Woke

Woke has its goofy side, to be sure, but it’s thoughtful as well, handling thorny subject matter with a light, comical touch. It doesn’t minimize the very real issues Keef faces, but it vividly illustrates them with highly specific observations.

Charming. This can be credited in large part to Mr. Morris, who plays Keef with equal parts self-awareness and bemusement, but also to the balance “Woke” strikes between politics and the pure comedy of human interaction. Or collision. ... The music is remarkably good. The cast is even better.

Smart, likable, a little weird, hard to pin down. A largely successful mix of genres and themes — some romance, some wacky cohabitation comedy and some social satire, regarding identity, authenticity, justice, performative rage and real exhaustion — “Woke” does sometimes go just where you might expect, but more often does not.

Keef's inner struggles as a Black artist versus an artist who happens to be Black is an unapologetically funny and honest through line that also gives the show the authenticity it needs. Although San Francisco as a setting doesn't factor in as the uncredited character that it should, Stanley Clarke's thoughtful score deliciously folds in a number of Black musical influences and vibes.

The show develops a bit slowly but deftly straddles the line between weightier matters and mining its sillier side.

Just in the first episode, the guest voices all stole the show, but there was definitely enough going on with Keef, Clovis and even Gunther to keep us watching. We just hope that as Keef gets more “woke,” his character becomes more well-rounded.

“Woke” is a funny, smart show and the always likable Morris handles the lead character’s predicaments in the every-man style fans of “New Girl” would expect.