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Season 1 – Kidding

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Season 1 – Kidding

2018

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

77%

Tomatometer

78 Reviews

88%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

"Kidding" follows Jeff Pickles, a man who is iconic in children's television. Jeff, aka Mr. Pickles, is a pillar of kindness and wisdom to the impressionable minds of America's youth and to the parents who grew up with him. When Mr. Pickles' family begins to implode, his life starts to take a downward spiral. He must put the fables and puppets aside to get through this newest crisis in life. As the slow leak of sanity advances faster than he can cope with it, the cruel world breaks his heart.

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Critics Consensus

Fans of Jim Carrey's slapstick may be disappointed, but other viewers may find a surprisingly poignant examination of life and grief in Kidding.

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Eric Deggans

NPR

It's tough to tell if this is going to add up to a coherent story, but I'm really hopeful that Jim Carrey and Michel Gondry will create a series that's worth spending so much time with these characters' pain.

Nov 23, 2019

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Harry Waksberg

New York Magazine/Vulture

I really loved this! For one thing, it's a sign of genuine growth that Jeff finally realizes that kids need someone to hear them, not someone to tell them what to do - a lesson he learned from Will repeating it more or less constantly all season.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 12, 2018

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Hugo Rifkind

The Times (UK)

Carrey's sadness drenches everything, but weirdness and hilarity spike through.

Dec 3, 2018

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Valerie Ettenhofer

Film School Rejects

Isolate any episode of Kidding's first season and it immediately becomes clear that this is not in fact 'Mr. Rogers has a breakdown,' but instead something bolder and bigger and wonderfully, inescapably weirder.

Apr 19, 2021

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John Tones

Espinof

It has already delivered some surprises and a perfect Carrey, emotional but eccentric, serene but hallucinated, perfect for an unpredictable character. [Full Review in Spanish]

Rated: 4/5

Jul 11, 2019

Full Review

Dominic Patten

Deadline Hollywood Daily

There is a lot that is not very funny about the decidedly bleak Showtime series Kidding from Jim Carrey and Michel Gondry, and that's both good and bad... However,... [it] is still worth watching if you can grind through.

Dec 19, 2018

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Natanel

Except for what they've done to Tara Lipinski (which traumatized me and now I can't even think of her name without seeing it again and again in my traumatized mind), Jim Carrey SURPRISED ME. I consider myself as a HUGE fan of Jim Carrey, He almost always made me laugh, but I never thought that Jim Carrey can make me feel other things which are not fun. I never thought that Jim Carrey can touch my feelings, make me feel anger, make me feel sad, make me feel like Jeff Pickles is... Me. If Jeff Pickles was real, I don't think I would left my kids to watch him. But I still can understand why does the people in the show do trust him: Jeff Pickles is an honest man who wants to deliver the "adults life" that he experienced to his child viewers, Because just like them - He himself is a child who will never grow up, even if his body will. He needs his own Jeff Pickles which he'll never have - because his own Jeff Pickles (Jill, his ex-wife) just left him, his pickle-father is too d**n busy with his own collapsed life and his sister can't hold him anymore because she can't even hold herself. Jeff must go through all the steps alone, Way too late into the adults life, and deal with feels that can not live in a cartoonish-child world. Season 2, Ep. 5, Jim and Judy - thanks for making me cry... JIM I LOVE YOU AND HATE YOU AT THE SAME TIME, This is the BEST of Jim Carrey, and f*ck the critics.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Never Really Explores The Multiple Themes It Attempts To Unpack. There Is So Much Going On The Drifting From One Montage To Another Just Create A Mash Of Ideas. Nothing More, Nothing Less. Nothing Ventured. Nothing Gained.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

01/09/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This is one of my favorite TV shows. I wish they would continue it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/09/23

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Audience Member

This is just sooo good. I'm only at episode 6 season 1 but I must say I haven't seen such good not only television but on-screen storytelling in ages.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/09/23

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raphael g

Really good show! how can people have cancelled it :-(

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Audience Member

I think it's one of the best things Jim Carrey have done since Eternal sunshine of a spotless mind. He is just a good Guy Who got broke by real life cruelty

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/09/23

Full Review

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Dave Holstein

Creator

Jim Carrey

Jeff

Frank Langella

Seb

Catherine Keener

Deirdre

Judy Greer

Jill

Bernard White

Scott Perera

Episode 1

Aired Sep 9, 2018

Green Means Go

Jeff Pickles thinks it's time to talk about death on his show; his producer feels that Mr. Pickles the persona and Jeff Pickles the person should remain separate; Deirdre punishes Maddy for not eating her veggies.

Details

Episode 2

Aired Sep 16, 2018

Pusillanimous

Jeff makes a rash decision that could affect the ability of the show to continue; Seb strategizes how to rebuild Jeff's image; Deirdre tries to learn more about what's happening while Maddy is at her piano lesson.

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Episode 3

Aired Sep 23, 2018

Every Pain Needs a Name

Jeff tries to fix his heartbreak; Deirdre deals with her daughter's developing medical condition; Seb outlines the future of "Mr. Pickles' Puppet Time" without Jeff; Jeff tries to get Will off pot by giving him a hobby.

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Episode 4

Aired Sep 30, 2018

Bye, Mom

Jeff deals with a one-night stand; Jill learns that Jeff has been sending money to someone behind her back and confronts him.

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Episode 5

Aired Oct 7, 2018

The New You

Jeff decides to step out of his comfort zone; Seb tries to get Jeff on board with new changes for "Puppet Time," as well as his ice-skating show "Pickles on Ice," starring Tara Lipinski.

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Episode 6

Aired Oct 14, 2018

The Cookie

Will tries to honor his brother in a unique way; Jeff decides to make some changes to Pickles on Ice; Deirdre lets her anger out on Maddy; Jeff tries to convince Vivian to continue with her treatment.

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Episode 7

Aired Oct 21, 2018

Kintsugi

Jeff starts to speak more honestly on "Puppet Time" as Seb panics that Jeff will soon have to appear on live television; Deirdre and Scott meet Mr. Pickles-San, a visitor from Japan; the Pickles have Thanksgiving as a family.

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Episode 8

Aired Oct 28, 2018

Philliam

Jeff meets the son of his pen pal, an inmate on death row, and decides to help him.

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Episode 9

Aired Nov 4, 2018

Lt. Pickles

Jeff wonders if he's having a breakdown or a breakthrough; Will gets into trouble at school; Scott confronts Deirdre about her feelings for Mr. Pickles-San; Seb makes a last-minute change to Pickles on Ice while Jeff is away.

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Episode 10

Aired Nov 11, 2018

Some Day

Everyone in Jeff's life deals with the results of the speech Jeff made on national television.

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Kidding: Season 1 Featurette - A Kind Man in a Cruel