East Bound & Down (2009-)

USA

Television Series

Creators: Ben Best, Jody Hill, Danny McBride

Cast: Danny McBride, Steve Little, Katy Mixon, Andrew Daly, John Hawkes, Ben Best, Jennifer Irwin, Ana de la Reguera, Efren Ramirez, Marco Rodríguez

Kenny Powers, an uncouth, once promising pitcher whose baseball career fizzled out after years of physical self-abuse, still dreams of returning to the big-time, despite his lack of conditioning and the fact that he managed to alienate just about everyone involved with the sport during his career, in this oft hilarious if occasionally rather (entertainingly?) unfunny comedy series, which has become increasingly (and strangely) addictive as it has progressed.

Season 1 (2009)

Kenny Powers returns to his hometown to live with his brother and family, taking a job as a P.E. teacher at the local middle school, and – with aid of his colourful language, bilious bigotries, raging egomania, taste for drink and drugs, and eye for the ladies – gets into various scrapes, in this inconsistently entertaining first season, which is at its best whenever the wonderful Steve Little is on screen

Season 2 (2010)

After his return to the big leagues failed to materialise, Kenny Powers, abandoning family and friends, heads down to Mexico in search of answers to something-or-other; when they also fail to materialise, he is soon getting himself involved in cockfighting and other low pursuits, whilst courting a local singer with an ample behind, in this more restrained and focused and consequently much more consistently entertaining second season. Iain.Stott