The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret (Fridays, 10/9 Central)

IFC

Oct 01, 2010 Web Exclusive By Hays Davis

In the first seconds of this new IFC comedy, the character Todd Margaret looks thoroughly beaten as he sits, shackled, in a British courtroom while his charges are being read: “Funding a terrorist organization, possession of biological weapons, blackmail, possession of child pornography with the intent to distribute…”

It’s hard to imagine how one guy could get himself into so many colorfully different kinds of trouble, but by the end of the premiere episode of The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, one has more than an inkling that this fellow might pull it off.

David Cross, who plays Margaret, created this six-episode series with co-writer Shaun Pye (Extras). When Margaret is overheard by a corporate boss (played to the foul-mouthed hilt by Will Arnett) trying to sound like a badass go-getter on the phone, he’s suddenly offered a job selling energy drinks to the British market and finds himself overseas pronto. Being more likely to bluff and lie his way through each day than to accept any uncomfortable truths, Margaret begins his cringe-worthy life as a square peg in British culture by dealing with situations that range from uncomfortable to disastrous.

It’s a great vehicle for Cross, and there’s little doubt that he’ll make the most of the role. The only disappointment at this stage is the small number of shows for its first season, but perhaps that might be reconsidered if Cross can make a must-see liar out of Todd Margaret. (www.ifc.com)

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