Joe Pera Talks With You

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Pera_Talks_with_You

https://www.adultswim.com/videos/joe-pera-talks-with-you

https://www.amazon.com/Joe-Pera-Talks-With-You/dp/B0B75L86ZG/

I was pretty bummed when it got canceled because it really got me through some hard times. What's there holds up beautifully, however.

It starts off as a Mr. Rogers type vehicle that quickly veers off into strangeness. Joes propensity to talk to the camera like Mr. Rogers, and his propensity to explain human emotions by relating them to scientific ideas like the formation of rocks made this show weirdly comforting for me. It's also just plain goofy.

It also includes Conner O'Malley in the cast and as one of the writers. O'Malley is like if BBC documentarian Adam Curtis instead made David Lynch-esque experimental comedy. He was on a few episodes of Detroiters with Tim Robinson and is in a handful of I Think You Should Leave sketches (in my opinion, most notably in "Honk if you're horny"). For being such a strange guy, he wrote some of the most heartfelt stuff in Joe Pera.

Joes voice is extremely calming to me, and his timing and delivery genuinely kill me. I've had very few comedians that had me crying over something genuinely sweet and sad and then be able to make laugh a few moments later.

I hear people describe shows like Ted Lasso as "kind television" and I think Joe Pera Talks With You fits in that same niche. It's very loving and doesn't seem to really put anyone down and shows off a quiet, beautiful Michigan community. Despite not being from Marquette, originally, Joe has a lot of love for the area, it's clear.