Ah, Trailer Parks. Ever been to one? I haven’t, but I have seen them. And according to this television series (from the BBC, who recently brought us The Office, which basically means it has to be awesome), they are full of uproarious happenings such as some smug bastard named Cyrus deciding to move into your trailer after you’ve been in jail for 18 months. This Cyrus character of course takes over the local drug business, causing two of your hip-hop loving friends to fall on hard times and thus triggering the inevitable rallying of your trailer park mates behind you and against Cyrus, driving him away. 

The trailer park also assures that you have a ne’er do well friend named Ricky who will not, under any circumstances, let you live a normal ‘clean’ life and who happens to be living in a dilapidated car parked outside of your trailer because his girlfriend/baby’s mama (that’s a funny sequence of words) won’t let him back in her trailer and his dad’s too drunk to be bothered. And what would a trailer park friend be if he didn't create several problems between you and the park's landlord by firing off guns at barking dogs in the middle of the night, waking everyone. 

Yes, Trailer Park Boys is a glorious series noticeably influenced (like many other of the great comedies of our day) by the cringe-worthiness of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Like that Larry David/HBO phenomenon, the awkward silences and glares of Trailer Park Boys are half of the comedic element - and trust me, that’s a lot of comedy, as Julian strives to make his life by better by distancing himself from his authority troubled friend Ricky. Julian deeply wants to escape his horrid surroundings and even attempts to leave the trailer park by attending community college, which everyone, including the park supervisor and his shirtless deputy, is against. After all, if Julian leaves, who will stay and keep Ricky out of trouble?

The ‘my friends are the cause of my failings’ routine Trailer Park Boys illustriously exhibits is very reminiscent of that other Larry David television show, Seinfeld, and makes a most welcome return in this dark age of television where financial problems are seemingly nonexistent. It’s nice to see the characters struggle with problems more diverse than pregnant teenagers and bitch slaps. 

The writing of Trailer Park Boys, or lack there of, is crisp and the acting is inspiring. The show is shot in a wry, faux documentary style with a shaky, possibly hand-held, camera giving it a low budget feel that the series benefits greatly from. Trailer Park Boys is just the show that network television needs, but refuses to take a chance with. It’s not for everyone, but those of you saddened by The Office series finale will find more than enough to keep entertained. As for me; I’m just saddened that the screener only included two episodes and the Canadians are already on the fourth season!

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Tim Smith, a staff writer and resident television expert for Lost At Sea, could use everyone's support kicking his nasty meat habit.
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SEE ALSO > www.trailerparkboys.com 
SEE ALSO > www.bbcamerica.com