conchords are about to take flight on hbo

The Flight of the Conchords are migrating stateside in a big way. They are by no means "new," except to me, who is woefully behind the times in discovering them. They profess themselves to be "New Zealand's fourth most popular digi-folk paradists."

I am right on time, though, to jump on the bandwagon for the duo's new show on HBO, set to debut on Sunday, June 17. You can watch the first episode now, in its entirety, right here. The setup sounds like it could be similar to the Sarah Silverman show, except with an all-access pass to unadulterated profanity, sex and the like. It's premium cable, kids!

Here's how HBO describes the series ...

The series revolves around a pair of transplanted New Zealanders, Jemaine and Bret, who are now living in NYC within a one-block "comfort zone" in the East Village. Bunking up in an apartment decorated with the finest furniture and artwork a garage sale can yield, the two break into song at a moment's notice to let us know how the often-mundane experiences of city life make them feel. Among the friends and acquaintances they cross paths with are Murray (Rhys Darby), who works at the New Zealand consulate (not a stressful job) and is their none-too-astute music manager; Mel, a female fan obsessed with the Conchords (especially Bret); and several characters portrayed by real-life members of the NYC comedy scene, including Arj Barker, Todd Barry, Eugene Mirman (who plays their landlord), Demetri Martin and Eliza Coupe.

By the way ...
* You can download some free video podcasts of the guys on iTunes, including the first HBO episode.
* The guys also will appear on The Late Show with David Letterman on June 11.