HBO is known for some pretty weird programming. After all, that's why HBO exists — to broadcast shows that wouldn't make it on basic cable. One such show that found its home on the Home Box Office is "The Life and Times of Tim," which first aired in 2008.
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Steve Dildarian, the creator, director and producer of the show, also voices the title character. The show follows Tim, a hapless 20-something who tries to cope with his pathetic life in New York City while taking part in all sorts of unfortunate shenanigans with his friends and coworkers.
Filled to the brim with sexual jokes, weed humor and social awkwardness, "The Life and Times of Tim" will certainly have its audience, but after watching its second season, I have to say it's not quite my cup of tea.
The second season, which will be released on DVD on Dec. 13, attemps to similar social and cultural constructs. While these attempts are occasionally clever (for example, Debbie, the work-from-home prostitute, tries to turn a trick by yelling down from her living room window), they are often just vulgar and even cringe-worthy. The "slutty Natalie Portman" poster in Tim's office, and the rather nonsensical line, "If Katharine Hepburn was here, she would kick you in the face," are both examples of the show going too far, too fast.
Based on the season two "making of" bonus video, I think the character Tim was a lot more fun for the actors to work on than it was for me to watch. The cast members have nothing but praise for Dildarian, citing his miraculous ability to act and direct at the same time. Nick Kroll (the voice of best friend Stu) said, "Steve is so good at letting people walk away from the script and find something and come back, and then it gets integrated [into the episode]."
"The Life and Times of Tim" is uniquely simple in the way it is created. To make the dialogue as realistic as possible, the recording room was set up to accommodate at least eight actors at a time. The DVD shows that the cast loved this method, though they had a hard time stifling their laughter during scenes they were not part of.
Another interesting aspect of Dildarian's process is the animation. The cartooning style is extremely basic — easily achieved by manipulating layers in Photoshop. The characters have no complex facial expressions; in fact, Dildarian said that the eyes and mouths "are the only things we have to work with."
The almost childish drawings are purposefully amateurish because, Dildarian said, "People really like the fact that this doesn't feel polished. It doesn't feel like TV people made it." When the cast or crew suggests that they make the animations nicer-looking, the creator wills them to "remember how bad this started and not try to evolve."
Personally, I'm not a fan of the visual style. I can't stomach most of the humor. And I find it hard to condone the pathetically pitiful lifestyle that Tim is determined to live. That said, the DVD's bonus features did inspire respect for Dildarian's firm vision. While I don't really like the finished product, that may be the consequence of the show's unique vision. It's sure to please the show's cult following and, in all likelihood, that will probably be enough for Dildarian.
