Legendary magic act Penn & Teller have apparently been offering a spectacular show on Showtime for a number of years. Until this appeared in my mailbox I ahd no idea the show even existed and I was worse off because of it. If you are like me, lost and without a clue, then consider this your wake up call because BS! is probably the best thing on television right now.
BS! is a half hour show that basically features some irreverent comedy, a bit of magic, and a whole lot of idiots. Penn & Teller sort of serve as guides through the chaos as they explore a series of trendy and/or controversial “facts” that they attempt to expose for what they really are…BS. For the most part they manage to do it! The Complete Sixth Season features ten episodes that cover a variety of subjects including, New Age Medicine, The War on Porn, NASA, Sensitivity Training, Being Green, and more. Each episode features Penn & Teller skits and commentary alongside real footage of real people working in these controversial fields.
This show is absolutely brilliant. While I really enjoyed this whole season (a rarity), my favorite episode was, hands down, “Being Green.” From Al Gore’s “powerpoint” that won him a Nobel Prize and Oscar to buying Carbon credits to offset you’re tainting of the environment to a myriad of other bunk claims that are exposed here as precisely that, it’s one of the best balances I have ever seen a show offer. Some of the episodes get a little uncomfortable at times, such as “The War on Porn” episode which contains snippets of graphic sex acts or the dancing nude midget men in “Sensitivity Training” or the fact that every other word Penn uses is the F bomb. The fact is that this is on Showtime and anyone bothered by such things should keep that in mind. All I’m saying is don’t expect Dateline NBC.
This show is excellent and a true credit to today’s weak television lineup. If you are in the dark then I suggest ordering this right now. I’m going to order seasons 1-5 as soon as I’m done writing this.
Reviewed by Mark Fisher
