The Show about the Show
Heard this recommended on the /Filmcast podcast, just because it sounds like the most meta thing ever. The first show is about the director/showrunner pitching the show. The show we are watching. The second show is about the making of the first show. The third episode is about the making of the second episode and the drama around that. Eventually, the drama takes over.
This is the most compelling, fascinating documentary series I have ever seen. Each episode is less than 15 minutes, so they go fast, but you feel that you've been through a lifetime by the time it is over. The total is only 12 episodes (I've seen 10 of these), but the drama feels much more. Plus, we get a full discourse on the director's philosophy of radical honesty and we get to see that philosophy lived out in the course of the show. Well done, but you end up feeling bad for anyone who touched this show.
If you want to see it, each episode is streaming on YouTube.
Party Down
This is a comedy by the team that made Community and Parks and Rec. Or is it a comedy? These folks are so sad that it is often difficult to laugh at them or their antics. The show is really more like The Office (US), but without the adorableness or consistent humor that made The Office charming. Don't get me wrong, I like this (I'm almost done with season 2), but it makes me more uncomfortable than anything else. I hope things work out for the crew.