GABBLER RECOMMENDS: Maria Bamford’s Lady Dynamite

Word cannot express my love of this show. So, I’ll let the GIFs do it for me:

On paper, Lady Dynamite fits the same mold as countless other self-referential shows about a comedian’s life, from Seinfeld to Curb Your Enthusiasm to Louie, blending autobiographical stories with heightened sitcom material and an impressive cavalcade of guests. But the show’s star Maria Bamford and its co-creators Mitch Hurwitz and Pam Brady have taken that well-worn formula and turned it into a uniquely bizarre comedy for Netflix—one that manages to tap into dark, emotional territory while remaining a cheerful, unconventional delight.

Many episodes deal with Bamford’s adventures in a modern Hollywood determined to monetize her eccentricity. She tries to “Trojan horse” some feminist commentary into a bad network sitcom; she foolishly gives up a role to a Sarah Silverman, who sends her on a scavenger hunt to win it back. She appears in a violent, surreal Japanese ad for a product called “Pussy Noodle” and attends a terrifying corporate “pitchapalooza” involving Wendie Malick and a sandwich.