The new HBO comedy “Crashing” debuted Sunday night at 10:30 p.m., landing a prime viewership slot after the hit show “Girls.” Created by comedian and writer Pete Holmes, “Crashing” has been getting buzz due to its dynamic cast and crew — which includes experienced comedian Artie Lange, actress Lauren Lapkus and co-director and creator Judd Apatow. Despite the exciting promise of the collaboration of both new and old comedic talent, the premiere of “Crashing” is highly unoriginal.
The basic premise of the show is one seen time and time again. Holmes plays the protagonist named — wait for it — Pete, a semi-fictional version of himself. Pete is an aspiring comedian who struggles to make a name for himself in the cut-throat, dingy and ironically cynical world of stand-up comedy. Pete’s wife and breadwinner of the couple, Jess (Lapkus), is clearly dissatisfied with Pete’s lack of success and immersion in comedy, both on and offstage.
Her dissatisfaction — as well as Pete’s disregard for her personal and sexual needs — leads to a predictable bout of infidelity. From there, the premiere turns into a typical series of unfortunate events and comedic cliches for the goofy, clueless — yet thankfully somewhat charming — protagonist.
Acting as himself, Lange makes his appearance about halfway into the episode when he reluctantly steps in to mentor Pete. Lange acts as the quintessential New York comedian who has a nefarious way of life — stuck in limbo between moderate success and falling into a cycle of drug abuse. This storyline is also easily anticipated, and while Lange does have a few funny one-liners, his character does not rejuvenate the show into anything distinct, provocative or exciting.
Not only does the show fall into the banalities of classic screw-ups, awkward sex scenes and stories of failure, but Apatow and Holmes also include bits of real stand-up acts from Pete and other comedians — a common staple of successful shows such as “Louie.” This isn’t only unoriginal, but Pete’s stand up isn’t exactly funny — it’s cringeworthy. However, this is an intentional part of the plot to a degree, so viewers can only hope that his performances will sharpen as the season runs its course.
The most promising aspects of the show came from a host of isolated one-liners and a few clever scenes, such as when Pete spends an uncomfortable night on the metro or vents about his relationship to young schoolchildren who seem to have infinitely more wisdom than him. Unfortunately, these bits may not be enough to distract viewers from the fact that they’ve seen this all before.
That being said, this is only the beginning — perhaps “Crashing” will take off in the coming episodes.
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