New Showtime series ‘Huff’ an intriguing character study

Physician, heal thyself.

That’s the essence of “Huff,” a new, 13-episode drama debuting at 10 p.m. Sunday on Showtime.

Multiple Emmy winner Hank Azaria (“The Simpsons,” “Friends”) plays Dr. Craig “Huff” Huffstodt, a successful psychiatrist who finds himself adrift after a tragedy involving a patient. He begins to question his roles as doctor, husband, father, son and brother.

It doesn’t help Huff that, after a day of serving as a dumping ground for other people’s problems, he goes home to familial stress. His supportive wife, Beth (played by Paget Brewster), and his controlling mother, Izzy (Blythe Danner), who lives in the couple’s guesthouse, don’t get along. Then there’s his mature teen son Byrd (Anton Yelchin), who is suffering from growing pains.

The scene-stealer in “Huff” is Oliver Platt as womanizing, substance-abusing Russell, Huff’s best friend and lawyer. He’s Huff’s id, a reminder of simpler times.

With so many needy people around him, where can a conflicted Huff go for some serenity? Surprisingly, it’s to the institution where his schizophrenic brother Teddy (Andy Comeau) lives.

Such a series would never survive on the networks, where imitation is the sincerest form of, well, lust for ratings and the attention-span challenged are the target audience. It’s not as flashy as other, more acclaimed series on the premium channels, where profanity and sex are too often substituted for substance.

“Huff” is simply a character study, a peek into the mind of one man. It’s an interesting place to visit, and Showtime hopes that viewers will want to live there.

Dale McGarrigle can be reached at 990-8028 and dmcgarrigle@bangordailynews.net. 36