User Reviews

I have seen an episode of "Big!", by some great serendipity, and it is quite possibly one of the best pieces of television I have ever witnessed. The "reality" heading should not dissuade you---it is absolutely a cut above.

In fact, it's not a reality series so much as a documentary series about a group of master craftspeople in welding and metal construction who have come together to utilize their talents to build very large objects, many of them extra-sized replicas of everyday things.

I use the term "craftspeople" so as not to leave out master welder Lisa Legohn, who is clearly the show's shining jewel. There are other great components---the smiley, pint-sized jack-of-all-trades nick-named "Gadget", the very L.A.-personalitied foreman, and the sheer fun of creating really big stuff---but the series is worth watching for her alone.

The episode that I have seen involves the planning and construction of the world's largest barbecue grill, specifically to garner a world record, but I don't see why one would need a reason. To cap off the episode, many bag-fulls of charcoal were lit to grill large quantities of meat (a fire suit was procured to protect the chef, a role taken on by Gadget), including a 280-lb hot dog.

It was not made clear whether record was also achieved for the world's largest hot dog. I suspect, no. The human, nee American, incentive is no doubt much more highly aspiring.

This series is a lot like the motorcycle show in that a project is executed from start to finish within each episode. But the relationships are quite different. Rather than the comedy coming from the homosocial interaction of (admittedly) hysterical characters, the comedy is less self-aware, lending it a further documentary tone. Because the comedy of motorcycle show is built on relationships, the characters are more compelling. The spice of the cast of "Big!" is more independently pronounced, and not necessarily suffering for it. The projects themselves also, in contrast, have greater variety.

While the theme of this series touches on the extravagancy that is plaguing American culture, the subject is handled with enough flavor and kitsch that it is palatable, and even endearing. There is an element of science that makes the series educational enough to be carried by Discovery, and a comradely among the team that makes you feel good. In an otherwise posh television world of sexy law firms, hospitals, and exotic locales, the blue collar setting and cast of "Big!" are refreshing and Americarific.

"Big!" may indeed become my favorite television series of all time. Move over, "Moonlighting"!