FX has established an excellent reputation in edgy, original cable entertainment. Now the network is introducing three new series and I've seen the first three episodes of each. Right now I'd say only one of them is an immediate keeper.
Surprisingly it's not Over There. The military drama set primarily in contemporary Iraq is already on the air and debuts its second episode tonight. The pilot was confusing and cliched but the second and third episodes do show some promising growth.
Yet so far I can't shake the feeling that much of the show's appeal stems entirely from its setting and genre. Probably because the narratives of this Steven Bochco production are so conventional. And, as with most military dramas, the show is so ensemble-driven that no characters manage to truly break out of the large cast (and without breakout characters it feels a little less at home in the world of FX).
Over There is worth checking out if for no other reason than it's far more interesting than most of network television, but its military melodrama is a little too familiar for the show to immediately be declared great. That's a disappointment, especially considering the topical subject matter it's dealing with. (However, nothing about the show is quite as bad as its truly horrendous theme song which was composed and performed by the show's co-creator, and primary driving force, Chris Gerolmo.)
But Over There is a homerun compared to Starved, one of two new comedies the network will premiere tomorrow night. One of the most singularly unappealing shows I've seen in a long time, Starved is the brainchild of Eric Schaeffer.
Schaeffer's baffling Hollywood career has included six films that he's directed written and one previous television show he created. None of them achieved any significant critical or commercial success, yet he always manages to reappear with something else.
I think he's really outdone himself with Starved, a Seinfeld-esque comedy with a high concept: all of the friends have an eating disorder. The show tries to deal with America's seemingly contradictory obsessions with food and body image in a humorous way but the result is dark, dark stuff. And when it's not dark (depressingly dark) it's usually gross. If you find vomiting, colonics and genital shaving hilarious then you'll love Starved! (No doubt some people do, and will.)
The only true bright spot of the show is Laura Benanti, a Tony nominee and frequent stage actress who has a beguiling comic delivery. The two other major players, Sterling K. Brown as a bulimic police officer and Del Pentecost as a novelist and compulsive eater, are both alright but can't quite transcend the awfulness of the material.
Starved is paired with the awkwardly titled It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia and this one is the best of FX's three new shows. Sunny, like Starved, is clearly inspired by Seinfeld with its three guys and a girl ensemble. But Sunny also adopts Seinfeld's show-about-nothing approach and mixes in a little of Curb Your Enthusiasm's freewheeling comedic vibe. Most importantly, it's funny.
The show's unknown cast also serves as its primary creative team, all three guys are executive producers. The only exception is the only girl, Kaitlin Olson (who Curb fans may recognize as Cheryl's younger sister). They all do a good job at creating distinctive characters, most of whom are selfish and self-absorbed in the great Seinfeld/Curb tradition.
If there's a drawback so far to Sunny it's the show's relentless commitment to building episodes around "edgy" subject matter (probably to please the network). The first two episodes are titled "The Gang Gets Racist" and "Charlie Wants an Abortion" and the third deals with underage drinking. The show can also veer towards the shrill when the gang inevitably begins to argue about the current week's debacle.
But even with its flaws Sunny has the makings of a great sitcom: it creates an instantly inviting and accessible comedic environment. With enough care and intelligence it could develop into something special.
1 comment:
Yeah I saw your post about Into the Blue and it does look pretty awful. But I wonder, if there were random scenes of Paul Walker and Jessica Alba puking in the water would it have been better or worse?
By the way, if you want it I have a promotional calendar for that movie with lots of pictures of the cast in bathing suits. You could hang it in your new apartment and remember the movie whenever you want!
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