This show had been out for quite some time before a Kiwi friend of mine introduced me to it. Again, it might be because i live in SE Asia that I had never heard of it but it is my understanding that, despite the fact it was produced by HBO, many people have never seen it or even heard of it.
Maybe that person is you... and you should do something about that.
The story is about Jermaine and Brett, two farmers from New Zealand who move to New York City to try their luck at making it big in the music industry, and the extreme difficulties that such a venture entails.
Jermaine and Brett are actually just playing fictionalized versions of themselves as they actually did struggle to make it in the entertainment world.
There are several other recurring characters in the show but most people's favorite is Murray Hewitt. Murray plays the Flight of the Conchords agent / manager and also happens to work a very unfulfilling job at the New Zealand Embassy. In one episode Murray quits his job to be a full-time manager of the band only to fail after 3 weeks or so. Tail between his legs he plans to go back to his office and beg for his job back at the Embassy... only to discover that nobody noticed he hadn't been there and there was only one missed call.
Murray tries his best but all of the gigs he books fall flat for one reason or another in a very comedic fashion.
Every episode features at least one musical number that in most occasions is great for a laugh such as when Jermaine hallucinates that he is married to some girl he met at a party.
Then he actually scores a date or two with her but she doesn't want to be with him and this tragically funny song happens
The thing is, these two are actually quite a successful comedy act that just happen to be very good musicians who referred to themselves as "New Zealand's fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo."
Despite the fact that I constantly am looking for new comedy, I had never seen any of their comedy gigs either. I guess I live in a bubble.
I hope you enjoy them. I know I am glad I discovered this show.