TV REVIEW: 'WORKAHOLICS'

Comedy Central's First Season of New Comedy Reaches Genius Level of Absurdity

By: Jesse Livingston

January 24, 2012

(Comedy Central) It isn't hard to make a comedy that's really stupid. It is, on the other hand, very difficult to make a comedy that's really stupid and really smart at the same time. That's what makes Workaholics such a joy to watch: it's consistently inspired, hysterically funny, and reaches genius levels of absurdity. It's gonzo comedy at its finest, and it's got to be the best show about idiots since It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

The show's setup hardly matters, but for what it's worth, it's about three housemates just out of college who all work at the same telemarketing firm, TelAmeriCorp (even the name of the company — probably the most mundane thing in the show — is subtly ridiculous). They're classic slacker buffoons, but each in their own way. Adam DeMamp is thick in the truest sense of the word — kind of a meathead who works out a lot, wants to buy a crotch-rocket motorcycle, and never quite gets what anyone else is saying. If Workaholics were It's Always Sunny, he'd be Mac. Blake Chesterfield Henderson is a loveable fool who just wants to have fun and compose rap songs about wizards; basically, he'd be Charlie. Anders “Ders” Holmvik (pronounced “on-ders” with a hard “on”) is the uptight rich kid who patrols the neighborhood on his recumbent bike and takes the role of the responsible adult without really knowing what he's doing; he'd be Dennis.

The Always Sunny analogy wouldn't be complete without a Sweet Dee, and that part is filled by Jillian Belk — the trio's coworker and unsung hero of the show. Jillian holds her own admirably against the hurricane of testosterone-fueled madness that whips around Blake, Adam, and Ders at all times. She has a goofy girl-trying-to-be-one-of-the-guys thing going, which is pretty laughable in and of itself, considering she's probably smarter than any of them.

If it sounds like I'm jumping back and forth between talking about a character and the actor who plays her, that's because the two are pretty close on this show. The characters' names are minimally altered versions of the actors' names, and the show is primarily written by the actors themselves, leading one to wonder if the characters might not be outlandish exaggerations of the actor/writers' own personalities. Apparently Comedy Central gave these guys a show after seeing their videos on YouTube, and this fact on its own justifies YouTube's existence.

Whatever the case may be, it's pretty clear that these are a bunch of intelligent people with a deep love for absurd comedy. They take an idiotic premise — such as the characters going on strike because the company won't recognize a holiday they made up while drunk, or the characters trying to get a pedophile arrested, only to discover he's the coolest guy they've ever met — and do things with it that you'd never have imagined in a million years. It's like they have some kind of comedy sonar that allows them to see every possible joke in every corner of every scene. Sometimes it's just the way they pronounce certain words or make certain noises that gets you.

It helps that they have great guest stars, such as Mitch Hurwitz, the creator of Arrested Development; Clint and Rance Howard, brother and father of Ron, respectively; Chris Parnell; Laura Kightlinger; and Marc Summers of Unwrapped and Double Dare. Special mention needs to be made of Chris D'Elia, who plays the aforementioned pedophile and takes it to glorious heights of eccentric creepiness. Word on the street (read: Wikipedia) is that he has signed a deal with Comedy Central to star in his own show called Nocturnal Mission, which I will personally be awaiting with bated breath.

What it comes down to is that you should order a couple of pizzas, get some beer, and watch this show with your friends because it will keep you in stitches for hours. There's a special place in paradise for people who devote their lives to making stupid jokes as good as they can possibly be, and these guys will be there. Add Workaholics to the short list of great comedy on television.

For Fans of: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Whitest Kids U'Know, Mr. Show, Peep Show, Arrested Development, Parks & Recreation

Why We Like It: gleeful mania, inventive absurdity, gonzo comedy