Each week, we will be taking an in depth look at some of the best sitcoms and comedy shows from both the UK and the USA.
This week we will be looking at a show that ran from 2005 – 2009  – My Name is Earl

Opening Titles / Theme Tune

About the Show
Summary of Plot

A ne’er do well wins $100,000 in the lottery and decides to right all the wrongs from his past with his newfound realization. – IMDB

Number of Seasons / Episodes

4 seasons

Characters:

Jason Lee – Earl Hickey

Ethan Suplee – Randy Hickey

Jaime Pressly – Joy Turner

Nadine Velazquez – Catalina

Eddie Steeples – Darnell Turner

Trivia
+Every time Earl’s picture (or otherwise graven image) is taken, his eyes are closed. This is considered to be a nod to Forrest Gump (1994), in which every photograph of Forrest shows him with his eyes closed.

+ Part of the show’s ad campaign before the series aired included billboard ads with Earl’s picture and one of the items from his list printed on the billboard (i.e. “Cheated my way through the seventh grade…twice”, “Stole a car from a one-legged girl”, “Faked my death to break up with a girl” etc.), with the tag line “…I’m sorry”.

+ The intended ending of My Name Is Earl, as stated by Gregory Thomas Garcia would have been that Earl was going to get stuck on a difficult list item, and then quit. A few months would pass, until one day, he runs into somebody who also has a list with Earl on it. Earl realizes that his list has given other people the same idea. He then concludes that he has made the world a better place, and puts his list away for good, before walking into the sunset.

+ The character Darnell Turner in the show is part of the Witness Protection Program and his original name is Harry Monroe. In S2 E7 his past is found by his wife and he is kicked out of his home by her for not telling her or anybody about his past. Later he is allowed back in and his children ask to tell them a bedtime story and he tells them about the story of Harry Monroe.

Classic Clips

Funny Moments

Surprise Party

Airport Scene