“The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin” / “This Fool.”

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“The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin” (Apple TV+) British historical comedy television series starring Noel Fielding as the title character. A fictional take on the life of Dick Turpin, leader of the Essex Gang, who commits numerous petty crimes with the hope of becoming England's greatest highwayman while being pursued by the thief-taker Jonathan Wilde and the secretive criminal organization, The Syndicate.



       From time to time I encounter comedies that are old-school silly but no (or very few) sexual innuendos, no political humor, nothing of the “correct” self-righteousness yet still highly-offensive jokes. 

       Dick Turpin and his gang is that. Funny the way funny was. How's that? Well, this series made me laugh. Season 2, please! 📺🎥📺


“This Fool” (Hulu) Season 2, comedic look at cholo culture and lifestyle. Synopsis: Julio Lopez is 30 and still living with his mother and grandmother in his childhood bedroom. He works at “Hugs Not Thugs,” a gang rehabilitation center in Los Angeles that helps recently incarcerated people readjust to life outside of prison. His older cousin Luis is a former gang member who was recently released from prison after an eight-year stint, and is now in the “Hugs…” program. 



       As in the case of most recent comedies that explore minorities in the U.S., beyond African-Americans, the First Season is mostly fun. And then as we slide to Season 2, the punchlines and jokes get weary. Worse, heavy-ass politics is injected, which easily gets contrived and spoonfed. The supposedly light ride loses fuel and then suffers a flat tire. Pfft. 

       “This Fool” is that kind of comedy. Save for Frankie Quinones as Luis and Michelle Ortiz as Maggie, the rest of the cast seemed bored and tired, including the usually amiable Michael Imperioli as Minister Payne. Chris Estrada as Julio Lopez isn’t funny at all. 

       It’d be cool, however, if Mr  Quinones gets his own starring role in another cholo sitcom series. Not a bad idea at all. 📺🎥📺


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