My Name Is Earl Review

They’ve taken the concept of karma and spilled beer and fag ash all over it, but don’t be fooled — despite the redneck exterior, it’s Earl’s needle-pointed script that’s its greatest asset. After losing a winning lottery ticket in a car accident, amoral waster Earl Hickey (Jason Lee on top form) decides that karma’s to blame and thereafter tries to make up for a lifetime of bad deeds. Earl’s challenges are rarely as easy as they seem, and with a barking supporting cast, including his simple-minded brother Randy and scheming ex-wife Joy to get in the way, each episode spirals off into frequently brilliant flights of madness. Sharp, well-observed and consistently funny, My Name Is Earl is a daft treat.