CRIT-O-MATIC.Byline: - David Kronke "The Tournament" (Outdoor Life Network; 7 tonight, approximately, following East Coast NHL NHL Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, see there coverage) Logline: Parents both obsessed ob·sess v. ob·sessed, ob·sess·ing, ob·sess·es v.tr. To preoccupy the mind of excessively. v.intr. and beleaguered be·lea·guer tr.v. be·lea·guered, be·lea·guer·ing, be·lea·guers 1. To harass; beset: We are beleaguered by problems. 2. To surround with troops; besiege. drive their kids, members of an underdog hockey team sponsored by a local funeral home, toward a Canadian "minor league" championship run in this satirical faux documentary series a la "The Office" or "Best in Show." Pros: Alain Goulem and Tracey Hoyt are funny as a couple of delusional, lunatic parents (married to different long-suffering spouses), as is Annie Bovaird as Hoyt's equally deranged de·range tr.v. de·ranged, de·rang·ing, de·rang·es 1. To disturb the order or arrangement of. 2. To upset the normal condition or functioning of. 3. To disturb mentally; make insane. daughter, a violent, foul-mouthed youngster. Cons: This Canadian series obviously will have resonated more in its home country, where the sport is a national obsession, than it may here in the States, where hockey has more of a rabid cult following. But even that fan base could help elevate the relatively modest OLN's viewership, and sports parents of all stripes - not to mention those who loathe them - should be able to relate. In a nutshell: Amid cutting, throwaway throwaway See for your information (FYI). one-liners and more obvious gags are some well-observed, layered characterizations that make "The Tournament" a lot more than a one-joke series. Our rating: Three |
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