Remember that show where a writer decides to become a private detective after his girlfriend breaks up with him. Then he gets his lazy comic book artist friend and pot smoking boss involved and they all go on weird adventures/cases together. Remember that show?
It feels like 'Bored to Death', created and written by author Jonathan Ames, didn't end that long ago, when in fact it the three seasons it aired last my entire time at University. I think this was another show that out of my friends, I was the only one watching it. It grabbed my attention because it was a writer trying to be a private detective, two things that I am really just a sucker for. If the character had also been a hitman, well, that's all three boxes ticked. HBO described the show as noir-otic comedy, focusing in on the central character, Jonathan Ames and his problems, mainly how he copes without his girlfriend, will he ever be a successful writer and when will he stop be dependant on weed and wine. The show also had the an amazing opening animated title sequence, accompanied by the theme song being sung star of the show Jason Schwartzman.
Jonathan Ames, you might recognise his name as his short story, 'You Were Never Really Here' has been adapted into feature film of the same name, directed by Lynn Ramsey and starring Joaquin Phoenix, and its a brilliant film. Ames named his main character after him, even using his first novel, 'I Pass Like Night' as the show's Ames' novel too. The first series follows Jonathan (Jason Schwartzman) as he struggles with losing his girlfriend, trying to finish his next novel and trying to solve cases, where he ends up with quite a few more problems. His boss, friend and mentor, George Christopher (Ted Danson at his best), editor of fictional magazine, Edition, who enjoys smoking pot and trying to take down his enemies, as well as having an affair with his married again ex-wife. Jonathan's best friend Ray (Zach Galifianakis) a comic book artist and the laziest person in Brooklyn, lives with his long time single mother girlfriend who gives him an allowance each week. He gets roped into cases sometimes by accident other times by force. But the fun and madness happens when all three are thrown together.
The second season was an extenstion of the first, but the cases were more madcap adventures that happened inbetween the character's personal lives. Jonathan, having failed to get his second book published, ends up working as a night school teacher. Ray, now broken up with his girlfriend has series of relationships with women, stranger than he is and gains some popularity through his work. While George finds out he has cancer and faces issues with his magazine's owner.
By the third season, Jonathan is a sort of celebrity having found popularity through his next book. The episodes are as always entertaining but feel all over the place in terms of story. The running story/case throughout is connected to Jonathan directly after he finds out his father isn't his biological father. There is also an unsavoury end to the whole show and the characters aren't really given a 'proper' send off. For me, I could see the cancellation of the show coming throughout the third season. There were petitions to keep it going but HBO didn't change. Then with cancellations comes rumours of a movie, with the real Ames saying he has written a two drafts of the script but nothing was working and since 2014 there hasn't been further word of the film.
It had a good run and seemed to have a spark of inspiration throughout, but ultimately it lost the show was winding down and I'm sure somewhere Jonathan, Ray and George are enjoying drinks and pot in Brooklyn somewhere, plotting their next spa day.
@HBO