Premiering August 22nd, Blunt Talk is a character-driven comedy revolving around Walter Blunt, a British import intent on conquering the world of American cable news.
Patrick Stewart plays Walter Blunt, a British news reporter living in America working as an anchorman for an American cable news company. Walter's passionate about his job and those apart of his team, but his wild and delinquent behaviour has not only cost him his reputation but the news stations ratings - which are declining. Throughout the pilot, Walter's behaviour ranges from drug use to fighting off the police - resulting in a policeman's testicle being crushed - after being caught with a transsexual hooker.
There is plenty of supporting cast from Jacki Weaver to Richard Lewis, but sadly none of their characters got too much focus in the premiere - something that was expected and that I'm hoping will change in the upcoming episodes. Adrian Scarborough though was fantastic as Walter's servant, Harry, and the partnership between him and Stewart was brilliant.
Walter relies heavily on Harry, and you see that in the pilot - which is what makes the pairing so great. The duo is equally hilarious separately, but together their scenes were some of funniest and most well-written comedic scenes I've had the pleasure of seeing in a comedy for a while.
Gradually as the episode progresses you'll start to see the comedy turn into more of a redemption story for Walter, and surprisingly I found it to be delightfully entertaining - made even better when Walter decides to interview himself. Now, an interview might not sound too interesting, but the way it was executed was exceptional and it turned into a scene that is worthy of a re-watch. Also, by that point in the pilot the comedic moments blended nicely into the more serious scenes - which is always something that makes a comedy better.
Summary
Blunt Talk has a solid foundation for a workplace comedy and has the perfect actor to portray the main character. Stewart is unquestionably the star of the show and makes every scene better with just his presence. A few characters are lacking personalities, but as the pilot was focused on Walter and his spiralling, out of control, lifestyle I didn't expect them to get much focus. Overall, Blunt Talk is a hilariously entertaining and well-written comedy that is sure to leave you wanting to watch more. 9/10
As always, thank you for reading! You can catch the premiere of Blunt Talk this Saturday 9.00pm on Starz or you can watch it right now on the Starz website.
