Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness review: JVN spins gold out of this unremarkable TV premise

3.5/5

Story:

After changing people’s lives on Queer Eye, makeover extraordinaire Jonathan Van Ness uses their skills to tackle yet another enlightening venture. Based on their podcast of the same name, Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness follows the style expert as they explore a plethora of different subjects that spark their interest, taking viewers along with them on the learning journey.

Review:

Television shows that seek to inform viewers about something, usually hosted by a celebrity that deals with a subject close to their heart, are a dime a dozen in the golden age of television we are in. So for such a show to really make its mark, it needs to have a fresh spin, or a host, charismatic enough that one is willing to sit through the whole show just to see them on screen. Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness seems to have a bit of the best of both worlds for viewers in this case.

The series, based on Jonathan’s podcast of the same name, sees the Queer Eye star set off on a learning journey to explore subjects that are close to their heart and answer the many questions he has along the way. And like JVN themselves, the range of topics are not the ones one can conform to a single box. Entomology, gender identity, the historical significance of hair, snacks (you read it right), skyscrapers and figure skating figure are there in the exciting assortment that JVN has selected for viewers. In each episode of the seven-episodic series, the star delves deep into each subject, talking to experts and revealing their own personal experiences.

Anyone who has watched Queer Eye would know what a charming personality JVN has, their bubbly and larger-than-life personality is infectious. That they certainly do not tone it down one bit in the series, and you can’t help but smile when they bring their unapologetic selves along, no matter who they are talking to. Viewers also get to know them a little better through the show, as they explain the very personal aspects in their life, which drove them to explore the topics discussed on the show, the reasons ranging from emotionally deep and visceral to light-hearted curiosity.

Some of the topics explored are more personal than others to JVN, and it really reflects in the way they talk about them on the show and how far they go to explore them. In particular, the episodes relating to hair and self-expression as well as gender identity offer some very profound messages, and viewers gain some valuable insight about these important topics that are rarely explored in mainstream media. The series also does a splendid job of making sure that important voices, especially those from minority communities, are heard when addressing the topics along with opinions from experts on the topics. Jonathan makes sure that proper experts are on hand even when dealing with some of the topics that may seem niches, such as skyscrapers and figure skating for instance.

Even though it doesn’t start out that way, some of the seemingly ‘shallow’ topics yield some thought-provoking and politically significant conclusions. For instance, one episode starts with talking about whether insects are ‘gorgeous’ or ‘gross’ ends up asking some pertinent questions regarding climate change and how food solutions that are less resource-intensive can help tackle the issue.

The series also has some surprises in store for viewers in form of some well-known guests.

Verdict:

The series is pleasantly surprising as it offers a fresh take on a done-to-death premise, exploring some important topics in the process and giving viewers a closer look into things that Jonathan cares about. It offers some important takeaways in each episode that are presented in an engrossing way, thanks to its host.

Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness is available to stream on Netflix.