The Rehearsal series two: Nathan Fielder's docu-comedy is 'laugh-out-loud funny'
Television's 'great illusionist' has turned his attention to commercial airline safety

The first season of Canadian comedian Nathan Fielder's "The Rehearsal" was "an entrancing experiment", said Esther Zuckerman in The New York Times. Released in 2022, the satirical docu-comedy had a simple but "absurd" premise: what if you could rehearse for events in your everyday life, from having a conversation with a friend to raising a child?
For the second series, he has turned his attention to commercial airline safety: having researched the subject extensively, he has concluded that most air disasters occur owing to failures of communication between subservient seconds-in-command and their captains. His solution is to get pilots to "open up, through his rehearsal methods involving professional actors". But, as ever with Fielder, nothing is straightforward.
This time, Fielder is "deadly serious", said Dan Einav in the Financial Times. His findings "are no laughing matter" and his motives seem sincere; but the aviation industry isn't much interested in the advice of a deadpan comedian. So, over six episodes, he goes to bizarre lengths to prove his point, building a full-scale replica of an airport terminal, setting up "a pilot-judged singing contest", and re-enacting the entire life of aviation hero Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The series is a dazzling, head-spinning, "laugh-out-loud funny" tour de force by television's "great illusionist", said Chris Bennion in The Daily Telegraph. If it is hard to describe, that is partly because, in Fielder's surreal world, "everything is real and nothing is real".
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
August 3 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include a human data center, Donald Trump's enterprising spirit, and more
-
5 darkly funny cartoons about Israel blocking aid to Gaza
Cartoons Artists take on forcing famine, avoiding aid, and more
-
The easy elegance of Cap Ferret
The Week Recommends 'Elemental and otherworldly' destination is loved for its natural beauty
-
The easy elegance of Cap Ferret
The Week Recommends 'Elemental and otherworldly' destination is loved for its natural beauty
-
Ozzy Osbourne obituary: heavy metal wildman and lovable reality TV dad
In the Spotlight For Osbourne, metal was 'not the music of hell but rather the music of Earth, not a fantasy but a survival guide'
-
Spring greens and chickpea curry recipe
The Week Recommends This mouthwatering curry is quick to throw together
-
Gazer: 'paranoid noir chiller' is a gripping watch
The Week Recommends Ryan J. Sloan's debut film is haunted with 'skin-crawling unease'
-
William Kentridge: The Pull of Gravity – a 'bold' exhibition
The Week Recommends The South African artist brings his distinctive works to Yorkshire Sculpture Park
-
Sarah Dunant shares her favourite books
The Week Recommends The British novelist picks works by Sergeanne Golon, Jill Burke and Natalie Zemon
-
Inter Alia: Rosamund Pike is 'electric' in gut-wrenching legal drama
The Week Recommends Australian playwright Suzie Miller is back with a follow up to her critically-acclaimed hit play Prima Facie
-
Unforgivable: harrowing drama about abuse and rehabilitation
The Week Recommends 'Catastrophic impact' of abuse is explored in 'thought-provoking' series