That show you like is coming back for a new season. You know – the one with the hip soundtrack, about young people doing drugs, having awkward sex, and making bad life decisions. Of course I mean HBO’s “Girls.” Or maybe I mean the British sitcom “Fresh Meat?” Oh, did I just BLOW YOUR MIND?!
Yes, there’s another show you need to watch, and it’s bloody brilliant. “Fresh Meat” is every bit as good as britcoms “The IT Crowd,” “The Inbetweeners,” and “Peep Show,” and employs the same sort of cringe comedy that made those shows great. It also employs some of the same talent – Actor Joe Thomas previously appeared on “The Inbetweeners,” and show creators Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong were the writers behind “Peep Show.”
The plot is mostly stolen from “The Young Ones” – just the hijinks of a group of university students sharing a house. But while the characters on “The Young Ones” were hilarious screaming cartoon characters, the characters on “Fresh Meat” are people you recognize: there’s the indie rock boy, the girl secretly sleeping with her professor, the rich guy nobody likes, the goth girl, etc. The actors deliver the laffs in that classic British way, where they convey more with a raised eyebrow than American actors do with a pratfall. Plus the show gets bonus points for the amazing soundtrack that veers from The Smiths to Captain Beefheart to Can.
Oh, and “Girls” is back – the show that’s the voice of the generation. Well, A voice of A generation. Like “Fresh Meat,” “Girls” always has an excellent soundtrack, an on again/off again couple, and regrettable sex. The show has a more realistic milieu than sitcom “Fresh Meat,” and consequently fewer laffs per episode. But on the other hand, “Fresh Meat” can’t touch Lena Dunham’s epic trollery on “Girls.” The cringe-inducing nude scenes and slowly revealed awfulness of the main characters are reasons enough to keep watching even though the new episode’s name, Wedding Day, is ominous for a comedy.
Side By Side Comparison
On again/off again couple
Fresh Meat – Josie and Kingsley
Girls – Hannah and Adam
Big election from last season:
Fresh Meat – Oregon becomes student council president
Girls – Ray becomes city councilman
Music act that gets mocked:
Fresh Meat – Mumford & Sons
Girls – Mumford & Sons
And finally, character sings in front of audience and bombs:
Fresh Meat –
Girls –
And that tells you everything you need to know about the two shows. “Girls” Season Five premieres Sunday, February 21 on HBO at 10:00 pm EST. “Fresh Meat” Season Four premieres Monday, February 22, on England’s Channel Four at 10:00pm Greenwich Mean Time (and torrents will probably be available an hour or two later).
[Post image via Shutterstock]
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