Working with two completely different creative teams – the kind of formal gambit the 78-year-old Martin favoured in his own career – Neville has produced distinct pieces. “Then” flows through Martin’s Californian childhood and creative growth as a stand-up comic,a lengthy process that suddenly took off in the mid-1970s when he sold out stadiums. It’s archival based with Martin heard in interviews,whereas “Now” follows him on camera through his bountiful current state as a happy collaborator with everyone from his family to comic foil Martin Short.
There’s a touch of deification – Jerry Seinfeld describes Martin as “the most idolised comic ever” – but for the most part,Steve! is focused on its subject’s struggles and learning arc. The scope is staggering. Martin’s stand-up career is the field’s most influential,yet he retired from it in 1980. One of the pleasures is how timeless the humour is – the concepts still hit,allied with Martin’s physical expressiveness.
A few moments are seen in both episodes,but with different perspectives,and the through lines become increasingly clear. His father was distant and often antagonistic – “I don’t remember affection,” notes Martin’s older sister,Melinda – but that’s not merely a stumbling block for Martin,it’s something he came to understand and work on in his own life. Hugely successful but deeply lonely,Martin rewired his outlook,just as he’d done with stand-up. The Now episode celebrates a family life,including as a belated father,that feels deeply satisfactory.
Now also looks back over Martin’s film career,although it’s the bombs he dwells on,but the most joyous professional element isMartin riffing with hisOnly Murders in the Building co-star Short,with whom he’s been performing live these past few years. The two ride bikes and try lines on each other in a kind of giddy shared Indian summer;it’s sweet,but their sense of humour never sags. It’s rare that contentment provides the perfect finale for a life story,butSteve! successfully funnels a vast creative life down to a compelling personal portrait.
Obituary ★★★½
BritBox
A black comedy about an obituary writer juicing her workload by selectively bumping off deserving locals,this Irish series has some obvious but welcome references.