My Name Is Earl

Earl Hickey decides that improving his life requires making amends for the people he has wronged. The difficulty is that his list is long, his judgment remains questionable and an apology rarely completes the job by itself.

Jason Lee gives My Name Is Earl a likeable centre without pretending Earl has suddenly become wise. His brother Randy and the people around the motel have their own ways of misunderstanding a good intention, so correcting an old mistake can produce a new complication.

The premise gives the comedy a useful reason to revisit people. Someone who once appeared to be the victim in a simple story gets a life and a grievance of their own. The series is generous to its characters without requiring them to become respectable before they are funny.

There is a real affection beneath the absurdity. If you enjoy the warmth of Parks and Rec, this is a rougher-edged companion about trying to do something better with limited ability. Earl's effort is more appealing than his understanding of how it is supposed to work.