# Kidding (2018)

> A beloved children's TV host watches his family fall apart and finds no fairy tale to guide him through the collapse.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/64309

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 20
- Episode runtime: 30 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: comedy, drama
- Created by: Dave Holstein
- Network: Showtime
- Cast: Jim Carrey, Frank Langella, Judy Greer, Justin Kirk, Cole Allen, Juliet Morris, Catherine Keener, Matt Gourley
- TMDB rating: 8.0/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7375404/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: none
- Tone: melancholic, darkly comic, bittersweet, wistful, absurd

## What critics say

Audiences rate the series positively, praising its blend of dark comedy and heartbreak anchored by Jim Carrey's performance.

## Synopsis

Kidding (2018-2020) is a American dark comedy drama series created by Dave Holstein for Showtime. Jim Carrey stars as Jeff Piccirillo, the gentle host of a long-running children's program who performs as the puppet-wielding Mr. Pickles, while Frank Langella plays his demanding father Sebastian, the family's founder and power behind the show. Judy Greer plays Jill, Jeff's wife, whose patience is wearing thin as the household strains under pressure. Across two seasons of ten half-hour episodes, the engine is simple and painful: Jeff wants to keep his cheerful public image intact while his private world crumbles, and every crisis arrives faster than he can cope. Each episode mixes sharp workplace satire of television production with raw domestic scenes of grief, resentment, and fragile loyalty. The tone is bittersweet and melancholic, with absurd humor breaking through heavy emotional ground. Set in present-day Los Angeles, the show has the texture of a prestige cable dramedy with a brooding, intimate register. Fans of Barry, BoJack Horseman, and Better Things will find a similar blend of wry despair and humane observation. The series was canceled after its second season, leaving its story unfinished.

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