Chief Wiggum, Apu and Moe on "The Simpsons." A scene stealing turn in "The Birdcage." Phoebe's scientist boyfriend on "Friends."
What do all of these roles have in common? They are all played by Hank Azaria (LA '87), of course. However, what these parts also have in common is that they are not starring roles. Azaria, a multiple Emmy Award-winner, and long respected for his voice talents and his colorful supporting characters, finally gets his due as the star of the new Showtime original series, "Huff."
"Huff" is Showtime's latest attempt to create a show that is on par with the caliber of programming on HBO. Joining the ranks of Showtime's other original series, "Dead Like Me" and "The L Word," "Huff" pushes the boundaries of television and exhibits enormous promise, but doesn't quite reach the quality of the rival cable network's "The Sopranos" or "Six Feet Under."
Azaria, a Tufts alum and recipient of the Light on the Hill Award in 1999, plays the title role of Craig "Huff" Huffstodt, a Los Angeles psychiatrist. Huff's world is shaken in the first episode when a young patient commits suicide in his office after coming out to his parents. This, predictably, throws Huff into a state of mental anguish and self-reflection, leading him to ask what has been the meaning of his 42 years and setting the course for the remainder of the series.
The problem with "Huff" is not Azaria, he does deliver a convincing combination of subtle comic timing and crippling guilt. The flaw is that the show doesn't seem to know exactly what direction it wants to head in. Sometimes it's a drama about a mid-life crisis, sometimes it's a slapdash buddy comedy, sometimes it's about the frustration of trying to help people, and sometimes it's a sitcom about a dysfunctional family. You occasionally get the feeling that the creators were so happy with the premise of the show, that they didn't feel it necessary to figure out where to go after the shocking opening.
The show does show much potential, and this is no doubt related to its superb, though still somewhat misused, supporting cast. Paget Brewster (of the greatly under-appreciated "Andy Richter Controls the Universe") appears as Huff's supportive and sympathetic wife, Beth. Unfortunately, at times, there seems to be a lack of chemistry between the two, but this may come from the fact that Beth regularly addresses her husband by his nickname (does she say, "This is my husband, Huff Huffstodt?").
Beth's foil is Huff's mother Izzy, played by veteran Blythe Danner, who undeservedly is probably best known as Gwyneth Paltrow's mother. Unfortunately, Danner is cast as a typical shallow and overbearing mother, prone to comments like "Thank God you [Huff] grew out of that [homosexual] phase." A talented actress, she deserves a more fleshed out role than the selfish WASPy mother (and for a much better portrayal of this archetype, check out Jessica Walter's Lucille Bluth on "Arrested Development"). In addition, the mother-in-law/daughter-in-law conflict between Beth and Izzy feels artificial.
One bright spot is Huff's best friend, Russell Tupper, played by Oliver Platt, a fellow student of Azaria's at Tufts from 1981-1983. Platt plays a typical amoral boozehound lawyer. While this type of ethically challenged louse is somewhat of a clich?©, Platt fills out the role with a playfulness and delight that makes up for its lack of originality, and he lights up the morose atmosphere that usually accompanies Huff.
The show tries to demonstrate a flair for originality in the way it segues from each scene to the next, morphing an object into another or performing a whip pan to a new location. However, this attempt at technical novelty comes off as nothing more, and it seems too self-conscious and obtrusive. They need to spend more time figuring out the tone of the show, and less time brainstorming new ways to transition from scene to scene.
The first episode ends by revealing that Huff has a younger brother that is institutionalized, and it appears that he will provide some guiding light for Huff. Later in the season the parents of the teenager who committed suicide file a malpractice suit against Huff. We will also explore more of Huff's family life, including his father, an abrasive military man played by Robert Forster, and Huff's eerily mature adolescent son, Byrd (Anton Yelchin). In addition, the series will feature a cavalcade of guest stars including Annie Potts, Lara Flynn Boyle and most excitingly, Bob Saget.
The show's tagline is "Life. Sometimes you wake up in the middle of it." In the first episode we are browbeaten with this idea by the statements of one of Huff's patients and Huff himself. However, despite the constant reminder of the tagline, it seems that Huff and the show have still yet to wake up.
