Judd Apatow: The Return

He fares well, drawing on his anxieties and frustrations around raising daughters, and he somehow manages to be self-effacing while also talking about spending time with Paul McCartney and Barack Obama.

This all feels a bit mechanical, a problem confounded because this is a very American set, flitting magpie-like between subjects, with no arguments developed, no narrative, and nothing terrifically compelling to say.

Apatow's confident, yet self-deprecating delivery of relatable tales focusing on fatherhood, social media, and growing older make for a comfortable get-together that feels like catching up with a long-lost friend who's skilled at amusing those around him.

I'm not sure that Apatow should give up his day job. He may need another 25 years to come up with fresh material. But telling jokes for nearly 70 minutes and making people laugh hard, he proved he could do it with this amiable, amusing show.