Season Review: Storyville Season One

In the words of Seymour Skinner: Am I so out of touch? No, it’s the children who are wrong.

Storyville’s six episodes reminded me of that classic Simpsons quote at first, as I faced the dilemma of being unfamiliar with some of its narrators (apologies to any Jurassic 5 fans reading this).

Given that the show’s entire premise seems to hinge on viewers wanting insight into the celebrity lifestyle, I thought this would be a problem. However, it’s surprisingly easy to become immersed in the series’ relaxed atmosphere regardless of prior knowledge, especially given the featured guests are almost all gifted storytellers. Whether they were primarily known for music, acting, or stand-up, there was a cohesion to the delivery and humor that makes the season more enjoyable as a whole; in fact, given the episode lengths, I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t simply take the time to binge watch all fifteen minutes of Storyville.

Nevertheless, it’s important to add a disclaimer for anyone considering watching for the celebrities, as mentioned above: the biggest names are glorified cameos. Each episode is essentially retelling how the narrator encountered someone arguably more famous, with the former providing voices and the latter being reduced to a caricature. This is often hilarious, for instance, Diplo’s absurd impressions of Kanye West will likely come as no surprise to anyone, but I worry that the series may not be what some had anticipated.

I could see Storyville assuming the role of an updated take on Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist’s naturalistic, tangential approach, right down to an inevitable cult following (although it’s crude, I must say that the animation used here is better than Squigglevision). This season ultimately felt slightly too much like a proof of concept for me, but its basic idea and formula are promising. If the creative team were to continue experimenting with different guests, episode lengths, and visuals, I’d readily watch any future installments.

All six episodes of Storyville can be streamed for free from Facebook, YouTube, or here.