TV Reviews : Colin Quinn in Documentary Spoof

Cable’s MTV continues its spread into comedy at 9 tonight with “Colin Quinn Back to Brooklyn,” an uneven but sometimes brilliant half-hour of satire that spoofs the film “Rattle and Hum,” in which the rock band U2 travels across America in search of its musical roots.

Tonight (and repeating at 11 p.m. Saturday and 7:30 p.m. Sunday) it’s Quinn, a regular on MTV’s “Remote Control,” returning to his hometown of Brooklyn in search of his comedic roots, and in doing so crashing into some unpleasantries of his past. Anne Meara, Jerry Stiller and William Hickey contribute funny cameos.

Ben Stiller directed the mock documentary and shares writing credit with Quinn and Jeff Kahn. On occasion they overreach. Other times the program hits hilarious highs, namely in a running bit with Quinn’s oily agent, a parody of “Raging Bull” with Quinn in the title role, and another parody of the rock band Guns N’ Roses with Quinn as swaying lead singer Axl Rose.

A bold effort. Let’s hear it for “Colin Quinn Back to Brooklyn II.”