‘Dinner With the Parents’ is indigestible
Now streaming on Freevee, the comedy “Dinner With the Parents” has all the hallmarks of a show that, back in the day, would never have made it through pilot season. It’s pretty dreadful, but in an oldfashioned way. It’s comfort food — like the meatloaf you forgot you’d left in the back of the fridge.
David Langer (Henry Hall) is first seen approaching a suburban home in a stealthy fashion. He’s planning on taking his girlfriend to meet his parents, Jane (Michaela Watkins) and Harvey (Dan Bakkedahl) for the first time. But first he must run the gauntlet of his little brother Gregg’s (Daniel Thrasher) water pistols. Pushing 30 at least, David is reduced to the age of 7 when he’s around his family.
This may explain (spoiler) why his girlfriend doesn’t show and dumps him via Facetime before she can even meet the parents. So, in the logic of 1930s screwball comedies, he bribes the pizza deliverer to pretend that she’s his girlfriend for the night.
There isn’t a joke or situation that doesn’t seem forced. Look for veteran actress Carol Kane (“Taxi,” “Annie Hall”) as a vaguely ethnic grandmother, given to earthy observations and cigarettes.
› Today brings a spate of personality-driven series that might just fall under the “vanity project” umbrella.
Peacock streams “Orlando Bloom: To the Edge.” Over three episodes, the “Lord of the Rings” star pushes himself in daunting physical undertakings. Whether climbing cliff faces or plunging to ocean depths, he’s full of philosophical asides about how hard things are and how he might just kill himself in the process of pursuing these daunting tasks. Help yourself.
The Max original travel series “Conan O’Brien Must Go” follows the former late-night talk show host as he meets fans from all over the world.
O’Brien has been doing this for years.
In some way, “Go” reminds us of the debt that Conan owes, and has frequently acknowledged, to classic 20th century funnyman Bob Hope. As in Hope’s “Road” movies, O’Brien plays the fool floundering abroad,
engaging in the delusional conversations with strangers, where the joke is always on himself, and emphasizes his less-thanimposing physical appearance and lack of movie-star looks.
We live in an unsubtle age when he-men giants including The Rock, Jason Momoa and John Cena are cast as comedians — or at least as the stars of expensive comedies. O’Brien reminds us of a time when comedy was the province of the awkward, the weak and the silly-looking.
› Prime Video streams “Going Home With Tyler Cameron,” following the former “Bachelor” star as he lives out his dream of starting his own construction company. Along the way, Tyler takes out time to chat with fellow “Bachelor Nation” stars Matt James, Rachael Kirkconnell, Jason Tartick, and Hannah Brown, “The Bachelorette” with whom he once shared meaningful glances.