James Gunn and Spike.com have brought us a show which I’m really not sure was necessary, PG Porn. Here’s the idea: it’s all that porn goodness you crave without the hassle of actually showing any sex. Seriously…

…So what we get is the great acting, the groovy music, the complex character development and stories that porn is known for. There’s just none of that nonsense with people getting all hot and sticky.

Did I already mention that I wasn’t sure if this was necessary?

All irony aside – and believe me, James Gunn is going to be better at the irony of the show than a reviewer like me could ever be – PG Porn is an appealing and fun show so far, despite the fact that it’s really not that clever.  Here’s the first episode:

The tip-of-the-hat to classic porn production values is excellent. If you’re gonna goof on a genre, you’d better master the look-and-feel. This is something PG Porn does right up to the coup de grâce punchline of this first episode. And it’s at that point, the punch-line, where we finally get a glimpse past the “let’s all giggle at the awkwardness of a true-to-life main-stream star playing at porn with an honest-to-god porn starlet” and finally see what the Gunn brothers have in store for us with this series. In this particular one it’s a black humor, heavy-handedly foreshadowed in the episode’s name “Nailing Your Wife“.

It’s fascinating watching Nathan Fillion (Dr. Horrible’s Cpt. Hammer) play the arch-typical porn actor opposite Aria Giovanni. Their kiss is actually arousing, as are the following few seconds before the punchline. It’s silly and sexy all in one and perhaps it’s that kind of mix that James Gunn was shooting for in this show.

Let’s be hones with each other, this is an idea that you and your buddies (or brothers) would probably find hysterical when sitting around, shooting the shit and having a few brews. It’s not an idea destined for deeply intelligent or entertaining video. If you were expecting something transcendentally funny, you’re at the wrong address (go check out the Groundlings instead). Get off your high horse and enjoy a little well-made silliness, for god’s sake.

I’m curious to see if all the episodes pan out to such macabre punchlines, something that would get old pretty fast or if he’s got other tricks up his sleeves. But until, then…

the Bottom Line:

4 out of 5 stars for this clever satire of the classic porn genre for delivering a surprisingly funny, if predictable, punchline.