With the breadth and quality of new TV series, more film actors are taking on small-screen projects. Nearly 25 years after his last regular television role on In Living Color, Jim Carrey returns to the medium with Kidding (10 p.m. Sundays, Showtime) — just don’t expect that slapstick goofball you know from Dumb & Dumber and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.
Carrey stars as Jeff Piccirillo, better known as Mr. Pickles, the longtime host of a PBS children’s television program. The comparisons to Mr. Rogers are immediately evident: Mr. Pickles is a beloved figure who has served as a teacher for generations of kids. (In one scene, his car is stolen and stripped by a group of guys. When they see his name on the registration, they quickly fix the car, mortified, and return it before he even realizes what’s happened.) He’s kind, generous, and innocent — even after the camera stops rolling. (“Please don’t use a bad word when you can use a good one,” he frequently requests of those around him.) Perhaps too much so. While Mr. Pickles’ world is full of friendly, colorful puppet friends, the real world that Jeff lives in is a jaded, dirty and tragic place.
Most viewers would agree Jeff lives a dreary life. Based out of Columbus, he resides in a crappy apartment complex inhabited mostly by Ohio State University students; he helps them navigate their drunken nights. A 30-year television veteran, Jeff could easily afford a lavish home, but separated from his wife (and in total denial), he lives modestly and takes only what he needs, giving the rest away to charitable causes.
When we meet Jeff, he’s experienced great loss but, after a year, is ready to deal with grief the only way he knows how — on his show.
This worries those behind the scenes of Mr. Pickles’ Puppet Time, who understandably believe Mr. Pickles can’t talk about heavy topics on a kids’ show. They push Jeff to keep his real life and Mr. Pickles separate. But Jeff’s onto something — he’s uniquely tuned in to the emotions of children and people in general, and wants to help them deal with tough stuff, not just learning the alphabet and colors.
But it turns out the Mr. Pickles world isn’t so squeaky-clean and simple either. It’s a multimillion-dollar brand with objectives beyond helping generations of viewers, such as selling dolls and marketing purple as the official color for Father’s Day (thanks, Hallmark).
The push and pull between Jeff Piccirillo — the man from Mr. Pickles’ brand — is a major theme in Kidding. But it’s also a messy family portrait made all the more complicated by trauma, fame, secrets and the fact that many of them work together; the show’s executive producer is Jeff’s father (Frank Langella) and his sister (Catherine Keener) creates the Muppet-esque costumes and puppets. They both have concerns for the show and their loved one on top of their own host of personal issues.
Kidding finds Carrey teaming up with Michel Gondry for the second time since Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and fans of that film will immediately recognize the director’s signature surrealist, playful style from the stop-motion opening credits. It’s a fitting collaboration — Eternal Sunshine showcased Carrey’s more serious acting chops; Kidding does the same. Dave Holstein, who previously wrote for Weeds, created the show.
“Aren’t you tired of always doing the right thing?” one character asks Jeff. But he’s a champion of optimism, gratingly so for many around him, who urge him to wake up and see things from their perspectives. Sometimes the back and forth between Jeff’s goodness and the realities of the world are jarring, like a cutaway from a taping of the show to two puppeteers doing the nasty in costume backstage. This dramedy is not for the faint of heart.
The world is a giant, complicated place that can be scary and confusing — and that’s not just true for the young viewers of Mr. Pickles’ Puppet Time. But, Jeff is here to help. Kidding is dark and light, sweet and sour, heartbreaking and hilarious — sometimes jolting, but there’s balance. And isn’t that what it’s all about?
Contact Jac Kern: @jackern
This article appears in Sep 12-19, 2018.
