From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Genre | Comedy |
| Created by | David Cross |
| Written by | David Cross Shaun Pye Mark Chappell |
| Directed by | Anthony & Joe Russo Alex Hardcastle Ben Gregor |
| Starring | David Cross Sharon Horgan Blake Harrison Will Arnett |
| Composer | Johnny Marr |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 18 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Clelia Mountford David Cross |
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 22 minutes |
| Production companies | RDF Television (s1-2) Merman (s3) IFC Original Productions |
| Release | |
| Original network | IFC (United States) More4 (United Kingdom) |
| Original release | October 1, 2010 – January 14, 2016 |
The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret is a black comedy television series starring David Cross, Sharon Horgan, Blake Harrison, Will Arnett, Spike Jonze, Sara Pascoe and Amber Tamblyn. The series is produced by IFC and RDF Television[1] and premiered on October 1, 2010, on IFC.
Premise[edit]
Seasons one and two[edit]
The first two seasons of the series tell a single story—that of American office temp worker Todd Margaret (David Cross). After overhearing Todd recite jargon from a self-help CD and confusing it for him being on a call with a customer, ultra-aggressive executive Brent Wilts (Will Arnett) promotes Todd on the spot.
Todd is put in charge of Thunder Muscle, a new energy drink his company is seeking to sell in the United Kingdom. Todd’s company has only one employee, an Englishman named Dave (Blake Harrison), who offers his full assistance in helping Todd promote and sell the product in Britain.
Most of the humor in season 1 and season 2 focuses on Todd Margaret’s not being familiar with British culture and customs. His situation is compounded by the fact that Todd is a habitual liar, as well as by Dave’s truly nasty pranks and manipulation of Todd.
In every episode of the first two seasons, Todd lies to cover up his ignorance and his lack of experience running a company. And Dave provides Todd with false information about British culture in order to constantly humiliate and sabotage him.
Todd has an infatuation with a local cafe owner Alice Bell (Sharon Horgan). Several of Todd’s most damning lies are motivated by his desire to impress Alice and to manipulate her into a relationship with him.
During season 1, a cold open at the start of each episode depicts Todd before a British court as various charges against him are read out. A subplot involves Todd’s supervisor Doug Whitney (Spike Jonze). Upset at having been fired by Brent, Doug learns that Brent Wilts is not really a company executive. Doug then investigates Brent for fraud.
For the bulk of season 1, Brent is shown as a foul-mouthed, abusive superior towards Todd, constantly demanding unrealistic results in terms of timetables for getting Thunder Muscle onto the British marketplace. Brent also demands that profits from the drink be delivered to him personally, so as to pay for his hookers and his gambling losses.
By the end of season 1, it is revealed that Brent is, in truth, a mild-mannered pushover like Todd, and that he has been promoted by the owner of his and Todd’s company, a mysterious individual known as Mountford. Brent has been ordered by Mountford to promote Todd and to push him with unachievable expectations that Todd has no hope of meeting, thereby dooming Todd to failure.
Season 2 features Todd being reunited with his father, who offers to try to help his son avoid prison. Meanwhile, Alice, Brent, and Doug try to find out the truth about Mountford.
Todd gives Alice a fraudulent liquor license for her cafe in an attempt to buy her love, resulting in her cafe being shut down and a warrant put out on her arrest because of said fake liquor license. Alice investigates the situation and finds damning evidence that might free Todd and incriminate Dave. But she is killed when Todd unwittingly detonates a truck bomb while she is on her way to the court to reveal Dave’s actions.
In the end, Brent attempts (and fails) to defend Todd in court as Doug discovers that Mountford is Dave, the son of a rich and powerful Lord. Several months prior, while visiting the U.S., Dave was at a bar, and a nervous Brent spilled drinks on him. Dave finds that his date at the bar has been stolen by Todd, who, exploiting Dave’s brief absence to go get drinks, lured Dave’s intoxicated date back to his home for sex. Humiliated and desiring revenge, Dave paid the bartender for information about the two men, then set about formulating a complicated revenge scheme to punish and humiliate both of them.
Todd is found guilty; but Dave’s father, a high-ranking member of the House of Lords, arranges for the whole mess to get resolved, having grown tired both of the atrocious behavior of his son as well as of the scandal that Dave’s and Todd’s mishaps had caused England.
The elder Mountford arranges a pardon for Todd, on the condition that he leave England. Mountford, Sr. also reveals that Todd’s American citizenship has been revoked on account of his actions, and the only countries that are willing to take him are the Turks and Caicos Islands and North Korea. Todd chooses North Korea due to his associating Turks and Caicos with the Turks who had been using him to plan a terrorist bombing.
When Todd arrives in North Korea, he is manipulated by the North Korean dictatorship to launch their first-ever nuclear weapon (a discussion at the launch control panel being the source of the cold openings for a second season). Todd pushes the button, bringing about a nuclear holocaust that seemingly destroys the rest of the world as well as all of the other characters, with the notable exception of the lone survivor, a Turkish terrorist who wanted to blow himself up in an act of terrorism during the course of the series—as he notes in the final line of the season, «There is a certain irony to [it].»
Season three[edit]
Season three of the series is a continuation that reframes the first two seasons as a dream due to the apocalyptic nature of the season two finale. David Cross returns, playing a new version of his character. Jack McBrayer joins the cast.[2]
Over the course of the third season, a radically different Todd Margaret (closer to the brash, abrasive Brent from the first two seasons) encounters different versions of characters from the earlier episodes, all while a prophecy of a «catalyst» destined to destroy the world is worshipped by a mysterious cult.
Gradually, the new Todd becomes aware of the events from previous seasons and tries to make changes to prevent his destiny to destroy the world with North Korean red button. These prove to be increasingly disastrous, resulting in Todd immediately throwing his trust to the new version of Alice (who is revealed to be a white supremacist in this reality) and alienating his new assistant Dave (who in this reality is completely innocent of any wrongdoings but forms a legitimate hatred for Todd).
It quickly becomes clear that every decision to prevent the end of the world is the poor decision and the universe itself conspires to force Todd to press the red button.
Finally Todd accepts the inevitable and presses the red button, only for the «North Korean army» to be part of an elaborate game show.
Reality immediately collapses and Todd awakens from a dream back in season one, implying that the vast majority of the three seasons were possibly a surreal nightmare or that Todd himself is permanently trapped in different versions of reality where he is doomed to failure.
Cast[edit]
Main cast[edit]
- David Cross as Todd Margaret: An American who is promoted overnight to be chief marketer of the Thunder Muscle energy drink in the UK, a position for which he is wildly unqualified. He is quick to tell implausible lies to impress Alice or to get out of uncomfortable situations. In season 3, Todd is sent to the London office of Global National to resolve sales issues.
- Sharon Horgan as Alice Bell: The Irish owner of a cafe near Todd’s flat. She aspires to turn her cafe into a showcase for molecular gastronomy. Todd develops a crush on her the first time they meet. Although she finds him annoying and unattractive, she continually takes pity on Todd and helps him out. In the third season, Alice is now the owner of The Molecule, a prestigious molecular gastronomy restaurant, and the leader of a white supremacist group.
- Blake Harrison as Dave: Todd’s sole employee, who often seems to take advantage of Todd’s ignorance of British culture to pull pranks and make him appear foolish. As the series goes on, it is revealed he is actually David Mountford, the son of a rich and powerful lord called Lord Mountford (Mark Heap). Following a bar incident, in which Todd humiliated him, Dave arranged for Todd’s (and Brent’s) promotion to a management position so that he can secretly watch Todd fail at his job and life. In the original pilot episode, Dave was played by Russell Tovey. In the third season, Dave is a subordinate to Todd in the London office. He is now a legitimately eager employee trying to help Todd, but Todd’s dream makes him distrust Dave.
- Will Arnett as Brent Wilts, Todd’s superior, who uses excessive profanity and travels all over Europe, losing money in casinos and hiring prostitutes. Brent promoted Todd impulsively, mistakenly believing that Todd was a tough, take-no-prisoners businessman. He expects Todd to produce cash through sales to support Brent’s decadent lifestyle. At the end of season one, it is revealed that Brent was promoted the same way Todd was. In season 3, he is subordinate to Todd and had been in charge of the London office.
Recurring cast[edit]
- Steve Davis as himself: hired by Todd (who, on bad advice from Dave, believes him to be «bigger than Beckham») to be the «face of Thunder Muscle».
- Colin Salmon as Hudson (seasons 1 and 2): Alice’s Canadian ex-boyfriend who is currently in Leeds shooting an independent film. Todd’s jealousy of Hudson prompts him to extreme behaviour in a futile attempt to monopolize Alice’s attention. Hudson is quite blunt about having little respect for Todd. His film also seems not to have been received well by the local British population. In season 3, Hudson is a cartoon bear on television.
- Amber Tamblyn as Stephanie Daley: a girl who had a drunken one-night stand with Todd in seasons 1 and 2. Also plays a news reporter by the same name. In season 3, she is Todd’s steady girlfriend.
- Russ Tamblyn as Chuck Margaret (seasons 1 and 2) and Billy the Cheesegrater (season 3): Todd’s father who comes to Britain after seeing Todd’s debacle at the Remembrance Day ceremony, deciding Todd «needed a hand». Chuck is slightly less bumbling than Todd. In the third season, he is an incredibly slow assassin called «Billy the Cheesegrater».
- Jon Hamm as himself: Dave’s personal servant at his mansion, listed simply as «Dave’s Employee» in the credits. However, it is later revealed that the character is in fact a fictionalized version of the real Jon Hamm, having had his services bought out from the Mad Men production by Dave to record the «self-help» CDs that Todd and Brent use. Hamm is mentioned in the third-season premiere, Todd Margaret Part 1, and was seen briefly as the agitated driver of a white van.
- Sara Pascoe as Pam: Todd’s pregnant, promiscuous neighbor in seasons 1 and 2. In season 3, she remains Todd’s neighbor, but is a conceptual artist (Pascoe originally played a woman at a trivia machine in a pub who todd tries to sell thunder muscle to in the 2009 pilot episode).
- Mark Heap as Lord Mountford: Dave’s father who is an incredibly powerful British Lord and is responsible for sending Todd to North Korea in Season 2’s finale. In Season 3, he is Todd’s boss at Global National.
2009 pilot[edit]
The series originated as an episode of Channel 4’s Comedy Showcase in November 2009.[3] This backdoor pilot follows the same narrative arc as the season one premiere episode. The Dave Mountford character is played by Russell Tovey. Tovey’s obligations to the show Being Human conflicted with the subsequent sitcom. The role was recast with Blake Harrison and Tovey’s scenes were reshot. Additionally, the pilot episode length was 24 minutes rather than the series 22 minute length.
Episodes[edit]
Season 1 (2010)[edit]
Season 2 (2012)[edit]
Season 3 (2016)[edit]
Production[edit]
The show was created by David Cross and written by Cross and Shaun Pye.[6] The first season premiered October 1, 2010, on IFC in the U.S.;[7] and on More4 in the UK on November 14, 2010.[8] The second season was broadcast on Fox in the UK from March 5, 2013. David Cross announced that season 2 would be the final season, despite the network’s wish for a third season.[9]
The pilot was aired in the UK as an episode of the Channel 4 series Comedy Showcase. Scenes from the first episode were re-shot after the Channel 4 airing when the part of Margaret’s assistant, Dave, was recast with Blake Harrison.[10] Russell Tovey, who played the character in the original pilot, was no longer available when the series went into production.[11]
The show reunites Cross with Arrested Development co-star Will Arnett; the two also appear together on the Fox sitcom Running Wilde, which premiered before, but was produced after, Todd Margaret.
David Cross mentioned on WTF with Marc Maron that he put his own money into financing the show.[12]
In 2014, IFC renewed the series for a third season, which aired from January 7 to January 14, 2016.
Though no official announcement has been given yet, Cross indicated in an August 2016 interview with The A.V. Club that the show is done, and there will not be any more seasons.[13]
References[edit]
- ^ IFC press release Archived March 29, 2010, at the Wayback Machine — TV By The Numbers
- ^ Petski, Denise (October 8, 2015). «‘Todd Margaret’ Season 3 Gets January Premiere On IFC». Deadline.com. Retrieved September 16, 2017.
- ^ «Channel 4 Comedy Showcase 2009». Channel 4. Retrieved July 30, 2013.
- ^ a b c Metcalf, Mitch (January 8, 2016). «SHOWBUZZDAILY’s Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Update: 1.7.2016». ShowBuzzDaily. Archived from the original on January 10, 2016. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
- ^ a b c Metcalf, Mitch (January 16, 2016). «UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY’s Top 150 Thursday Cable Originals & Network Update: 1.14.2016». ShowBuzzDaily. Archived from the original on January 17, 2016. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
- ^ «More4 looking to order a full series of Todd Margaret» — The British Comedy Guide
- ^ «Fall TV Preview» — Zap2It.com
- ^ The Increasing Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret — David on Sharon & Blake on YouTube — Channel 4 YouTube channel
- ^ Modell, Josh (January 6, 2012). «David Cross | TV | Random Roles». The A.V. Club. Retrieved June 30, 2013.
- ^ ‘Todd Margaret’ pilot reshot without Tovey — Digital Spy
- ^ David Cross interview — Movie Web
- ^ «Episode 269 — David Cross». Wtfpod.com. Retrieved September 16, 2017.
- ^ «David Cross on why his comedy tour pissed off people right and left». The A.V. Club. August 18, 2016. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
External links[edit]
- The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret at IFC.com
- The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret on Channel 4
- The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret at British Comedy Guide
- The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret at IMDb
This product uses the TMDb API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDb.
Серии 1-го сезона
1 серия: Пилотный эпизодPilot
Дата выхода:27 ноября 2009
2 серия: Эпизод 2In Which Claims Are Made and a Journey Ensues
Дата выхода:1 октября 2010
3 серия: Эпизод 3A Plan Is Hatched and a Date Is Not a Date
Дата выхода:8 октября 2010
4 серия: Эпизод 4The Snooker Player, the Black Canadian, the Turkish Terrorist, and the Peanut
Дата выхода:15 октября 2010
5 серия: Эпизод 5In Which Brent Wilts Arrives and Things Take a Turn for the Worse
Дата выхода:22 октября 2010
6 серия: Эпизод 6Where Todd and Brent Misjudge the Mood of a Solemn Day
Дата выхода:29 октября 2010
7 серияWhat Can Only be Considered a Dreadful Day for Todd
Дата выхода:5 ноября 2010
1 сезон
7 серий, 2009
1-й сезон сериала «Роковые ошибки Тодда Маргарета» еще нельзя посмотреть онлайн, зато 6081 фильм, 1399 сериалов и 60 телешоу
из 10 крупнейших онлайн-кинотеатров уже доступны для бесплатного и платного просмотра.
1 сезон сериала Роковые ошибки Тодда Маргарета (The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret) онлайн: смотрите все серии подряд в хорошем качестве, знакомьтесь с кратким содержанием серий, информацией об актерском составе, авторе сценария и режиссере сериала.
История моих просмотров
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О сериале
Американец Тодд Маргарет (Дэвид Кросс) волей случая попадает в лондонский филиал компании, в которой он работает. Все, что от него требуется — продать за неделю несколько тысяч корейских энергетических напитков, прежде чем приедет его босс (Уилл Арнетт) с проверкой. Проблема в том, что он ничего не знает ни о британской культуре, ни о торговле.
График выхода
Мы оперативно отслеживаем все изменения в графике выхода сериала, но не несем
ответственность за возможные внеплановые корректировки в нем со стороны телеканала или стриминг-платформы.
6 серия14 января 2016 г.
5 серия14 января 2016 г.
4 серия14 января 2016 г.
3 серия7 января 2016 г.
2 серия7 января 2016 г.
1 серия7 января 2016 г.
6 серия10 февраля 2012 г.
5 серия3 февраля 2012 г.
4 серия27 января 2012 г.
3 серия20 января 2012 г.
2 серия13 января 2012 г.
1 серия6 января 2012 г.
6 серия5 ноября 2010 г.
5 серия29 октября 2010 г.
4 серия22 октября 2010 г.
3 серия15 октября 2010 г.
2 серия8 октября 2010 г.
1 серия1 октября 2010 г.
От режиссера
10/10
Brilliant!
Warning: Spoilers
I just watched the pilot and laughed throughout the show. Very rarely do I find a pilot episode to be engaging and hilarious as its usually setting up the plot for the series and introducing characters but this is fantastic, it grabs you by the balls right from the first sentence uttered and doesn’t let go until the closing credits! I’m English, so thought it was nice to see Blake from the inbetweeners in it (a must see show, similar to freaks & geeks) and David Cross is on top form as he was in Arrested Development. It does appear to be more British humour, than American which is strange for a US show, but you can’t help but laugh at the predicaments the titular character gets into, no matter where you’re from. Also Will Arnett’s cameo is hilarious. I recommend this!
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10/10
Original and Brilliant.
I found this by accident, just did a random click on Netflix. Wow, just wow. I haven’t seen anything this funny and original in a VERY long time. It was great, full of surprises, and absolutely impossible to guess where it was going next.
I give it an A+ on every front, originality, comedy etc. etc. They really can produce something that isn’t just recycled clichéd CRAP and DRivel when they put their minds to it, and get as far away from the formulaic BS that’s produced by the «beautiful people» in the West and East Coast entertainment PC mills.
I haven’t ever laughed and been caught by surprise by anything on the small screen, ever, like I was by this. Cripes, I may even write a damn fan congratulatory letter to the folks involved.
Brilliant, just Brilliant.
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10/10
The funniest show you never saw.
Warning: Spoilers
David Cross never disappoints but this is an exceptionally great series.And let’s not forget that this is Will Arnett’s best work ever.It is immediately dismissed by some because of the format, which can be considered confusing to those with lower IQs.The show starts at the end and Todd Margaret is on trial in England for many very serious charges.Then it cuts to the past and we see how a well meaning office temp from Portland has ended up in such a dire predicament.The extensive series of events that leads to Todd digging up Princess Di with a dildo, while also incurring the wrath of Americans for creating a catastrophe while he wasn’t even there is something that must be seen.They will keep you guessing and laughing, while making you feel sympathy for people that don’t deserve it.In the world of sitcoms with no likable characters, this show is the king.
The third season is equally great.It’s basically the same story with everything reversed.This show is a definite must see.
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8/10
This show is great.
So i just got done reading the review on here where dude was saying that this show isn’t good. And I completely disagree.
First off, David Cross is the man, he’s not gonna make a show just for the sake of making a show. He’s gonna put a lot of dedication into it. Secondly, I guess I can see how you might not think this is funny if you don’t get where the show is coming from. Todd Margret (David Cross) is a guy who is sent to London to sell energy drinks, and he has no experience in business whatsoever he is also a compulsive liar. A lot of the comedy in the show stems from these two aspects. And in my opinion it is hilarious. Pretty much the whole show he’s just digging himself deeper and deeper into a hole (as the name of the show implies).
I saw in the review that I read that the guy watched Arrested Development. If your looking for a show like this, this isn’t it, And really there is no other show like that. This is the type of David Cross humor that you would love if you were into «Mr. Show» the sketch comedy show he had with Bob Odenkirk on HBO.
Also the in this guys review he wrote that it was similar to Home Alone… WTF? Not even close, I would disregard that review completely, and give the show a chance. Because in my opinion it is great, and I can’t wait for the second season to air.
This is my first post on this site, but a greatly needed one, after reading the review i saw on the page.
Thanks for reading.
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4/10
The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret
Warning: Spoilers
I saw the Channel 4 Comedy Showcase series pilot episode and thought it was reasonably funny and I kind of hoped of all the pilots I saw in the series that it would be one made into a full show, and sure enough it was. Basically Todd Margaret (David Cross, also creator and writer) is the bumbling, not all intelligent American salesman who unintentionally makes himself sound like a good marketer, which he isn’t really, and his «boss» Brent Wilts (Will Arnett) promotes him to head for London, England to sell the company’s new line of energy drinks, Thunder Muscle. As soon as he arrives, it is disaster after disaster as he tries to adapt to life in this new environment, misunderstanding society ways, getting things wrong, and meeting British people almost as strange as he is. He has frequent visits with near «love interest» waitress Alice Bell (Sharon Horgan), his work «assistant» Dave (The Inbetweeners’ Blake Harrison, replaced Being Human’s Russell Tovey), and a few people in the flat he is renting, e.g. the pregnant slag. His hundreds of lies to «friends» and work colleagues make things a little worse, his attempts to sell the energy drink keep blowing up in his face, and his attempts to have any kind of social life also don’t work. The opening of each episode opens with him in court for everything he has done wrong by the end of the series, whether there will be another one to conclude this storyline is unknown. Also starring Colin Salmon as Hudson, Being John Malkovich director Spike Jonze as Todd’s Boss, Steve Davis and Kayvan Novak as Bomb Disposal Officer. I will be honest, I stuck with it from beginning to end, but I could tell, from the change in one or two cast members of the pilot episode, to the lack of jokes, that this wasn’t going to be the next great sitcom I hoped it would. Okay!
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6/10
amazing 1st 2 seasons. terrible 3rd season
Warning: Spoilers
The first 2 seasons had lots of hilarious moments although at times cringe-worthy. The characters were well thought out and the plot, although ridiculous, made sense. Some jokes were terrible, but we couldn’t help laughing.
Not sure what happened to the third season – not funny at all and very confusing. We watched all the episodes hoping it would become self-explanatory or funnier, but it did not. In the first 2 seasons, even random small characters were funny, but in the third season, none of the characters made us laugh, even the same characters lost their charm. I liked Jack McBrayer as Kenneth in 30 Rock, but he was terribly unfunny on this show.
It’s really too bad because the first 2 seasons were so good!
6 out of 7 found this helpful.
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So well DONE, even you don’t get it!
Yes..this is it folks. You will watch this show, and your skin will crawl, and you will grimace and the incredibly, and increasingly poor decisions of this man. At first, you won’t be sure if you actually like it, you’ll tell yourself its unrealistic, and that maybe, the writing is bad, but then, lightening will strike, and you’ll realize you’ll watching pure gleaming brilliance.
You will tell yourself that these situations are unrealistic, and that no person could ever roll on himself this much. And then you realize that Todd himself is a spiritual embodiment of exactly what most of us in an industrialized culture have become, because we have been conditioned to do so. We are the compulsive lying sociopath, who believes in our own intelligence to the detriment of our ignorance…Well, maybe not even North America, maybe the world, or those who have fallen for the reality show overdose, and believe that this is the way culture should be shaped on a base of twisted power.
Enjoy.
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10/10
British knowledge and humour, well observed…
Warning: Spoilers
nicely constructed, the viewer knows where things will lead to… the main character Todd (revealed to be somewhat inept from the outset, but with the need for bad ‘self help’ CDs) becomes increasingly trapped, both by his own, comically unconvincing lies, and also by the knowing action of his UK-staff, masterfully played by one of ‘The Inbetweeners’ cast members…
i love it, but i think it’s going to be one of those easily missed, short-run comedy delights..e.g. BBC2 UK’s Roman’s Empire…Snuffbox, Catterick all spring to mind, just this has a US star in the lead…
I can understand why non-UK folks may miss many of the references, and do wonder how well it’ll go down with a USA audience. Personally, i think it’s laugh out loud wonderful
PS I miss ‘Better Off Ted’ too…great comedy transcends if one is open to thought and laughter..
22 out of 31 found this helpful.
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5/10
Not great.
Warning: Spoilers
There are some funny moments in this show but overall it’s a bit too ridiculous to be classed as anything better than average. I watched it as a big fan of Arrested Development and the Inbetweeners so I wanted to see how Cross, Arnett and Harrison were in the show. One reviewer said that the problem is none of the characters are particularly likable and you don’t particularly want anyone to succeed, especially Todd. Though there is some truth to that and the characters are a bit one dimensional there is glimmers of comedy.
The problem is that it’s far too unrealistic at every turn. For example, Todd is unbelievably stupid to the point of it making the humour feel a bit too low brow. He doesn’t understand exchange rates, he can’t pronounce «snooker», he thinks the houses of Parliament is a block of flats and he accepts a briefcase of £30 notes with Helen Mirren on instead of the Queen. Even a fish out of water would not be this dumb. His neighbour is the most stereotypical chav possible, a single mother of four who wets the baby’s head by taking it straight on a night out, hours after it’s birth.
This is not intelligent comedy but it is a comedy nonetheless and probability states that in 6 episodes a cast like that will make you laugh enough to make it watchable. Basically if you think the pilot shows any promise then watch the rest as it’s not exactly a waste of time but leave your brain at the door.
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10/10
A must watch for anyone that has ever laughed
From reading forums over the years many times I’ve seen people write «OMG LOL I just spat coffee all over the monitor». Now how many of those times has it been genuine i guess ill never know (though i am on a mission to find out). However during one episode i mistakenly got cocky and decided to gamble eating a dinner while watching….i lost
As i took a sip of my refreshment i ended up with a face full of soda pop, a beef lasagna now fit for the bin yet i still couldn’t stop laughing even when drying myself down.
So with this review , yes it is a review, coming to an end, all i can say is so far this is the only show that made me laugh so hard so constantly.
David Cross is a genius and the whole cast was superb but with season 1 being the better of the 2 but Jsssh comedy gold
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8/10
Hilarious
I have always found David Cross to be pretty entertaining and humorous, but this show made me a huge fan. He was great on Mr. Show & Arrested Development, but he shines here in a show that was his own creation. Much of the show is about a man trying to find himself in a foreign country, but by doing so, he tries to hard and fails miserably at points, actually a lot. He is completely ignorant to the new culture and since he doesn’t understand it, he doesn’t grasp that he is insulting every one in sight. The supporting cast is great, including one of the main kids in «The Inbetweeners», another great show. Will Arnet is hilarious as usual and gets funnier as the show progresses through-out it’s 6 episodes. The humor is intelligent, although it’s hidden in the stupidity, I can almost compare it to South Park in that way, but live action and a little less subtle. Well worth a watch!
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2/10
No one to root for No one to relate to.
Warning: Spoilers
With Cross and Arnett front and center, it’s hard not to draw comparisons with Arrested Development. Instead of being a lovable, clueless idiot Cross as Todd Margaret is a lying, clueless idiot. Instead of being a lovable jerk, Arnett’s character is just a jerk.
Dave (Blake Harrison) is also a jerk whose sole purpose is to set Todd Margaret up to fall from greater heights. Alice (Sharon Horgan) is supposed to be the relatable one but her pity on Todd is as inexplicable as her unnecessarily complicated backstory.
I guess I just don’t get the humor. It appears to be based on laughing at a liar who is too stupid to know how transparent he is. That doesn’t make me laugh, it makes me cringe.
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1/10
Avoid at all costs
Warning: Spoilers
Wow, I’m really surprised that this garbage has such high ratings. I guess that it’s due to the popularity of Arnett and Cross, if the actors weren’t so popular and well-known this show would’ve probably gotten the ratings it deserves.
I was baited to this show because I’m a huge fan of Arrested Development so I thought that this is going to be a show of similar quality. Boy, was I wrong. Some people wrote that this is similar to South Park, but in South Park toilet humor serves as a plot vehicle and it’s not there just for the sake of it. Here, it’s just vulgar and pointless, I really cannot grasp that there are people older than 12 who find this funny.
First four episodes were truly dreadful but I decided that I’ll watch the show until the end. As the story went on, plot holes were more evident (they’re «ironically» summed up at the end by one of the characters — how ‘wannabe meta’ is that) and the absurdity of the story just got more annoying. Basically there’s a lot of urinating and defecating, a lot of cursing. The main character is completely idiotic and unlikeable and this sewage of a show has nothing to do with «British humor». I’ve seen a lot of British shows and I am a big fan of them but this is nothing like it. It’s vulgar, juvenile and most of all — not funny.
The role of Todd Margaret seems like something that Tobias from A. Development (as an aspiring actor) would choose to act. Actually, when you pretend that you live in an AD universe and fantasize that Tobias got his first big role, you can find this show bearable. Otherwise it’s better to avoid it.
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3/10
Disappointing
I like David cross but I didn’t liked this show. Poor direction with predictable, boring jokes. As you obviously knew there are going to be poor decisions but you didn’t knew that it doesn’t have a solid story line and kind of humor only a 12 year old might enjoy.
David cross’s jokes are fun but they weren’t placed well with the pace, there was no build up, no moments where you were surprised by the sarcasm nor the so called comedy. You are basically watching a guy who’s gonna embarrass himself through constantly lying about stuff which doesn’t even matter because this is why he exists?
3 out of 5 found this helpful.
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8/10
I love it
It is stupid, tasteless and I love it. Sometime TV has to be like this so I can relax from the all to real world. Everybody has a little Todd in them, I certainly do. They way he lies and keeps digging deeper and deeper is very funny to me. If you do not like stupid slap stick or never got Monty Python like my wife, you will not like it. It is not supposed to be anything but what it is.
In somebody’s review they said how can this gets picked up while Arrested Development gets dropped. The same reason this will get the Axe after a while. It it can only go on for so long before it runs out of good plot lines.
14 out of 23 found this helpful.
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6/10
Gut-busting funny or eye-rolling workout
Whether or not you like this depends on what kind of humor you like. Though I have enjoyed a few chuckles, the jokes are mostly eye-rolling at best and nose-wrinkling at worst.
On the other hand…
This is my boyfriend’s favorite new show. He nearly falls to the floor laughing at every episode, and often we have to pause it to let him wipe his tears of laughter away and compose himself before we can continue. He awaits each new episode eagerly, each and every week.
Truly, I have more fun watching him that the show…but, it’s worth checking out and making your own opinion if you’re looking for something new and supposedly humorous to watch. Depending on who you are, it’ll either be a love or hate scenario!
24 out of 43 found this helpful.
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10/10
Todd Margaret is a Winner!
This is a refreshingly hilarious comedy of errors. If you liked the humor of Arrested Development then this is the show for you! David Cross play the biggest liar ever and as everything crumbles under his lies, he just tells more of them. The whole story takes place in 14 days and backtracks over how Todd Margaret ends up in a huge mess. The cast of characters is wonderful, there is Todd’s vile boss who spouts politically incorrect comments at everyone in sight, the trashy neighbor who keeps pawning her kids on everyone, Todd’s mysterious employee who seems to be behind Todd’s misfortunes and Todd’s love interest who wants nothing to do with him. Supporting characters add to the mystery of Todd’s predicaments.
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8/10
The Increasing Necessity to Watch Todd Margaret
If ever it was possible to have an American show with a strong dose of British humor (or should this be humour?), ‘The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret’ is it. I admit I was put off by the name of the show (shortened to just ‘Todd Margaret’ by my DVRecorder), petty I know, committing the error of judging a book by it’s cover, which I suppose is actually an inside joke in itself. This is definitely one of those ‘love it or hate it’, shows, so be warned. Caveat: I have sometimes found myself not liking something at first, but come to appreciate it over time. Likewise, some things I like immediately prove to lack staying power. ‘Todd Margaret’ brings a mix of these moments, and I’m curious what I will think of this show in a couple of years, even if I were to never see another season. (I am just hoping, to the producers, PLEASE Please please don’t try to drag five seasons out of a two or three season story arc, which has become a fatal flaw in all too many shows in the past.)
I like to think of myself as being reasonably sophisticated and eclectic, yet found at some points the show becomes so edgy that I can’t bear it, and have to pause the show and go watch something else for a while before returning. While some possibly more prudish viewers might read ‘bad’ here and not ‘edgy’, fine. Go watch something else like I did, and come back to it or not. The show isn’t trying to be either G-rated or aimed at social conservatives, so if you find it offensive, go count your blessings, warn your fellow church goers not to watch, and leave this behind you. No harm, no foul.
Many parts of the show are intentionally melodramatically exaggerated, which if they weren’t being obviously absurd might otherwise not care for, but after adjusting my brain from ‘Normal’ to ‘Todd Margaret’, I don’t find off putting. After all, no one expects 30 open cans of tuna to precipitate a biologic hazard that condemns an entire apartment block and sets off an international manhunt, but in Todd’s world, it’s just one more way that world conspires against him.
If any loyal Season One viewers are having trouble tying some of these diverse pieces together, I recommend ‘The Increasingly Necessary Recap of Todd Margaret’. (Sorry if I got the exact title wrong, I’m working from my ever-decreasing memory.) While the description informs us in advance that this is «an animated special, in the Korean visual style» (again, from memory) which I found agonizing since I don’t like anime or anything like it, try not to be put off by this description as I was for so long. It really lends insight to some of the most subtle humor (much of which admittedly will miss many American viewers like me), which Cross freely admits aren’t really expected to be discovered by viewers anyway.
In the final analysis, there are far to many derivative productions that I just don’t or no longer find entertaining (recent example ‘Persons of Interest’), or which drag on long after their ‘Use By…’ date (Law and Order season 100). Other than its classification as comedy/other, ‘Todd Margaret’ can’t be pigeonholed into any category—it is different from almost all other shows out there, which to me is in itself is meritorious in this age of derivative entertainment. Love it or hate it, I’m pretty sure that after you’ve seen it, you can’t forget it.
8 out of 16 found this helpful.
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9/10
Painful, cringey and hillarious
Watched after arrested development years ago, watching again and it really holds up. Wish their were more shows like this
2 out of 2 found this helpful.
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10/10
Very amusing with foul language and jokes
I only started watching it because of David Cross and Will Arnett because I really liked them in Arrested Development. Although this series is quite different, I find it to be very funny and very.rough sometimes, which I like a lot because I miss that in many shows nowadays. Especially Will Arnett acting as Brent Wilts, specifically in season one and two has some very rough not-politically-correct-at-all sayings that astonished me, but in a positive manner. Very, very funny.
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7/10
Actually pretty funny
Warning: Spoilers
David Cross finally starts to grow on me. He’s created a desperate character that appears to be what we all aspire not to be at first, but then suddenly, we realise — gee, we are him, most of the time anyway. We all like to think that we are morally superior to everybody else sometimes. For example, when we hear about somebody who did something terrible, we are pretty quick to condemn that person and without getting all the facts.
By the way, this is not a civics lesson on morals that I am writing here, but it’s to put David’s Cross character in perspective. Here is a man with no real life experience. He comes off as the most ignorant person you have ever met and still, there is a part of us all that are just like him. Haven’t we all tried to impress somebody about something we really know next to little about?
Anyway, this is a comment about a comedy show and it is hilarious at times. Especially Will Arnett, who is by now pretty famous for his politically incorrect characters. He’s done them on both 30 Rock and Parks & Recreation. The British characters are also extremely well written and I have met several people from England, who were a lot like them.
The plots, however, are pretty unbelievable and you just have to take them for what they are. Situations that drive the comedy. What makes this serial superior is the character stuff and to a lesser degree, the archetypes. You won’t laugh for a full 20 minutes, but you will get a few and at the same time you will experience some dynamite acting. This has been a positive review for once.
2 out of 4 found this helpful.
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7/10
Two hits and a miss
It’s hard to give an overall rating to Todd Margaret because the third season is so vastly inferior to the first two. The first two would get a 9 rating, the third a 4, so I’ll just give it a seven.
Those first two seasons were amazing and insane. The premise is simple; Todd Margaret is an idiot who does everything exactly wrong, and through a series of flukes is in the position to do the maximum amount of harm. There is something insanely delightful about the pure idiocy of Todd Margaret, who is both a terrible person and ultimately a well-meaning one. It was outrageous, imaginative television.
Then came the third season. Since the second season ended in a way that would make a third season seem impossible, that third season does a clever jumble of the first two, with a different, more competent and rather unpleasant Todd meeting the same characters in different roles.
Conceptually that’s interesting, but the show fails to be funny. My girlfriend and I had eagerly watched the first two seasons, but she gave up on the third after one episode while I made it through two. Those two episodes are especially outrageous or funny, and the new Todd is not nearly as interesting as the old one.
From what I’ve read, the jumbling of the story gets increasingly interesting, but if it’s not funny, it really doesn’t matter. It’s clear the show is building to something, but that doesn’t matter if the episodes used to build towards that something are tedious and unlikable.
Weirdly, critics liked the third season as well as the first two. But they’re 100% wrong. Todd Margaret is a two-season series, and the third season should be ignored entirely.
2 out of 5 found this helpful.
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10/10
Brilliant
I hate British accents. This show takes place in England. It’s still a 10/10. That’s how good the writing is. Comedic geniuses at work, both in front and behind the scenes.
Sit back, crack a thunder muscle, and bust a gut laughing at this moron.
4 out of 12 found this helpful.
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8/10
Awesome!!
This show is David Cross. It’s a little of everything that you know him for in his past works such as Arrested Development and Scary Movie and so forth. If you like David Cross, you will laugh your hoo hoo off at this one.
At first, I was skeptical about a show that was called Todd Margeret as I tend to judge books by their covers, and so was my room mate, but as soon as we watched the first episode we were hooked. I laughed so hard that I could barely see through the tears. The first six episodes are over now and I hope that this show runs for several seasons. So, grab a box of tissues, sit back and enjoy some sick and twisted comedy by David Cross and Will Arnet. Oh yeah, and don’t forget your Thunder Muscle.
6 out of 15 found this helpful.
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8/10
People need to stop over-analyzing everything.
I enjoyed it. Im not saying its a masterpiece but it was interesting and it produced laughs. The story may seem far-fetched at times but thats something I think TV shows nowadays seem to avoid. Its nice to see something a little different for once. Not every show starts out great either. The first season of Parks and Recreation wasn’t anything special but look at it now. A few characters seem a little one dimensional but if the series continues to grow that can easily be rectified. My only problem with the show maybe would be the gullibility of a couple of the characters. Specifically Todd and the cafe owner, Todd at first seems to accept anything dave has to say. Which seems ridiculous to me but I guess thats what makes his character interesting aside from his compulsive need to lie when he doesn’t have the right solution. I probably rambled a little but its late, bottom line its a worth a shot and it won’t bore you.
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Роковые ошибки Тодда Маргарета
Original title: The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret
- TV Series
- 2009–2016
- TV-MA
- 25m
Todd Margaret is an American who takes a job running the London sales team for an energy drink. He has no experience with British culture, knows nothing about sales and has only one employee… Read allTodd Margaret is an American who takes a job running the London sales team for an energy drink. He has no experience with British culture, knows nothing about sales and has only one employee, Dave.Todd Margaret is an American who takes a job running the London sales team for an energy drink. He has no experience with British culture, knows nothing about sales and has only one employee, Dave.
See production, box office & company info
Episodes21
Videos3
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The Increasing Necessity to Watch Todd Margaret
If ever it was possible to have an American show with a strong dose of British humor (or should this be humour?), ‘The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret’ is it. I admit I was put off by the name of the show (shortened to just ‘Todd Margaret’ by my DVRecorder), petty I know, committing the error of judging a book by it’s cover, which I suppose is actually an inside joke in itself. This is definitely one of those ‘love it or hate it’, shows, so be warned. Caveat: I have sometimes found myself not liking something at first, but come to appreciate it over time. Likewise, some things I like immediately prove to lack staying power. ‘Todd Margaret’ brings a mix of these moments, and I’m curious what I will think of this show in a couple of years, even if I were to never see another season. (I am just hoping, to the producers, PLEASE Please please don’t try to drag five seasons out of a two or three season story arc, which has become a fatal flaw in all too many shows in the past.)
I like to think of myself as being reasonably sophisticated and eclectic, yet found at some points the show becomes so edgy that I can’t bear it, and have to pause the show and go watch something else for a while before returning. While some possibly more prudish viewers might read ‘bad’ here and not ‘edgy’, fine. Go watch something else like I did, and come back to it or not. The show isn’t trying to be either G-rated or aimed at social conservatives, so if you find it offensive, go count your blessings, warn your fellow church goers not to watch, and leave this behind you. No harm, no foul.
Many parts of the show are intentionally melodramatically exaggerated, which if they weren’t being obviously absurd might otherwise not care for, but after adjusting my brain from ‘Normal’ to ‘Todd Margaret’, I don’t find off putting. After all, no one expects 30 open cans of tuna to precipitate a biologic hazard that condemns an entire apartment block and sets off an international manhunt, but in Todd’s world, it’s just one more way that world conspires against him.
If any loyal Season One viewers are having trouble tying some of these diverse pieces together, I recommend ‘The Increasingly Necessary Recap of Todd Margaret’. (Sorry if I got the exact title wrong, I’m working from my ever-decreasing memory.) While the description informs us in advance that this is «an animated special, in the Korean visual style» (again, from memory) which I found agonizing since I don’t like anime or anything like it, try not to be put off by this description as I was for so long. It really lends insight to some of the most subtle humor (much of which admittedly will miss many American viewers like me), which Cross freely admits aren’t really expected to be discovered by viewers anyway.
In the final analysis, there are far to many derivative productions that I just don’t or no longer find entertaining (recent example ‘Persons of Interest’), or which drag on long after their ‘Use By…’ date (Law and Order season 100). Other than its classification as comedy/other, ‘Todd Margaret’ can’t be pigeonholed into any category—it is different from almost all other shows out there, which to me is in itself is meritorious in this age of derivative entertainment. Love it or hate it, I’m pretty sure that after you’ve seen it, you can’t forget it.
- gary89436
- Jan 13, 2012
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By what name was Роковые ошибки Тодда Маргарета (2009) officially released in India in English?
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