Kidding (2018)
TV show · 2018 · Drama, Comedy · English
Curator score: 6.3/10 (21.8K ratings)
Tagline: Hi. Cruel world.
Jeff, aka Mr. Pickles, is an icon of children's TV. But when his family begins to implode, Jeff finds no fairy tale or fable or puppet will guide him through this crisis, which advances faster than his means to cope. The result: a kind man in a cruel world faces a slow leak of sanity as hilarious as it is heartbreaking.
Ratings:
- Curator score: 6.3/10
- IMDb: 8.0/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
- Metacritic: 68
- TMDB: 7.6/10
Production: Aggregate Films, Some Kind of Garden
Cast: Jim Carrey, Frank Langella, Judy Greer, Justin Kirk, Cole Allen, Juliet Morris, Catherine Keener
Curator Review
Verdict: A darkly whimsical dramedy with a strong central performance and a very specific emotional wavelength. It’s often moving and inventive, but its tonal swings and increasingly bleak trajectory make it more rewarding for viewers who like offbeat, melancholy prestige TV than for anyone seeking a consistently easy watch.
Best for: Fans of surreal, emotionally bruising dramedies; Viewers who like tragicomedy with a strong auteur feel; People drawn to Jim Carrey’s more restrained, vulnerable work; Audiences who appreciate shows about grief, identity, and performance
Skip if: You want a straightforward comedy or feel-good series; You prefer tightly plotted, momentum-driven storytelling; You’re put off by shows that get darker and more emotionally punishing; You dislike surreal flourishes or tonal instability
Overview: Kidding is one of those series that feels like it was made to be both admired and argued over. It takes a high-concept premise — a beloved children’s-TV host whose life is collapsing — and uses it to explore grief, repression, and the gap between public persona and private pain. Jim Carrey gives the show its emotional center, playing Jeff with a fragile gentleness that keeps the material from tipping into pure self-consciousness.
Worth noting: The first season is the essential one: it’s the most focused, the most surprising, and the one that best balances absurdity with genuine sadness. The second season goes even darker and more fragmented, which will deepen the experience for some viewers and alienate others. If the show lands for you, it lands hard; if it doesn’t, the tonal whiplash can feel exhausting.
Bottom line: As a piece of prestige television, it’s distinctive rather than broadly satisfying. It’s best approached as a mood piece with sharp emotional ideas, not as a conventional comedy or drama. For the right viewer, it’s memorable and quietly devastating.
Recommended similar titles:
- BoJack Horseman (2014 · Curator 9.6/10 (233.8K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads)
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- The Leftovers (2014 · Curator 0.8/10 (1.2K ratings) · Where to watch: Max)
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- Fleabag (2016 · Curator 10.0/10 (246.4K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads)
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- Barry (2018 · Curator 9.6/10 (142.9K ratings) · Where to watch: Max)
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- Six Feet Under (2001 · Curator 9.4/10 (168.4K ratings) · Where to watch: Max)
One of the great family-and-grief dramas, blending melancholy, dark humor, and existential unease with lasting emotional resonance.
- Atlanta (2016 · Curator 9.8/10 (99K ratings) · Where to watch: Hulu)
Surreal, funny, and emotionally elusive, with a willingness to shift tone and style in ways that echo Kidding’s unpredictability.
- The End of the F***ing World (2017 · Curator 7.5/10 (249.2K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads)
Bleakly funny and emotionally sharp, with a stylized tone that mixes darkness, absurdity, and vulnerability.
- Russian Doll (2019 · Curator 0.3/10 (1K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads)
A smart, existential dramedy that uses a heightened premise to explore trauma, self-sabotage, and emotional repetition.
- Transparent (2014 · Curator 8.6/10 (24.6K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Amazon Prime Video Free with Ads)
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- The Kominsky Method (2018 · Curator 7.9/10 (47.4K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads)
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- Enlightened (2011 · Curator 5.3/10 (11.6K ratings) · Where to watch: Max)
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Topics: dramedy, surreal, dark comedy, prestige TV, emotional, melancholic, family drama, psychological, offbeat, cable series
https://watchlist.tannermartz.com/apple/tv-show/kidding/73925
Kidding (2018)
TV show · 2018 · Drama, Comedy · English
Curator score: 6.3/10 (21.8K ratings)
Hi. Cruel world.
Overview Jeff, aka Mr. Pickles, is an icon of children's TV. But when his family begins to implode, Jeff finds no fairy tale or fable or puppet will guide him through this crisis, which advances faster than his means to cope. The result: a kind man in a cruel world faces a slow leak of sanity as hilarious as it is heartbreaking.
Ratings
Curator score: 6.3/10
IMDb: 8.0/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
Metacritic: 68
TMDB: 7.6/10
Production Aggregate Films, Some Kind of Garden
Cast Jim Carrey, Frank Langella, Judy Greer, Justin Kirk, Cole Allen, Juliet Morris, Catherine Keener
Curator Review
Verdict
A darkly whimsical dramedy with a strong central performance and a very specific emotional wavelength. It’s often moving and inventive, but its tonal swings and increasingly bleak trajectory make it more rewarding for viewers who like offbeat, melancholy prestige TV than for anyone seeking a consistently easy watch.
Best for
Fans of surreal, emotionally bruising dramedies
Viewers who like tragicomedy with a strong auteur feel
People drawn to Jim Carrey’s more restrained, vulnerable work
Audiences who appreciate shows about grief, identity, and performance
Skip if
You want a straightforward comedy or feel-good series
You prefer tightly plotted, momentum-driven storytelling
You’re put off by shows that get darker and more emotionally punishing
You dislike surreal flourishes or tonal instability
Overview
Kidding is one of those series that feels like it was made to be both admired and argued over. It takes a high-concept premise — a beloved children’s-TV host whose life is collapsing — and uses it to explore grief, repression, and the gap between public persona and private pain. Jim Carrey gives the show its emotional center, playing Jeff with a fragile gentleness that keeps the material from tipping into pure self-consciousness.
Worth noting
The first season is the essential one: it’s the most focused, the most surprising, and the one that best balances absurdity with genuine sadness. The second season goes even darker and more fragmented, which will deepen the experience for some viewers and alienate others. If the show lands for you, it lands hard; if it doesn’t, the tonal whiplash can feel exhausting.
Bottom line
As a piece of prestige television, it’s distinctive rather than broadly satisfying. It’s best approached as a mood piece with sharp emotional ideas, not as a conventional comedy or drama. For the right viewer, it’s memorable and quietly devastating.
Recommended similar titles
2014 · Curator 9.6/10 (233.8K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
A similarly funny-sad exploration of depression, identity, and self-destruction, with sharp surrealism and a devastating emotional payoff.
2014 · Curator 0.8/10 (1.2K ratings) · Where to watch: Max
For viewers who want prestige TV that turns grief into something strange, profound, and often emotionally overwhelming.
2016 · Curator 10.0/10 (246.4K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
A compact, brutally funny, deeply wounded character study that balances comedy and pain with remarkable precision.
2018 · Curator 9.6/10 (142.9K ratings) · Where to watch: Max
Darkly comic and increasingly tragic, with a strong sense of tonal risk and a lead performance that anchors the chaos.
2001 · Curator 9.4/10 (168.4K ratings) · Where to watch: Max
One of the great family-and-grief dramas, blending melancholy, dark humor, and existential unease with lasting emotional resonance.
2016 · Curator 9.8/10 (99K ratings) · Where to watch: Hulu
Surreal, funny, and emotionally elusive, with a willingness to shift tone and style in ways that echo Kidding’s unpredictability.
2017 · Curator 7.5/10 (249.2K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Bleakly funny and emotionally sharp, with a stylized tone that mixes darkness, absurdity, and vulnerability.
2019 · Curator 0.3/10 (1K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
A smart, existential dramedy that uses a heightened premise to explore trauma, self-sabotage, and emotional repetition.
2014 · Curator 8.6/10 (24.6K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Amazon Prime Video Free with Ads
For viewers interested in intimate family collapse, identity shifts, and a dramedy that leans into emotional complexity.
2018 · Curator 7.9/10 (47.4K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
A dramedy built on mortality, friendship, and melancholy wit, with a gentler but still bittersweet tone.
2011 · Curator 5.3/10 (11.6K ratings) · Where to watch: Max
An underseen, emotionally raw dramedy about self-delusion, healing, and the difficulty of becoming a better person.
Topics
dramedy, surreal, dark comedy, prestige TV, emotional, melancholic, family drama, psychological, offbeat, cable series
Open Kidding (2018) on Curator TV