Third-episode verdict: InSecurity

The CarusometerA Carusometer rating of 4

In Canada: Tuesdays, 8.30pm ET, CBC

As we may recall, the first episode of InSecurity, CBC’s spy comedy, was dreadful – a lame, unfunny half-of-hour of bad acting and obvious jokes that everyone involved should be thoroughly ashamed of.

I’m pleased to say that although it’s not tremendously better, it has, at least, managed to raise a few laughs over the next couple of episodes. While it’s still operating at a base level of obvious, stupid and, again, poorly acted, there’s been a sight uptick in the writing, largely thanks to good old Canadian self-mockery, but with some actual characterisation going on as well.

Episode two has been the best of the crop so far, with the idea that Canada secretly has the most powerful armed forces in the world raising especial laughs, but episode three’s inept right-wing ex-prep school terrorists who can’t even bomb the National Arts Council of Canada properly managed to raise a giggle or two.

It’s clear that it’s always going to be both very hit or miss and stupid, but it does now have a few redeeming qualities and can occasionally make you laugh. It’s still not very good and if you have anything better to do, go and do that instead.

Carusometer rating: 4
Rob’s prediction: Dead by season’s end

Author

  • Rob Buckley

    I’m Rob Buckley, a journalist who writes for UK media magazines that most people have never heard of although you might have heard me on the podcast Lockdown Land or Radio 5 Live’s Saturday Edition or Afternoon Edition. I’ve edited Dreamwatch, Sprocket and Cambridge Film Festival Daily; been technical editor for TV producers magazine Televisual; reviewed films for the short-lived newspaper Cambridge Insider; written features for the even shorter-lived newspaper Soho Independent; and was regularly sarcastic about television on the blink-and-you-missed-it “web site for urban hedonists” The Tribe. Since going freelance, I've contributed to the likes of Broadcast, Total Content + Media, Action TV, Off The Telly, Action Network, TV Scoop and The Custard TV.

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