What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/1023515
T10 WHATS UP! September 9 - 15, 2018 ("Togetherness") and Grace Song ("High Maintenance") will also appear in recurring roles. This isn't the first time Car- rey and Gondry have worked together. Gondry directed Car- rey in "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" (2004), which earned Gondry an Academy Award for best original screen- play. It's clear that Nevins is confident the dynamic duo will create onscreen magic once again. "With his 'Eternal Sunshine' partner Michel Gondry on board to direct, we are on our way to a magnetic, volcanic and emotional viewing experi- ence," Nevins said of "Kidding." In the show, Jeff has guided youngsters and shared impor- tant lessons about kindness and love for years, but when his own life begins to implode, no fairytale character shows up to help him through it. As a re- sult, he begins to unravel, which, according to the official release, is "as hilarious as it is heartbreaking." Onscreen, Jeff may be sweet, but when the lights go dark and the cameras turn off, his pent-up anger be- gins to surface. Things look bleak for Mr. Pickles, but, according to Car- rey, the message of the series is a positive one. In an official fea- turette promoting "Kidding," he talked about the meaning behind the show. "What I love about this whole project is the idea that no matter how bad things may look, there's an innocence in- side us that can never be de- stroyed. It's always there," Car- rey said. The actor seems perfect for the role of Jeff, which was, ac- cording to Holstein, written specifically for him. In an inter- view with the Hollywood Re- porter, the show's creator ex- plained that he began writing the script in 2010 with Carrey in mind. It wasn't easy to get the script in front of the Hollywood star, but when Holstein joined the writing staff of the Show- time series "I'm Dying Up Here," he finally got his chance. Carrey, incidentally, serves as an executive producer on "Dy- ing," a drama about L.A.'s stand- up comedy scene in the 1970s. While Jeff struggles to keep it together on set, Seb realizes that his star's potential break- down could ruin the multimil- lion-dollar branding empire they've built, so he tries to pre- pare the show to go on without him. At the same time, Deidre grapples with her own chal- lenging personal and profes- sional issues. On the home- front, Jeff 's wife, Jill, has hit a rebellious streak. A show about a children's en- tertainer is well timed, consid- ering the current wave of Mr. Rogers nostalgia, thanks to Morgan Neville's critically ac- claimed documentary "Won't You Be My Neighbor" (2018) about the host of PBS's "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood." Since debuting at the Sundance Film Festival in June, it's become the highest grossing biographical documentary of all time. The life of Fred Rogers has also in- spired the upcoming biopic "You Are My Friend," starring Tom Hanks ("Forrest Gump," 1994). Carrey may not exactly be Fred Rogers, but his return to series television has caused a huge buzz in the industry. He honed his skills in Fox's innova- tive sketch comedy show "In Living Color" in the 1990s, a gig that earned him widespread ac- claim. His film work in such movies as "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" (1994), "The Mask" (1994) and "Batman Forever" (1995) made him a huge star, and his critically acclaimed performances in "The Truman Show" (1998) and "Man on the Moon" (1999) both earned him Golden Globe nominations. His fans likely can't wait for his latest role in "Kidding." In the show's debut episode, Jeff suggests that Mr. Pickles should address the concept of death on "Mr. Pickles' Puppet Time," but Seb isn't on board. Elsewhere, Deidre punishes her daughter when she refuses to eat her veg- etables. Don't miss the pre- miere of "Kidding," airing Sun- day, Sept. 9, on Showtime. Judy Greer stars in "Kidding" continued from page T2 Funny, not funny: Jim Carrey's 'Kidding' mixes comedy and drama TV FEATURE