Trailer Park Boys (2001–2018) User Reviews

Knock Knock...F%@k Off.

[thor4923 · 9/10 · 7 October 2006]

While I respect the opinions of those who criticized the show (not surprisingly the comments rated "least useful"), it appears that their views are so concrete that they just don't get it.

This brilliant series is not intended to reflect the "reality" of trailer park life in Nova Scotia, but is instead a wonderful artistic compilation of many extreme, bizarre, and mundane experiences that are interesting on an entertaining and (feigned) voyeuristic basis. There are operas, soap operas, space operas, and now "park operas".

Consider how difficult it must be to act improv style not only on the set, but to act "in character" during all media interviews and public engagements, as is the expectation. Not many actors would have the commitment or stamina to carry this through for the benefit of the production image. Mike Smith, who plays the character Bubbles, apparently can only wear the thick glasses for 15 minutes at a time without extreme fatigue.

Let's consider the acting quality and skill. Would Deniro or Pacino make this a better series? No! The charm is in the rough edges, the improv, the humility, and the belief that these are low rung thugs. It is totally believable and a credit to the acting and direction.

How is Canada or Nova Scotia being insulted if we recognize that this series is a parody and that we should not take it so seriously. According to the on-line polls I have viewed for TPB of the episodes to date, the average rating has been 9 out of 10. Most of those voting were from Canada followed by participants from the US, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. We should be proud that we have had an impact on others, especially on those outside of our country.

If given a chance, you will see how the brilliance shines through the layers of carefully placed sh#@. It is meant to look amateurish!

Julian's drink

[walkererinlea · 10/10 · 28 May 2020]

Makes me laugh out loud every episode. Every day I think about the episode he climbs out of the car flip with a full drink

There is a special sort of charm about this show. Know what I'm sayin'?

[Amthermandes · 10/10 · 17 February 2022]

I've been an avid fan of the show for about a decade now. There's an odd charm, a bit of an attraction to the simplicity of the way of life that the characters in the show live, that is oddly alluring. Talk about a fictional, worry-free escape in the world of television, this is the epitome of such a deviation from the real world.

The show follows three main characters: Ricky, who is the completely emotionally-fueled, irrational one of the lot, who constantly puts himself AND OTHERS into horrible and illegal situations, only to shrug it off as "no big deal" (one of the show's many running jokes), and tries to pass the blame onto someone else. And then there's Julian, who is often seen as the "brains" of the trailer park, but really he's mostly in it for himself, and while his heart in usually in the right place, and it's known he cares about his friends, he often forgets the latter and makes decisions only to benefit himself. He also is never seen without a rum & coke in his hand. And finally, there's Bubbles. A special lad, with an adorable affection for kitties, he's usually the voice of reason between the three, even though he may come off as more "special" than his friends. He's the more sympathetic of the trio, and an avid Rush fan. Sometimes, due to the crazy antics of his friends and the lovable psychos of the trailer park, he's often put into unfortunate situations.

And one HAS to give love to the man who plays Jim Lahey, who is the drunk and vengeful supervisor of the trailer park, always looking to get even with "the boys." And a special nod goes to J-Roc, one of TV's most hilariously pathetic characters, whose quotes will live on forever,"'naw what I'm sayyin' booiii?" Seriously, every scene with this character is absolute gold.

The show is absolutely hilarious. The characters are so ridiculous, their ways of life and their mannerisms are so preposterous you can't help but love them. If you can get past all the crude language, that is. And of that, there is a LOT. But the whole show is riddled with brilliant comedy, memorable quotes, and a charming flow.

I absolutely LOVE this show. Especially the first half dozen seasons, before they were picked up by Netflix. I hate repeating myself, but there is such an uncanny CHARM to this show, it's completely irresistible.

understated brilliance, continuing the great Canadian comedy tradition

[vincent-27 · 6 August 2004]

Like most people when I first saw this show I thought it was just another mindless low budget comedy series aimed at the dim-witted pot smokers among us. Then I watched it more and became mesmerized by the underlying brilliance, everything was not as it seemed, from the beautifully languid intro music, to the ingenious documentary style of filming. Much like SCTV, it uses the low budget quality of the show, and turns that into a bonus. THe shaky hand-held camera, the occasional boom mic shot all blend perfectly with the mostly improvised dialogue. There's something uniquely Canadian about this, making the best out of the fewest resources, and it demonstrates the greatness of the show that it does not need huge production values to make you laugh your ass off. And laugh you will as you watch the main characters, Ricky, Julian and Bubbles stumble their way through life. We have all met people like this, much like in the movie "Fubar", people who are completely ignorant and emotionally underdeveloped, yet very much content with their position in life. Both Fubar and TPB, the key is not to make fun of these people in a condescending way, look equally at their naive stupidity but also at their loyalty and innocence and genuineness.

The 80's had SCTV, the 90's Kids in the Hall, for Canada, the 00's belong to the Trailer Park boys.

Incredible, brilliant show

[kellyheiser · 10/10 · 27 April 2007]

Completely original, brilliantly written, beautifully acted, perpetually shocking and always quotable, TPB is simply one of the top 5 shows of all time. How many shows have had so, so many memorable, hilarious lines? Only the Simpsons, Larry Sanders, Sopranos quickly come to mind. The subject matter is refreshing and daring, it certainly could never escape heavy censorship in the US. Every line is funny, the dialogue is almost "clockwork orange" like. All the characters are excellent, the ensemble works so well together, I love seeing all of them, with their various looks changing season to season. Ricky may the best character overall, but they all have essential roles they have all mastered. I will admit that seasons 4 and 5 are slipping just the slightest bit from the dizzying heights of season 3, but it is still better than 99% of anything else. The Christmas Special "Prequel" from a couple of years ago was pure gold. It answered many questions, especially about Randy, and was brilliant. We finally got to see some winter scenes. Hopefully the movie will have some scenes in winter. The Alex Lifeson episode from season 3 should be in the TV Hall of Fame as one of the greatest 23 minutes ever shown. Thank you Canada!!! I am trying to spread the word down here in California.

A Riot

[TheKubes · 10/10 · 17 June 2003]

This show is THE funniest damn show ever produced in Canada. What a bunch of dumbasses these characters are! You must see this show. It is the funniest thing. Just a bunch of small town folks living in a trailer park trying to make it. Truly amazing!

Great show through the first 7 seasons.

[rphanley · 9/10 · 11 December 2021]

Great comedy from Canada. The cast of characters is great and hilarious. Lots of funny moments and seasons. The show was funny but kind of tanked once Netflix brought it back. The movies are pretty good too.

NO MATTER HOW BAD LIFE IS THIS SHOW FIXS IT!!!

[dustynminx · 10/10 · 14 April 2020]

I advise every human being on earth to watch this show, idc how bad your day has been or what's going on in your life this show will brighten your day and I promise you that you will Laugh and Smile while your watching the Amazing cast, John Dunsworth(Mr.Lahay) is hands down one of my personal favorite actors but this man is a Genius and plays a Drunk person Amazingly and he will be missed o so very much! Bottom Line this show will brighten your day I PROMISE!!!!

The noblest form of comedy i've ever enjoyed.

[zaforius · 10/10 · 21 April 2014]

At first, it seems like the trailer park boys is a typical cult comedy you should watch if you want to watch something while high, but as the show keeps going you realize that this show is a masterpiece of classical comedy. Made to satirize the everyday life of the lowest of the classes and the problems that run with them, manages to make you laugh, tell the truth and promote human feelings in the most genuine way. Take a look at every character at the show and you realize just how funny everyday life really is. Jules, the responsible guy who never lets his glass of liquor off his hand, Bubbles, the benevolent little cat guy that everyone loves, and lives by fixing stolen carts and Ricky, the full-mouthed little a-hole friend that everyone has, never stops smoking even with nicotine patches on him.

The show is full of many other interesting characters that have their own brand attitude that makes this show so funny and well made. The exaggeration is the main protagonist here, abuse, swearing, dope, gunfights all in a perfect mix of comedy exaggeration. The show wins you by making you love the characters and their exaggerating attitude the outlaw lifestyle and their constants attempts to make a living.

If you love honest comedy, you are going to f-kin love this show. Thumbs up for Canada.

A gem that needs to be more recognised

[nicsey81 · 9/10 · 6 February 2014]

This is my first review on this site.

This is probably the funniest show I have ever seen.

At first, I was a bit put off from it due to the way they film it. But once I grew on it by watching more episodes, it's actually a brilliant masterpiece.

The characters are very interesting, in a ludicrous way. It's amazing how they continuously make such addictive story lines for such a small environment to work on.

This is very cheaply made but with that in play, a lot of creativity put into such little to play with. That's what mostly makes it brilliant.

A comedy groundbreaker

[haburashi · 10/10 · 30 December 2006]

Who are the guys living in that Trailer Park in the title? Angry, skinny, drunk homosexual baldy running the town with his hairy fat Starsky-boyfriend who has a phobia of t-shirts, world's best professional weed grower taking shots in the leg every now and trying to finish elementary school for the millionth time, jug pissing old man taking support money from the government by acting disabled, poor Bubbles with two criminals as his only friends wanting to establish his own kindergarten for cats: Kittyland, a hip hop teen who never watches at the mirror because he wants to think he is black and so many other caricatured characters, that if I could continue the list and it would just get weirder and weirder.

Generally everyone and everything is so absurd I can't watch the show for one minute without bursting to laughter. Where normal people would go to the work in the morning, Trailer Park Boys spend the time camouflaging 200 pounds of hash into a driveway. There's gunshots in "my neighbor just parked at my spot"-situations and people eating drugs instead of bacon in the morning. Their lives are so upside down it's hilarious.

Very rarely a new comedy that does something original instead of just copying an earlier success appears, I dare to say for myself that Trailer Park Boys is definitely the best comedy show ever to air. I could go on about actors being fantastic or characters being perfectly written, but it ain't the point in the series. The point is more like a world that you see when you go asleep and have a dream where the craziest and funniest and stupidest people live in one small trailer park and make you laugh for the whole show.

Brilliant

[evanac · 9/10 · 12 May 2006]

I got the first two seasons on DVD as a gift just recently...I had sadly never heard of the show before that. That being said, I sat down and started watching and I ended up watching the first two seasons right in a row practically without stopping....that's how good it is. A lot of the comedy is subtle, background stuff that continues to surface even after multiple viewings. This show is definitely geared towards people with a slightly twisted sense of humor that don't require a laugh track or a punch line to clue them into the humor. All hilarity aside, this crew does a good job in getting you to believe in the characters and to generally want to know what happens with them -- even when you know most of what they WILL do will make you cringe one way or another. Now I have to see about getting other seasons on DVD...

Original seasons good/Netflix seasons not so good

[cstover-28468 · 7/10 · 22 March 2021]

As my title says, the original 7 seasons that aired on Showcase in Canada from 2001 to 2007 were great. Yes, I even loved season 7, which it seems most other fans of the show don't really like this season, but I do and honestly, compared to the Netflix seasons, you'll appreciate season 7 a lot more. Also, the original TPB The Movie released in 2006 and was pretty good. The show seemed to have ended with season 7 in '07, but of course, fans wanted more of the boys and due to popular demand, a TV movie was released titled Say Goodnight to the Bad Guys, which was pretty great in my opinion. Then another movie titled Countdown to Liquor Day was released the following year in 2009, which was, just Ok, in my opinion, of course. Finally, a 4th movie was released titled Don't Legalize It, which got mixed reviews but I really enjoyed it. Along with this came the announcement that Netflix was bringing the series back and that same year in September of 2014, Netflix released season 8 of Trailer Park Boys. And..., well, honestly, I didn't hate this season. I actually kind of liked it. Though, Mike Clattenburg's (the creator, head writer, and director of pretty much the entire show/movies up until this) absence from the show was very apparent. It was waaaay more over-the-top than it had ever been before, which was definitely a bad thing...ya know....in my opinion. But it wasn't terrible. However, we then come to season 9 released on Netflix on March 27th 2015 and...dear god, season 9 was just...it was so bad. It was so, so bad. I hated it so much. I found myself cringing so often and maybe let out a slight chuckle here and there. I know as shows go on, characters always tend to become caricatures of themselves, but this was ridiculous. In prior seasons, Ricky was at least capable of speaking at a normal volume sometimes. In this season, he pretty much screams every single word he says. The whole season is just bad. And season 10 is even worse. Not much to say other than it's just god-awful. It feels like it's trying so so hard to be over-the-top and give shock-humor but it's just bad in every way. Seasons 11 and 12 were definitely a huge step up from the previous 2 before it but still nothing great. Seasons 1-7 were peak TPB for me and I'm sure most fans of the show would probably agree.

I just don't get it.

[Imme-van-Gorp · 3/10 · 30 January 2023]

Season One: 3/10

Themes: Trailer Park, Comedy, Ex-Cons, Drugs, Petty Crime, Friendship, Stupidity & Canadian.

Review: I really do not understand the appeal of this show. It's about a bunch of complete idiots, doing nothing but scream at each other, swear like there's no tomorrow, fire off guns as if it's their new favourite toy, and be drunk all the damn time. It just wasn't funny and I didn't laugh even once. The characters were extremely annoying to the point of me rolling my eyes at them every episode. The plot itself is also super uninteresting; it's the same thing over and over again, and besides being repetitive, it was very boring in and of itself. I'm definitely not a fan. Perhaps I'm missing something here, but I just don't see what would be entertaining about this series. It was just silly and ridiculous.

It grows on you

[wonderland_ahead · 21 January 2004]

When I first left a review of this show I was fairly unimpressed with it. However, since then I've forced myself to watched the entire Seasons 1-3 and I have to say it: man, was I wrong.

It grows on you. If you can get over the bad acting and the political incorrectness you'll find one hell of a show. As another reviewer said it's not an accurate reflection of life in a Nova Scotia trailer park: more like if you took the weirdest members of every trailer park in NS and put them together to dumb it up.

Some of the funnier aspects I've found have been Ricky's constant mispronunciations (there are at least then in every episode), Mr Lahey's constant sh*t analogies, and, of course, Bubbles, who makes even the bad episodes worth watching.

If you give it a chance you won't have a single favourite episode; more like a collection of favorite moments pulled from each ep. Whether it's J-Roc's identity crisis ("I hate to admit it ... I'm white"), Bubbles' dragging a drunken Ricky home in the back of his go-cart, or the visit from the hysterically creepy Bible Pimp, there'll be at least something that makes you giggle whenever you think of it.

All that said, BBC America can look forward to a few letters of mixed reactions, and Comedy Central can start kicking themselves for not being the first to snatch it up.

Funniest show on TV

[knkp4 · 9/10 · 22 May 2006]

My favourite thing about trailer park boys has to be the characters, they are CRAZY, from ricky trying to get his 4th grade to Lahey trying to get the boys thrown in jail.

There is nothing else like it on TV .

Its so surreal and absurd at some points you cant help but wet yourself with laughter. every season is as good as the last including season 6, even though most people say it sucks, COME ON PEOPLE, THE FILM IS OUT IN THE SUMMER! I just hope they keep making this show whether the movie is a success or not.

LONG LIVE TRAILER PARK BOYS!

One of the funniest

[pcadry-577-919961 · 10/10 · 31 March 2014]

Watched the first episode and wasn't really impressed. My son-in-law talked me into giving the show another try. Some of the best comedy, EVER, from any country. Went to see the stage show with Tremblay,Wells and Smith in Dearborn in 2012. True to form these guys were just hilarious. Smith is also a good singer and accomplished guitarist.

Many "back" stories about these characters, "Bubbles" actually showed up on the set to apply for a sound mixing job and someone asked him to try on the goofy glasses........a star was born, so to speak."Ricky's" dad "Ray" is actually one of the executive producers and Sarah in real life is Jim Lahey's daughter.

Funny yet Realistic and the same time, Awesome!!!

[fagan77 · 10/10 · 10 July 2007]

I never heard of these guys or the show. I seen this and had to get it. I like stupid and sick humor.

The characters are all real if you think about it, or ever been or knew someone in a trailer park. As funny as that may seem.

You got your pot head, your thief, you nut case yet kind of nice guy, your trailer park whore, you pretty much got it all.

I have to say after never hearing of them and after seeing this movie i am watching all there TV shows now. They are awesome.

They are almost so good at what they do, you would think its a reality show and there not acting!!!

Trailer PARK BOYS!!

[cssullivan-1 · 9/10 · 23 October 2006]

The definition of Canadian comedy with a strong sense of a reality mockumentary. At first you may laugh at the show's odd characters, semi skilled acting, and the amount of swearing and outrages endings. The main group is Ricky, Julian, and Bubbles, all putting their own twist on the trio. Set in a trailer park the group simply solves their financial problems through robberies, cultivation, guns and scams everyone more extreme then the next. The group has there highs and their very lows, living in the shitmobile and constantly fighting the trailer park supervisor. I love this show and cant get enough of it, everyone should give it a try and watch the emotional roller-coaster of The Trailer Park BOys.

One of the best shows I've seen

[HeatherRaehate · 9/10 · 19 March 2008]

And I watch WAYYY TOO MUCH TV AND MOVIES. This show is one of the funniest shows I've seen so far. The characters are great, I especially love Ricky-obviously. The fact that there is a character who refuses to wear shirts should make you want to watch this on it's own.

I read a comment that said it's isn't like real trailer park life in Nova Scotia, and maybe not. But it's a pretty damn accurate portrayal of life in a U.S. trailer park in the south. I mean, I've seen these people at Wal-Mart...all of them. There's a Jim Lehey everywhere, you just have to look hard enough.

Don't forget to watch The Mighty Boosh!

Thumbs WAY up down south

[d_alvarez · 10/10 · 1 October 2006]

Now, for a comment from a yank. This is THE funniest, THE biggest-hearted show I've ever had the good fortune to stumble across! On behalf of all of us poor, misbegotten souls that live due south of you Canadian's lower border (a.k.a the tree line) (sorry, I just couldn't resist), thank you, thank you, thank you! TPB isn't distributed in the U.S. as far as I can tell, so if you're a yank and unless you happen to live near the border and can watch CBC you won't know about this show other than by freak accident (it was a Netflix experiment for me). I see from the last couple of pages that there really are a few trifling slobs (on both sides of the Canadian/U.S. DMZ) that just don't get it. Well , I'm truly sorry for those poor miserable souls, probably something to do with the amount of fiber in their diet, but down here in Alabama WE sure get it! I've made it a (minor) mission to spread TPB around to everyone I can find with a pulse and I have yet to find anyone who (after a few episodes) hasn't been won over heart and soul (I make my friends send off for the DVD's after the first I give them, kind of like the neighborhood pusher). I won't say they don't exist in 'Bama (a land that may not have invented trailer parks, but has certainly perfected them) just that they're rare. Maybe that's why I like this part of the planet so much. I'm sorry for those who just don't get it, but I'm hard pressed to understand them either. After all, anyone who has ever had a family should recognize Ricky, Julian, Bubbles, et. al., with all their schemes, their plots, all their massively dysfunctional and f***ed up ways (to quote Ricky), and all their grace and generosity (where it REALLY matters) immediately. I know I certainly do, those guys are everyone I'm related to and everyone I ever grew up with boiled down and condensed. Apparently a lot of others do as well, which says many good things about the human race (even that part of it living in the desert south of you Canadian's border). This is a magnificent show, it makes me laugh so hard I have to pace myself so I won't end up at the doctor's office. I'm waiting on pins and needles for the movie (which should be out this month according to the net) and for the next season, and I really do mean pins and needles, what in the world will Ricky do next?! If you've somehow managed to read this far along in the comments and haven't seen TPB, do yourself a favor and get it! If you still don't like it eat a bran muffin or something, you're obviously in need it.

Great Show... Just Gets Better.

[alvinseech · 9/10 · 3 February 2019]

When I first discovered TPB, I really felt I discovered a new type of cult following. You know that moment when you saw Peep Show or The Thick of It for the first time? It felt like that. Fresh, laugh out loud comedy.

It's also great how the boys manage to get you on their side even though you know most of what they're doing is downright criminal. The sociology of this program is great as it paints a picture of very petty Trailor Park criminals who are also just people trying find their way in the world and establish peace in the park - despite some crazy antics, they really are good people who you root for.

I found it got progressively funny throughout seasons. At first, I turned off S8/E1 because it seemed a little polished and scripted but I went back to it after years and found it really did grip me much more than the previous series - the polishing was absolutely spot on. The stories got deeper and the new characters actually grew on me. What a great show.

One of the funniest & addictive shows ever...

[rderrick · 10/10 · 21 January 2011]

Let me start by saying this: I lived in a trailer park for 5 years in the 70's as a teen with my mom. TPB has definitely captured the essence of everyday life in a trailer park.

There's so much to like about this show; the characters, their get rich quick schemes, the way they interact with each other, the sayings (know what I'm sayin?)... This show has got me hooked, can't stop watching it.

I'm midway into season 5 on Netflix and I'm already looking forward to getting my hands on the next seasons. Not since The Soprano's have I looked forward to some free time to catch the next episode. I love Canada, my fu&#*ed up family and the Trailer Park Boys!

Cult favorite

[mm-39 · 7/10 · 22 July 2003]

This show will be a cult favorite, like another Canadian classic SCTV. One day it will be showing on US cable and watch out this show will explode. Like the hosers on SCTV, this show pokes fun at Canadians in a backwards way. Nice to see people laugh at themselves. What makes this show funny, is some of these characters must result from real life experiences. Everyone either has a relative, friend, co-worker, like Ricky, Bubbles, Corry, Trevor, and J Rock. J Rock the 29 year old, ridiculous looking White rapper wannabe, who lives with his mom. Ricky, the trailer park idiot,(Will Farrel of the show) who provides 90% of the material, while living in a car missing a right door; and Corry with his pal Trevor the 2 slow witted wannnabes who end up holding the bag. Living in East Kildonan this reminds me of my youth and shows how believable casting, and writing overcomes a lower budget. What's next a show about Postal Workers.

Why do so many Canadians think this is funny?

[chairisto · 5/10 · 18 December 2014]

I just don't understand why so many people in Canada actually believe this is so hilarious. I grant you, some times there is a line or two that hit the funny bone and the premise is decent (though much of it is recycled episode after episode), but the vast vast majority of bit intended to be funny just are not. I mean, one time with the "shit__" (shitthis, shitthat, shitstorm, shittornado, shitwhatever) is funny because it shows something about the Leahy character, but every frikking episode?! And after the first season or two, everybody seems to concatenate "shit" to everything, not just Leahy. It's like they got a laugh out of it once so they repeat it ad nauseum. And the drink constantly in hand, OK, that works for a while and would work better if there were periods where there is no drink, but it is no longer funny and is entirely forced after a few seasons of it. And the Bubbles character...I'm sorry, I love laughing at the disabled as much as any red-blooded able-bodied person, but come on. There is not a line out of his mouth that is funny on its own, everything is un-funny/dumb and is forced through his dull imitation of an idiot savant voice. It's about like watching the character that Jerry Lewis played with Dean Martin updated with "sh*t" and "f*ck". And they devote whole shows to the one unfunny bit that they seem to think is hilarious. Case in point, "Conky".

I believe they conceived the whole program based entirely around the guy who plays Ricky being very adept at malapropisms and having the eastern Canadian redneck schtick down very well. The other characters, every one of them, were afterthoughts, straight men/women for him to play off. In fact, much of the dialogue comes off as ad lib by people who are nervous doing it and are not very clever or quick, as though they were told a situation and had to wing it from there, playing a sort of mad-lib with the other actors. Like the director said, "Ok, everyone, Conky is a ventriloquists doll that Bubbles really likes. Play with that. And....action!" Besides the occasional Ricky-based funny bits, I think the best part of the show is the entry and exit music; it is somehow to me soothing, lightly happy and nostalgic, like it deserves to have a bubble machine in the background. I honestly think that is why I have watched so many of the episodes because, honestly, if you've seen one you have seen them all, or at least seen all the jokes.