Kidding

Jeff Piccirillo, remembered by millions as Mr. Pickles, is the warm, smiley host of a long-running children's program. Off camera his life is unraveling: family relationships strain, private grief grows heavier, and the cheerful lessons he taught no longer offer guidance. As problems intensify faster than he can handle them, Jeff leans on routines, puppets, and carefully curated innocence to hide his doubts. The show balances absurd, childlike performance with darker domestic reality, tracking a slow, unsettling breakdown that mixes comic moments with real emotional risk, without giving away any surprise turns or how things end.

Created by Dave Holstein, Kidding premiered in 2018 and assembled a notable cast led by Jim Carrey, with Frank Langella, Judy Greer, Justin Kirk, and Cole Allen in key roles. The series presents a hybrid of comedy and drama, using puppetry and staged segments alongside intimate family scenes.

The series and its actors attracted awards attention, particularly for the lead performance, and critics called out the cast work repeatedly. It received nominations in television circles and was discussed during awards season, though it didn't sweep major prize lists.

Kidding prompted conversation about celebrity persona and private pain, largely because Jim Carrey played against expectation, showing a quieter, more fractured presence. Its visual choices and staged children's-show interludes made memorable images, and viewers talked about how the series handled the mismatch between public kindness and private turmoil.

Critical response leaned positive in many quarters, with an average user vote of 7.601/10 from 328 votes. Reviewers noted the show's odd tonal mix, its focus on grief, parenting, and media image, and how comedy and sadness sit next to each other. Some viewers loved the emotional risks and stylistic flourishes, while others found the shifts jarring, but most agreed it offered something unusual in contemporary TV.