A few jokes from the BBC-produced series won’t translate to this side of the pond, unless you’re familiar with British pop culture. ... Don’t like a skit? Another one will be along in a minute or two, and Ullman just might sing and dance, two more of her talents.
The show’s whiskey-voiced, horse-loving, shotgun-wielding Camilla is so viciously funny she requires no real explanation. Already aired in the U.K., Tracey Ullman’s Show takes swipes at various aspects of British life and politics, but Americans shouldn’t need much help absorbing them.
Some may find Tracey Ullman’s Show a touch dated, but her acutely observed characters are generally enough to overcome any mustiness. The contemporary subject matter also keeps things fresh.
Not all of the sketches are home runs, but even in the weaker ones, it can be fun just trying to figure out which character she’s playing and how the crew managed to effect such a transformation.
Tracey Ullman is up to her old tricks, with the emphasis on "old." Her new series, Tracey Ullman's Show, is really just a redo of the one she did for Fox in the late 1980s--which, notably, midwifed "The Simpsons"--churning out a fast-paced mix of recurring sketches, some quite funny and others of the time-killing variety.
Tracey Ullman’s Show is like an oddity found at a flea market--interesting only to an audience who already reads something into it, or knows about where it came from, or is eager to add to a dusty, long-neglected collection.
Her talents as a performer are beyond question, but the humor does feel a bit dated and not provocative enough for American audiences, especially when you consider that a large chunk of the references and impressions will only ring true to those living across the pond.