When talking about genres, I’m the most demanding when it comes to comedy. There is simply a need for a level of sophistication mixed in with the humor for something to be funny. Even the silliness has to be done in a way that there isn’t humiliation involved – I just prefer lovely and clever humor over ridiculous humor and Sirens falls right into my comfort zone.
The show I have in mind is the US remake of the 2011 British series by the same name, but where the British gave us only 6 episodes of Robb Stark, US is currently wrapping its second season. The premise itself is simple, it follows EMT paramedics, three in particular, during all kinds of emergencies as well as their personal lives. From horse porn to large snakes, the main characters get into all kinds of situations – and its the smart writing that adds tons of humor into it all.
Like I said, there are three main characters, Johnny (Michael Mosley), Hank (Kevin Daniels) and Brian (Kevin Bigley). Johnny is seen as the leader of the group, with Hank as his best friend and Brian as the new guy in their dynamic trio. The first season is therefore a lot about training Brian and putting him through some things just because he is considered as the rookie in the field. My second favorite thing, I’ll tell you about my first in just a minute, is how well their personalities fit together. Johnny is the alpha-man, Hank is gay and yet, sometimes manlier than Johnny and Brian is the warmhearted guy who believes there’s something good in everybody. In other words, all three compliment each other perfectly.
Though I like the way the main trio is presented, there’s nothing more enjoyable that Billy (Josh Segarra)! That man is such a brilliant character, a Modern Family Phil mixed in with Joey Tribbiani – and considering the fact that he is a policeman allowed to wear a gun is a cherry on top! Thankfully, Billy’s character was made series regular in season 2 so I get to see more and more of him which is a delightful treat. If anything, I would watch a show just with him because he has so many different aspects to his character that I never know what he’s gonna do next.
The most praise for these characters is certainly aimed for the writers but I must say, the performances are probably 89% of the appeal. Michael Mosley is Johnny, he just is and it works because there’s nothing forced about his character. Same goes for Josh Segarra, though I doubt he is as clueless, but I’m pretty certain he is as caring and free of prejudice as Billy – which makes him the coolest guy ever! Plus, Billy loves pandas, and who could ever hate a guy who loves pandas? Nobody. The same kind of suitability of characters goes for Kevin Daniels and Kevin Bigley as well and I can’t really explain it, Sirens is simply enjoyable and in my opinion, definitely an underrated show currently airing.
Finally, though it’s been rather difficult to praise something that one has to see to appreciate, the format of a 20 minute 10-13 episode seasons is a good choice for a comedy show. It doesn’t come tiresome, it doesn’t exhaust all its resources in one season and it is more able to keep itself fresh throughout seasons. Plus, the waiting is a torture, but once it’s back, there’s a joy in my life that I didn’t even recognize until I realized that I gravitated towards Sirens the most when I had a limited time schedule to watch something. Therefore, Sirens is on top of my weekly watch list as long as it runs, which is hopefully for long!
METTEL RAY 
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