Tuesday, April 29, 2014

The Ford Show is Riveting, but Soon We’ll Stop Believing It

From: The producer

To: The writers

Re: The Rob Ford Show

When you pitched me a show about a rogue mayor from Toronto, I thought you were nuts. Toronto? What ever happens in Toronto? As my man Bill Clinton said, the show smashes every stereotype about Canadians. But I was wrong. The Rob Ford Show is a crazy success – like, Game of Thrones crazy. The whole world is watching. Jimmy Kimmel is obsessed. Your creation Rob Ford is the most compelling TV character since Tony Soprano, only funnier.

You had me hooked right from the start. I howled when you had him call the cops on the comedienne in the breast plate. I had fits when he was caught reading behind the wheel and giving the finger to that mom from his van. I died when he tackled that lady councillor in the council chamber. Boom! I could watch that in slo-mo a million times.

Last season, when you showed me the crack scripts, I thought you were going too far. A mayor of Toronto smoking crack? In a crack house, with crackheads? I was wrong again. It was good to go dark. Dark is big box office these days. Except that Rob Ford makes Breaking Bad look like The Care Bears. Walter White has nothing on your Rob.

The mystery packages in the gas station? The partying at city hall? The sketchy friends like “Sandro” and “Princess.” Princess! Ha! Courtney Love kills it in that role.

The show keeps getting weirder. “Enough to eat at home”? Those stiffs at broadcast standards weren’t happy about that one, believe me. And who dreamed up the episode where Rob rants about the police chief at the (adore the name) Steak Queen? In Jamaican! Whatever you guys are smoking back there, smoke some more – and bill me.

by Marcus Gee, Globe and Mail | Read more:
Image: Randy Holmes