TV Review: Halfway Home

Halfway Home is Comedy Central's attempt to recreate the offbeat humor of Reno: 911! from the criminals' perspective. Although it doesn't pretend to be a reality show like Reno, Halfway Home features improvised acting better than most written comedies on the air.

Viewers are welcomed to Crenshaw House, a place of rehabilitation for a motley crew of L.A.'s least hardened offenders.

The audience asked if a dysfunctional house supervisor can really help out a pyromaniac, a male prostitute, an armed robber, a drug trafficker and an internet scamming rich kid? And we ask in return could this ridiculous premise be funny?

While the jury is still out on the former question, the latter can be answered with a resounding yes.

The show takes no prisoners and aims to offend: the second episode features the house males accidentally ingesting horse Viagra in an attempt to counteract the Bureau of Prisons' alleged addition of erectile-dysfunction-causing drugs to the food.

Although a bit childish at times, the show is absurdly funny and occasionally smart. The cast of former supporters is barely recognizable, but provides a fresh energy that seasoned stars would detract from-the most famous is Oscar Nunez who is known for playing the formerly-in-the-closet salaryman Oscar in The Office. The taste is acquired, but if you like the flavor of ridiculous, settle in at the Halfway Home.

Alums of famed comedy troupe the Groudlings, Kevin Ruf, Regan Burns and Oscar Nunez discuss their new show Halfway Home-following dysfunctional convicts in an L.A. halfway house.

recess: How did show concept come around?

Kevin Ruf: Regan's current manager was my and Regan's and Oscar's agent. There were cable networks interested in working with Oscar and he suggested we get together as a group and pitch it to networks with Oscar as a centerpiece. I had this idea of Halfway Home, about a halfway house, and all the actors filled in the characters with what they wanted.

Are there any celebrity cameos we can expect?

Regan Burns: Have you heard of a little actor named Robert DeNiro?

KR: [laughs] Judi Dench is in episode seven. I don't know if you know who Dax Shepard (Punk'd) is, but he is the central character in an episode called "The New Guy." We wanted this first season to really let the characters develop. Some new shows like to stunt cast [use celebrity cameos] right out the door and don't let their characters develop.

Oscar, your characters on The Office and Halfway Home are both gay.

Oscar Nunez: What are you implying?

I was just wondering if you had any more gay characters under your belt for future series?

ON: I have a gay guy who is in a wheelchair who has prosthetic limbs.

KR: You weren't gay on The Office. That wasn't your choice.

ON: You're right.

KR: He was gay on our show way before then. We are responsible for the first gay incarnation of Oscar.

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