Most people seem to know Molly Parker from Deadwood, but to us she’ll always be the stripping drummer in that movie Paul Auster disowned. In this late nineties TV series set in a dinky Toronto apartment, she’s the hapless girlfriend of Curtis, a cereal-munching talk show addict shut-in played by Don McKellar, who also co-wrote the show. Twitch City undermines the wholesome Friends sitcom formula with a serious slacker attitude; the first episode revolves around who has to go out and buy the cat food. Curtis is refreshingly selfish and cynical, and much of the plot rests on the increasingly absurd parade of roommates who pass through, including a bunch of neo-Nazis, a sprawling Portuguese family, and a gang of criminals storing psychedelic cookies. In the midst of the satirical hip, there are flashes of real sweetness between Parker and McKellar. Like the Rex Reilly show Curtis tapes and rewatches compulsively, Twitch City is wicked addictive. All 13 episodes are out on DVD.

Twitch City. Bruce McDonald, ****

• Twitch City at Wikipedia
• Onion AV Club Review
• Top Ten Candian Films