Titus

A razor-sharp sitcom that celebrates the human capacity to survive dysfunction. Apparently, that which doesn't destroy us makes us funnier. [20 March 2000]

A dark but wildly funny comedy. [19 March 2000]

Some of the jokes here will jolt you from the typical sitcom complacency - no slack-jawed viewing allowed here - and if each episode doesn't quite find a moment of redemption after mining these hearts of darkness, they leave you amused enough that you can continue soldiering on in your own imperfect life. [20 March 2000]

Titus deftly carries off the delicate trick of creating comedy out of a background of tragedy and chaos, and for that it deserves a look. [20 March 2000, p.E-7]

"Titus" -- the series -- is manic and makes its home on the black side of comedy. It's clearly not for everyone. But it also turns convention on its ear and takes big risks that sometimes produce laugh-out-loud payoffs. [20 March 2000]

This is a subversively smart show, and better still a shockingly funny one. Adults who enjoy the edginess of "Malcolm in the Middle" could find a new favorite here. [19 March 2000, p.F1]

The danger lies down the road, if Titus the creator runs out of real-life fodder for Titus the character. At that point, "Titus" could become a sitcommy caricature of itself. But, in the early going, Titus is on the money when he says, "Anything is funny if the setup is right. [20 March 2000]

Of course, it helps immensely that Christopher Titus's flamboyantly roguish father, Ken, is portrayed with genuine rascal charisma by Stacy Keach. An actor known mostly for his dramatic roles, Keach's exuberant comic performance is a cockeyed revelation. He could easily become the show's break-out personality. [19 March 2000, p.1L]

The talking-to-the-audience material is shot in black and white to signify its staged artiness, but it also makes the show's standard sitcom scenes seem even livelier than they are — a canny strategy.

Clever, funny and troubling. [20 March 2000, p.1E]

Making audiences feel weird merely for laughing is a sign of something quite wrong, or quite right; here it's mostly the latter.

The show is both derivative and distinctive, proving that standup comics can still adapt their acts to the sitcom form if it's the right comic and the right act. [20 March 2000]

It's well-written enough, even stylish at times. It's just not very funny. [20 March 2000, p.45]

An edgy but spotty comedy in desperate need of a moral compass. The dysfunction part is a riot, but do viewers really need more sophomoric jokes about alcoholism and lesbians? [20 March 2000]

With its emphasis on dysfunction, Titus allows for dramatic moments that actually ring true. But they're few and far between in this show punctuated by flashbacks that interrupt the narrative flow. Titus suffers from a TV version of Attention Deficit Disorder, similar to the tangents on Fox's "Family Guy" but a lot less funny. [20 March 2000]

The material in Titus, supposedly based on Titus's real experiences, never rises above the kind of abrasive, working-class-guy humor that is already wearing thin on "The Drew Carey Show" and "Norm." It doesn't help that the show has an obnoxiously brash laugh track. [20 March 2000]

If all this sounds more painful than funny, you've hit on the show's main problem.

Second-rate comedian stars in third-rate situation comedy! Stop the presses! Hold the phone! [20 March 2000, p.C01]

You have to hope the show is therapeutic for Titus, because it has little entertainment value. [19 March 2000, p.F1]

There seem to be some serious intentions running near the surface - why bad parenting is so destructive - but the rather dismal, dark humor misses more often than it catches.