The TV Chick

The Big C is a comedy about cancer. You read that right. The new Showtime show stars Laura Linney who is determined to kick cancer’s ass. Linney plays Cathy Jamison, a teacher, a mom, and a possible ex-wife, with stage 4 melanoma. However, she hasn’t had the courage to tell anyone yet. The most important person in her life is her son Adam, who she wants to spend more time with, much to his teenage chagrin. There’s her husband Oliver Platt who doesn’t understand what he did wrong. There’s Andrea, her overweight sassy student who she wants to help. Gabourey Sidibe plays Andrea, someone so opposite of Precious, you wouldn’t even guess she’s played an abused teen. Sidibe definitely has some comedy chops. There’s Cathy’s screwed up brother Sean (played by John Benjamin Hickey) who is homeless and an extreme environmental activist. And naturally, there’s the grumpy old neighbor Marlene (played by the hilarious Phyllis Somerville) who has an adorable dog that loves Cathy, but she doesn’t want to give Cathy the time of day.

This interesting cast of characters form an unlikely support group, whether Cathy wants it or not. Linney is absolutely fantastic in this leading role. She plays Cathy without a hint of pity, which I think is necessary for a show like this. I adore Oliver Platt as well and he fits the role of the slightly unaware husband very well. It’s an odd subject to create a comedy about (albeit a dark comedy) but it works well. There’s a lovely balance of hilarious and heartwarming moments. And there’s even a hot doctor thrown in the mix. The comedy itself isn’t necessarily about the cancer, but more about her life and circumstances. I definitely think the show has the ingredients for a hit, and I am interested to see where it goes. Linney will definitely keep me tuning in week after week and I think others will be captivated by her as well. If you are curious about the show, you can watch the first episode on my site — right here!

The Big C premieres tonight on Showtime at 10:30 PM, and I would definitely recommend checking it out!