The deconstruction of a Fred Rogers figure would make for an interesting show on its own, but Kidding transcends that premise by leaps and bounds on the strength of Carrey’s performance and a determination to make the show just as rough--and riveting--as real life.

Langella is a master of deadpan comic timing as Seb. ... Greer is equally wonderful as Jill, who tells Jeff being married to Mr. Pickles is like being Mrs. Santa Claus. Nobody cares about Mrs. Claus! And then there’s Jeff/Mr. Pickles, and what a pair they make. ... Carrey is brilliant.

Kidding is taking audiences down a rabbit hole of emotions that’s as dotted with clever dialogue and sharp acting as it is with philosophical inquiry. Meaning that it’s worth getting lost inside Mr. Pickles’s brain as he figures out what the world has in store for him.

The supporting acting is strong, with Langella, Greer, Kirk, and Keener all as good as you might expect. Langella, in particular, is remarkable as a man who is unfeeling and perfectly comfortable with it. If and when Jeff becomes more credible, and not just a fairy tale persona, the entire ensemble will be solid as a rock.

Directed by Michel Gondry, Kidding occasionally shows sparks of the magic he brought to his previous collaboration with Mr. Carrey, “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” but there’s not enough of the show-within-a-show for Mr. Gondry’s wonderfully wacko visual style to get much play.

Through the four episodes (of the season’s ten) screened by this critic, Kidding has yet to manifest a coherent tone. The frank jocularity of the wisecracks bumps up against rogue jolts of cutesiness and a slightly dirty realism, familiar from Sundance dramedies. ... One also wants to attribute the slow-boil mood and occasional low-key tone of Carrey’s strong performance to Gondry.

None of this plays as interesting or funny as it sounds on the printed page. Carrey's Mr. Pickles is tortuously unappealing, a smiley-faced drip in need of a hard slapping. And Mr. Pickles' Puppet Time itself is on the screen, it's light years past unbearable.

I enjoyed watching first 8 episodes. Great opportunity to show that Carrey is not only a slapstick comedy actor but can play also in serious comedy drama. The series are great from the psychological point of view depicting "kind christian person" trying to be good to each and everyone from one side and toxic, hostile environment from the other side.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

Depressing, predictable, obvious, dumb (and did I mention depressing? If you think 2 men having sex in a horse costume paraded in front of children is funny, have I got the show for you!) Basically everything Jim Carey has been doing all of his career. Not worth your time unless you already worship at the alter of Mr Carey.

Creepy and sad, Jim should stick to Ace Ventura. It's the only kind of roles that will ever work for him. I had to force myself to sit through the first few episodes; I won't be watching any more.

Slow story, horrible acting,. Does a great job of putting me to sleep though! Jim Carrey needs to retire.