agmtw logo
search
In the Know

In the Know

TV-MA

A unique, though slightly uneven, stop-motion satire about public radio today

6.7

TV Show

United States of America
English
Animation, Comedy
2024
Carl Tart, Charlie Bushnell, J. Smith-Cameron

TLDR

Frankly, I’m not in the know enough to enjoy this, but with annoying characters like these, I don’t think that’s a bad thing.

What it's about

NPR’s third most popular host and stop motion puppet Lauren Caspian works with his team to conduct in-depth interviews with real world personalities in his show In the Know.

The take

With podcasts, online music services, and of course, video, radio might not have the same relevance as it did back then, but it’s still alive and changing with the times today. In The Know satirizes modern day public radio, portraying a more narcissistic fictional radio team behind the airwaves, but it does so in a charming way that makes the station feel lived in. Part of this feeling is ShadowMachine’s expressive, well-crafted stop-motion animation style, but part of it stems from how specific the humor gets to be, poking light fun at the very insecurity that drives their (and today’s) self-absorption. Being this specific, the humor hits sporadically for some viewers like myself, who would prefer to watch a show rather than listen to one, but In The Know might be entertaining enough for NPR fans and those keeping themselves up-to-date with American pop culture.

What stands out

The guest interviews are with real life stars, filmed in live action, reacting to Zach Woods’ improvisations. It mirrors the on-the-spot nature of on-air interviews and the self-absorbed desire Lauren has in wanting to be uncancellable, but it does feel a tad disjointed from the actual plot.

Comments

Add a comment

Your name

Your comment

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

Interior Chinatown

A novel and daring action comedy that plays on Asian American stereotypes

7.5

Pretend it’s a City

A wildly entertaining series of interviews with a New York legend

9.2

Sex Education

Already a future classic, Sex Education is an explicit but endlessly charming teen comedy that will also teach adults a thing or two.

8.9

Lovesick

Heavy on the rom but also the com, this British series is an effortless watch based on an unlikely premise

9.4

Feel Good

A charming Fleabag-esque take on LGBTQ+ love

7.0

Patriot

This unique anti-spy drama is one of Amazon Prime's hidden gems

9.0

The Day of the Jackal

A thrilling cat-and-mouse chase bolstered by a chameleonic performance by Eddie Redmayne

8.2

Flowers

Carving out a genre of its own, enter the most unusual sitcom you have ever watched.

8.3

Over the Garden Wall

In this charming animated miniseries, two half-brothers try to find their way back home after getting lost in a supernatural forest

8.6

Like Water for Chocolate

Magical food shifts a family’s fate, as well as their country’s, in this passionate rendition of the classic forbidden romance

8.1

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.