State of the Union

Watching some of Tracey Ullman's previous shows, I was impressed by her range of characterisation but rarely found myself laughing. I blamed poor writing. I was hoping for better with this series. Maybe it is unfair to judge after one episode, but here goes anyway. Not only did I not laugh at all, the closest I came to smiling was when I thought about how bad this was. The "best" segment were of Renee Zelwegger and David Beckham, but as they are both caricatures in real life, comic interpretation is unnecessary. What is more disappointing (and which will dissuade me from watching another episode) is Ullman's rather hesitant performances (maybe a better director was needed.) Too often I felt that I was watching a rehearsal rather than a finished product. With a bit more polish I may even have raised a hesitant grin.