Tune into an HBO comedy and odds are you’re in for some F-bombs, occasional drug use and a hilariously awkward sex scene or two. The network’s newest comedy, Crashing (10:30 p.m. Sundays), has all of that, too. But there’s a difference — it’s through the perspective of Pete (creator/star Pete Holmes), a novice clean comic and overall wholesome dude who is just trying to survive the seedy underbelly of New York comedy.
And Pete is definitely crashing — both in the colloquial sense of couch-surfing and the more literal sense of his life falling apart around him.
When we first meet Pete, he’s struggling to establish himself as a stand-up comedian, married to his longtime sweetheart Jess who begrudgingly supports them both as a teacher while Pete scrounges up various unpaid gigs (where, even worse, he has to spend money on the two-drink-minimum in order to perform).
When Pete catches his wife having an affair with a man she plans to run off with, he’s devastated. But it just may be the catalyst he needs to shake up his stagnant approach to comedy (and his life).
One of the most interesting things about Pete (based on Holmes’ younger self) is that he’s a clean comic — no major cursing or vulgarities in his work. Now, there are plenty of legendary comics who keep it clean: Think Jim Gaffigan, Jerry Seinfeld and even Ellen DeGeneres. But Pete’s PG-rated sets and general good-guy nature place him in stark contrast to the smarmy, foul-mouthed comics with whom he works and crashes.
It’s a rare point of view for a contemporary TV comedy, especially in that it doesn’t vilify Pete for being religious or make him preachy. He’s just a “regular Christian,” as he tells someone who asks if he’s Mormon. Even in real life today, when Holmes has found success and no longer identifies as a staunch Evangelical Christian, he maintains a sense of silliness and positivity you can see in Crashing’s Pete.
That’s not to say there aren’t some downer moments in the show — not unlike other HBO comedies, like Girls — that can take a dramatic turn in an otherwise funny situation.
In Crashing’s exploration of the early years of stand-up (when most people suck), there’s a lot of trial and error onstage. We see Pete’s first few comedy bits crash and burn. But with each mediocre set that he survives and each established comic he meets (via humorous interpretations of real comedians like Artie Lange and T.J. Miller), Pete starts to find his groove and learn that maybe he can make it without compromising too many of his own values.
In this week’s episode, Pete is invited as a guest on Artie’s podcast, finds a job opportunity and meets Sarah Silverman, who lets him crash at her place alongside other random comics.
Picks of the Week
RuPaul’s Drag Race (Season Premiere, 8 p.m. Friday, VH1) – From standard-definition reality show with a niche cult following to well-known Emmy nominee, Drag Race is a bona fide crossover hit. For eight years, fans have tuned in to watch drag queens compete in singing, dancing, costume and comedy challenges — what’s not to love? Some would even say it influenced the latest lip-sync craze. But hey, imitation is the greatest form of flattery, right? In this Season 9 opener, the queens compete in the Miss Charisma Uniqueness, Nerve and Talent pageant and Lady Gaga stops by.
Big Little Lies (9 p.m. Sunday, HBO) – Madeline worries about Jane, who confronts Renata. Bonnie informs Nathan about Abigail’s secret project while Ed and Madeline work through their lack of passion.
Girls (10 p.m. Sunday, HBO) – How meta is Adam and Jessa’s film project?! This week, Elijah decides to audition for a new musical on Broadway; Marnie tries to pawn a family heirloom and Hannah reaches out to Paul-Louis.
CONTACT JAC KERN: @jackern
This article appears in Mar 22-29, 2017.