Review: Flight of the Conchords

By Jackson Heller

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not the best at staying up to date on television. I mean, sure, I watched Squid Game pretty quickly, but that’s about it. I’m not super knowledgeable on the newest shows, I couldn’t tell you what the newest big hit on Netflix is, and I watch shows very quickly. But, and there’s always a but, when I know things, I really know things.

With the emergence of streaming services, I’d argue that the novelty of a new show is almost dead. The years of cable are almost over, and with its death comes a revolution of what shows we can now watch. And I will admit that some shows come with different streaming services, but the baseline principle stays the same. You can watch almost anything you want, when you want to.

And with this newfound freedom I suggest you watch HBO’s Flight of the Conchords, which is without a doubt one of the funniest, most creative pieces of media I’ve ever had the pleasure of laying my eyes upon. Genuinely, I was in awe when I first watched this show.

The show follows two musicians from New Zealand, Brett and Jermaine, who move to New York in search of fame and fortune. Each episode follows the band in a sitcom format but is interrupted 2 to 3 times by an original music number in the form of a song. These songs are usually wildly creative and consist of genuinely good music and composition. Like, seriously. Pitchfork gave their albums that came out alongside each season above a 7/10.

Some of my personal favorites include the introspective “Think About It,” the slow & sensual “Business Time,” and the David Bowie tribute written five years before he died simply titled “Bowie.” Alongside the music being amazing, the comedy is also top notch. To begin, the New Zealand accent simply adds so much to every exchange of dialogue. There’s just something about the way their dialect affects the delivery of their lines that never ceases to make me crack up.

Tonally, the comedy is definitely much more subtle than a typical American sitcom like The Office or Parks and Recreation, but it completely works. The way they lay out and develop the character’s comedic nuances makes it so that you find yourself laughing every single exchange, whether the writers intended to get a laugh or not. Honestly, the only gripe I have with this show is that there are only two seasons.

I feel like I’ve hardly scratched the surface of why I love FOTC, but I feel like that’s even better because it leaves more for you, the reader, to discover. If this review has interested you, I highly suggest that you check out some clips on YouTube or begin watching it. Trust me, you won’t regret it.