they both derive their best jokes from the humor that arises when people do and say horrible things to each other.

The music on the show is very southern-sounding, running the gamut from twangy musical interludes to Lil Wyte to Drug Rug. The Lil Wyte song in particular caught my ear. Classic Hypnotize Minds beat that really gets to the essence of Kenny Powers, even if it isn't something he might listen to. Check it out here.

I've been hearing that due to low ratings and mixed reviews that this show's future is uncertain. I really hope that's not the case because this is one of the best comedies going. I should also mention all the episodes are excellently directed; some directed by David Gordon Green (of 'All the Real Girls' and 'Pineapple Express'), and this week's episode was by Adam McKay (of 'Anchorman' and 'Step Brothers'). The level of comedic talent working on this show is ridiculous. In any case, watch this show if you like to laugh. Here's a link to the times you can catch it on HBO.

The video below is one of my favorite things from the show, a self-produced reel Kenny made with his "assistant" Stevie that's supposed to stir up hype for his improbable return to the big leagues.