I'd started to watch the premiere episode of Showcase's Canadian comedy Rent-a-Goalie when it first aired, and quickly decided I didn't have enough testosterone to stick with it. Then, I received the first three episodes for review, so I ended up giving the show more of a fair shot. Turns out, I still don't have enough testosterone to stick with it past those three. But there's enough to recommend it for those who are more likely to enjoy boys being boys. And lots of fart jokes.
Cake (the show's writer Christopher Bolton) is a reformed drinker and gambler who now has a code for living right, tends the coffee bar of his Italian friend Johnny (Louis Di Bianco) in Toronto's Little Italy, and runs a rent-a-goalie business on the side. Apparently, that's not even just a whimsical TV job — Google "rent-a-goalie" and if you're like me, you'll be surprised to see there are actual places that rent goalies for hockey teams. Oddly, most seem to be in Canada.
The show opens with Cake discovering he's accidentally slept with his boss's daughter. I mean, they slept together intentionally, but she claimed to be French and on her way out the country, and he claimed to be a race car driver. Francesca (Inga Cadranel) is furious to find her recent one night stand is about to become a part of her family. While she was in Vancouver running Cafe Primo West into the ground, Cake had been installed in her old apartment over the cafe, and installed in her father's life as something of a surrogate son.
There's a large cast of characters circling Cake, including his goalies who hang out in the cafe. They each have defining ticks: Stuart (Mayko Nguyen) affects a Goth Girl disdain, Joey (Joe Pingue) has an irritating habit of ending almost every sentence with "almost," and Short Bus (Jeremy Wright) has an endearing case of... what's the opposite of agoraphobia? It's not exactly claustrophobia, but he rarely enters the cafe, preferring to hang out in the alley. Cake, however, is helping him make progress.
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Article comments
1 - Jen
I'm full of estrogen, NOT testosterone, and I like this show. I think it's light, full of comedy, and, of course, I love Cake. It's funny, and enjoyable. I love hockey, but it's not even about that...it's Cake's character and personality that draw me back... :)
Keep it up, I love watching!
2 - Joan Hunt
Congratulations! This article has been selected for placement on Advance.net
3 - Melissa Yee
The show is great. I can't wait for the 2nd season. BTW...Cake is hot!
4 - Jay McGinty
Eh, well...my son and I are stuck in California for the moment (born here, grew up here and still trying to figure out how to move to Canada) and since we're both goaltenders we don't know any better than to say this is the best show ever. Yeah, we've watched the same 8 episodes over and over and there's no change planned for this new obsession. We simply love it, and identify with absolutely all of it. Sad, but true. Help!
5 - Diane Kristine
Help is on its way - help feeding the obsession, that is, not stopping it - since a second season is coming.