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T10 WHATS UP! February 4 - 10, 2018 my friends by going into show business." The passion that Lange has for comedy is felt by audiences and critics, as his turn playing a fictional ver- sion of himself in "Crashing" has gifted him with the most well-received performance of his career. Holmes shared with Paste magazine that in creating "Crashing" as a dark comedy, he felt that he was "playing catch-up with other great art- ists like Lena Dunham and Ricky Gervais." It is not a sur- prise then that Judd Apatow, who famously executive pro- duced "Girls" for HBO, would settle into the same role for "Crashing." Holmes shared with The Hollywood Reporter that what inspired him to need Apatow as a mentor was the "serious heart and warmth" he felt the characters of "Girls" had and which he wanted in the characters of his own show. What seems like a perfect fit now almost wasn't. When Holmes pitched the concept of "Crashing" to Apatow, the lat- ter told Vulture he felt it was "too sad." Holmes, however, was motivated and certain about the show, and after writ- ing a series of episodes, the partnership with Apatow be- came a match made in heaven, and they got to work. The se- ries leans into the adulthood malaise that Apatow is known for producing not only in his television series, but in his film career as well. In "Funny Peo- ple" (2009), a comedian deals with a terminal illness with sig- nature Apatow humility as he develops a quick friendship with a green comic. So, while it is a story told many times be- fore, it may be told best with "Crashing," as Holmes and Ap- atow have practiced and are at their best. "Crashing" upends some stereotypes that many autobi- ographical comedies lean on, and the goodness of Pete is what steers the show into plots less traveled. While comedians are often portrayed as bad peo- ple making bad decisions, for "Crashing," Holmes created Pete from a different cloth. He is a thoughtful, if at times na- ive person whose decency is often what causes problems for him, as well as some of the most enjoyable tension. A key factor in what makes "Crash- ing" work is the opposing na- tures of the fictional versions of Holmes and Lange. Lange is the gruff veteran comic to Pete's innocent newcomer, and the two explore parallel prob- lems questioning faith and en- tertainment. Centering the story from Pete's point of view is what makes "Crashing" a fresh take on a comic's origin story. Catch a new episode of "Crashing," airing Sunday, Feb. 4, on HBO. Jermaine Fowler in "Crashing" continued from page T2 Divine comedy: HBO's 'Crashing' explores faith Leaf Guard 5 x 5 TV FEATURE LeafGuard is the ONLY one-piece seamless debris-shedding gutter 1-800-LEAFGUARD or 479-221-9516 leafguardandmore.com