Josh Reviews SmartLess: On the Road

SmartLess: On the Road is a six-episode documentary series on Apple TV+.  We follow the hosts of the SmartLess podcast: Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, and Sean Hayes, as they take their podcast on the road for a series of live performances.  The first half to two-thirds of each episode follows the threesome’s antics as they hang out in their hotel rooms, dressing rooms, planes and buses, while the final chunk of each episode contains a generous array of clips from their live performance(s).

I started listening to the SmartLess podcast soon after it launched; I was a fan right away, and I’ve continued to enjoy it over the past few years.  The premise is simple.  Each week, one of the hosts invites a guest onto the show for them to interview.  But the identity of the guest is always a surprise to the other two, so they don’t really prepare for any of the interviews.  What follows is a free-form conversation.  The podcast is a fun listen, mostly because of how talented and funny Mr. Arnett, Mr. Bateman, and Mr. Hayes are, and what wonderful chemistry they have with one another.

This documentary series is a wonderful showcase for these three.  They are so funny together.  They have a great rapport, which mostly seems to involve ceaselessly taking the piss out of one another.  They are hilariously brutal to one another!

Watching them banter and bicker as they go through the normal business of traveling around together is so much fun.  They’re as much fun off-stage as they are on-stage.  I’m glad the show gives us a taste of both.  Obviously the show is partially a tease for the podcast itself — instead of listening to just 15 minutes with this funny guest, one can tune into the podcast and hear the full hour!!  But we get enough that I felt satisfied after every episode that they gave us a nice healthy chunk of each show on the tour.

The series is obviously edited to highlight the best/funniest moments of the threesome’s interactions with one another.  At the same time, the series has a pleasingly relaxed, “fly on the wall” feel.  They leave in a lot of moments that might have gotten cut out of a more white-washed version — such as one show that bombs, and various conversations about food that sometimes have them suggesting on-camera to the off-camera crew that maybe that moment should be cut.

Aside: if you watch this, prepare yourself for a LOT of conversations about food!!  You’re about to learn a lot more than you ever wanted to know about Jason Bateman’s peculiar eating habits.  (But it’s all pretty funny, so don’t worry!)

In addition to getting to watch the three very funny main stars, we get to see a lot of the various guests on the tour, including Will Ferrell, Conan O’Brien, David Letterman, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Andy Richter, Matt Damon, Kevin Hart, Jimmy Kimmel, Jennifer Aniston, and more.  It’s a great array of guests!!

If you’re a fan of the SmartLess podcast, this is a must-watch.  Even if you’re not a fan, I think this series could be enjoyed by anyone.  You’re watching three very funny performers at play and at work.  I’m hoping for another tour and a sequel to this show!

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