Blunt Talk (Starz, Saturdays, 9/8C) is both the title of the ongoing series featuring a well-intentioned British talk show host in America and the low-rated nightly news and views show he hosts on minor cable network UBM. The series was created (and mostly written by) Jonathan Ames (Bored to Death) and stars Sir Patrick Stewart as Walter Blunt.
The concept is that Blunt, while anchoring a news show and attempting to dispense wisdom along with the news, has a very chaotic life – in which he continually undermines himself in spite of the best efforts of Blunt Talk’s production team and his faithful valet.
We meet Walter Blunt in the series premiere, I Seem to Be Running Out of Dreams for Myself, as he picks up a trans-hooker (Trace Lysette) and gets himself arrested after declaiming Shakespeare from the roof of his Jaguar. That might be the funniest moment of the premiere.
In short order we meet Blunt’s valet, Harry (Adrian Scarborough), a former Royal Marine who served under blunt during the Falklands War; Rosalie (Jacki Weaver), his executive producer and protector; Celia is a senior producer with many issues including insecurity; Jim (Timm Sharp) wants to be Walter – on air, not as a person; Shelley (Mary Holland) is a junior producer and very ambitious – but also incredibly paranoid), and Martin (Karan Soni) is also a junior producer and very defensive.
The show is, at least in the four episodes made available for review, uneven but working towards a balance between Blunt’s authoritative on-air self and completely hopeless private self.
There are moments of comic genius – Blunt decides to interview himself after his arrest and does not go easy on himself; Celia’s attraction to a magician she met online; Harry’s willingness to do almost anything for Blunt (including starring in a porn movie so Blunt can avail himself of the director’s green screen to fudge a story – he missed his flight!), or Shelly’s reaction when another network runs a story similar to one she worked hard on: the morning of the day it was supposed to run – but also some moments that are downright tragicomic (the most poignant being the discovery about Rosalie’s husband, Ted (Ed Begley Jr.).
Stewart is positively brilliant as Blunt – throwing himself wholly into every new situation (a very Clouseau-like morning wake up bit of kendo with an unsuspecting Harry; not getting Moby’s name) and delivering lines like, ‘I can’t facetime – I’m on AOL!’ with impeccable timing and panache. Plus, dance number!
While the rest of the cast get some good moments (see: Rosalie and Ted; Jim’s major issue), in the first couple of episodes, when Stewart is not on screen, the energy flags and more than a few gags fail to land. By the third episode, though, as we get to know these people, things pick up in a big way.
Through the first two eps, the major draw is Stewart – and he is worth watching. If you thought his narrations for the Ted movies were funny – and enjoyed his guest voice work on American Dad – you will find his work here to be another order of funny.
It might take Blunt a few episodes to start coming together, but it’s almost as much fun to watch the show evolve around Stewart (who is clearly having the time of his life).
Final Grade: B+