About a year and a half ago I began watching Canadian television’s Trailer Park Boys. At first I thought it was okay, but after about the second disc (they were not streaming yet on netflix, so I was forced to move through the seasons, which are about seven or eight episodes long on average, at a slower speed, as I’m pretty much constantly updating the que I share with my wife to either be fair to her or to accommodate whatever mood I’m currently in (i.e. Horror, comedy, the works of particular directors, etc.) Also, admittedly, there were other things taking precedence, so Trailer Park Boys received slightly distracted attention. At some point however the show really clicked with me and I realized that TPB is indeed, the funniest thing I have ever seen*.
Now, I know I make claims like that a lot, and if I was to go watch The Big Lebowski right now, reliving that film’s complete absurdity and greatness, I very well might come back and make the same claim of it. Likewise The ‘Burbs. But as of right now, or actually for about the last year, my default definition for the funniest thing I’ve ever seen is without a doubt the seven seasons, one christmas special and two movies (did I miss anything? If I did please please please let me know so I can track it down) that Ricky, Julian and Bubbles grind out one scheme after another (some greasy, some not-so greasy) in attempts to ‘get their lives back on track’. Now I’m nearing the end of the final season and I’m slightly terrified – what the hell am I going to watch to fill the gap the boys, along with Drunken Trailer Park Supervisor Jim Lahey, his no-shirt, cheeseburger-eating Assistant Trailer Park Supervisor Randy, J-Roc, T, Phil Collins, Corey, Trevor, Sarah, Lucy and an entire host of others are going to leave when they are gone?
For one, I’m going to start watching the series over from the beginning, as long as it stays on Netflix for the immediate future (which is a good way, if you have Netflix and you’ve never seen Trailer Park Boys, that you can give it a whirl and get in on the comedy). I’m eventually going to buy the set, however it’s fairly expensive right now, so that will (unfortunately) have to wait.
Then today I was noodling around online and found out that not only can I re-watch Trailer Park Boys, but Rob Wells, John Paul Tremblay and Mike Smith (Ricky, Julian and Bubbles respectively) have a new show set to debut on Canadian television in July 22nd, and after watching the trailer, it looks faaaahhhhkkked up!
Case in point:
It’s too early to tell how this show is going to be, and of course it’s going to be an adjustment seeing Rob, John Paul and Mike as anyone but our beloved Ricky, Julian and Bubbles, but hey, I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt because they and the rest of the TPB cast have brought so much joy to my life.
Now pass the hooch and watch out for those shit hawks!!!
……………….
* Specifically, Julian’s constant rum and coke, Ricky’s mispronunciation/misuse of words and Lahey’s ‘Shit’ talk are, to me, the highest level of ongoing gag I’ve ever seen. They work perfectly, every. Fucking. Time.