One Of The Funniest Dark Comedy Series Of All Time Hidden From New Audiences
If you count yourself as one of the lucky few who caught the IFC original series The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret back when it was airing on TV, you may be dismayed to learn that the series is currently not available to watch on any major streaming service through a subscription. For those who aren’t aware, the series is an incredibly dark comedy from the twisted mind of David Cross, which ran for only 3 seasons from 2010 to 2016. If you’re willing to make a VOD purchase of the series, be sure to binge your way through it, as it is easily one of the funniest shows of all time.
A Short-Lived Series With Amazing Talent
The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret was created by stand-up comedian and actor David Cross, best known for his on-screen performances in projects such as Arrested Development, Mr. Show with Bob and David, Men in Black, and the Alvin and the Chipmunks live action movies. Cross wrote the entire series alongside his partners Shaun Pye and Mark Chappell, while Alex Hardcastle, Ben Gregor, and John Hardwick took on directing duties. The hilariously quirky actor also stars in the series, alongside a few comedic powerhouses including Will Arnett, Blake Harrison, Sharon Horgan, Amber Tamblyn, Jack McBrayer, and Mad Men‘s Jon Hamm.
Compulsive Liar Turned Corporate Titan
Though the show’s title is a real mouthful, The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret is written to be extremely quick and snappy, and offers one of the highest jokes-per-minute ratio of any series on television. The show centers on Todd Margaret, an unremarkable office drone and pathological liar who finds himself in the throes of a massive amount of corporate responsibility, for which he is woefully unqualified. After his boss overhears him repeating abrasive mantras from a self-help tape, Todd is mistaken for a no-nonsense go-getter, and placed in charge of a corporate energy drink ad campaign in the UK.
Todd Slides Down A Slippery Slope
Aided by an assistant named Dave who is far more concerned with playing cruel and unusual pranks than actually helping, Todd sets out on a quest to sell soft drinks, forge business connections, and lie until his pants catch on fire, especially after he meets a beautiful young woman named Alice. As The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret progresses, Todd’s decisions become, predictably, increasingly poor, causing greater and greater mayhem across the English countryside until he finds himself facing a tribunal for dozens upon dozens of criminal charges.
Becomes Increasingly Unhinged As The Seasons Progress
Subsequent seasons of The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret devolve into even more madness, as Todd’s citizenship in both the USA and England become revoked, causing him to flee to North Korea, where he is coerced to oversee a nuclear launch button. As you can likely tell, the show manages to somehow constantly up the score, even after taking a hard tonal pivot in the third season.
Classic David Cross Series Isn’t Offered On Streaming
GFR SCORE
The show may not be for everyone, but if you’re a fan of David Cross’ stand-up material, then this show will have the perfect blend of irreverent comedy, situational insanity, and dramatic irony to leave you hooked. Today, The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret maintains a solid 72 percent critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, while general audiences have granted the series a 91 percent score. It is an absolute shame that this series is not available to stream, as the comedic brilliance of Todd Margaret simply cannot be overstated.
For the time being you can purchase episodes on-demand through Apple TV+.
