“Review” is a new show on Comedy Central starring Andrew Daly as host Forrest MacNeil, whose job is to review specific experiences (given to him by fans on Twitter) and rate them on a scale of 5 stars. The show is completely fictionalized and features three separate experiences. The experiences are listed in the episode’s name; for example, Episode 1 is titled “Stealing; Addiction; Prom” and in this episode, MacNeil is asked how stealing feels, what being an addict is like, and what it is like to go to senior prom. Daly excellently manages to weave all of the experiences into a culmination at the end of each episode. For instance, the episode begins with him stealing some malt balls from his local grocery store. When he realizes that there was little thrill in doing this, he ups the ante by stealing from an old lady in the parking lot. He eventually becomes a master pickpocket, which he later refers to when he steals someone’s wallet at the senior prom.

I have watched the first three episodes thus far and I think this show is great. Andrew Daly is perfect for this show as he has mastered playing a completely fake friendly host-type of character (as seen in Eastbound & Down as the principal). Daly brings a hint of darkness to the role and these experiences that he partakes manage to go down some pretty dark paths. This last episode had a viewer ask him what getting divorced was like, and MacNeil actually went through a divorce with him wife. The divorce was the middle storyline, frame on either side by viewers asking what it’s like to eat 15 and 30 pancakes. The episode begins with MacNeil barely finishing 15 pancakes and vomiting in the parking lot, with a final review of half-a-star (most of these experiences are awful and merit a half-star). By the end of the episode, he is asked to eat 30 pancakes and he polishes them off like a champ.

If you are an Andrew Daly fan or just a fan of bizarre black comedy, you will not be disappointed with this show. And after doing a quick Google search, I have discovered that this show is a remake of an Australian show “Review with Myles Barlow”. That show apparently featured the experiences of murdering and drug-muling. I can’t wait to see what Forrest MacNeil is forced to do next!