Mr. Corman (2021)

Rating: ★★★½

Found out about this show when Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot creator) named it on his list of top 10 TV shows of 2021 on The Watch podcast with Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald. Was further intrigued to watch when I saw it was a lighthearted dramedy with 30-minute episodes (because this was just the form I was in the mood for). And decided to definitely watch when I saw Joseph Gordon-Levitt was behind this as writer, producer and lead actor. 

Mr. Corman follows the life of fifth grade teacher Josh Corman (Gordon-Levitt) as he struggles with anxiety, loneliness, relationship issues and partially Covid pandemic-driven existential and climate angst. Nothing procedural here, as the episodes come off more experimental with a focus on the "life in a day" experience. Along the way we get to meet Josh's UPS driver roommate, Josh's mother, sister and estranged father, to name a few. Mr. Corman is at its best when the focus is on one-on-one relationships as then the sharp humanist writing shines through to convey real-life problems in a display that is accurate to our current times. One can also see though why this wasn't renewed by Apple TV as the show does not give any indication that it is aiming for conventional TV goals beyond the immediate. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing because there is still lots of creativity and emotion on display here in just one season of 10 episodes. Fairly pleased to have watched this.

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