Westside Season 1

If you are after a comedy that actually makes you laugh out loud, Westside Season 1 is available on and right now. Across 1 season, the show has had time to find its rhythm and keep it. A 6/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. David de Lautour is the obvious draw, but the whole ensemble earns its laughs. Put it on tonight and see for yourself.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, Westside Season 1 is worth clearing space for. Westside Season 1 gets the fundamentals right first, then finds room to get weird with it. This six-part series tells the story of legendary safe cracker and career criminal Ted West and his fire cracker of a wife, Rita. Combining real events and the rich folklore of the West family and associates, this is rollicking history, and a tempestuous romance, set at a time of great social upheaval. David de Lautour and Antonia Prebble lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was aired in 2015. Westside Season 1 earns its laughs from character rather than situation, which is why it does not wear thin the way pure farce tends to. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Comedy fans looking for a reliably funny watch will find it in Westside Season 1. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. The complete run is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. David de Lautour's comic timing carries it through its weaker moments. The kind of comedy you recommend to someone who claims they do not watch much.