Oh dear. I've tried with this show, I really have. For some reason, I keep going back to it and giving it one more shot, but every time I end up disappointed. Surely, at some point, we're going to get a proper laugh out of this, right? I'd settle for a snigger. Or even a brief "Hah!" moment. But nothing.
The premise seems sound enough: Streetwise but poor kid working two jobs meets silver spooner who's had all her wealth stripped thanks to her daddy getting caught for embezzlement. Cue the interest as these two girls, poles apart, develop their friendship through a variety of classic sitcom-style outlandish situations, with some laughs along the way. How hard can it be to make a mess of that?
Apparently, not very hard at all. And I'm sure Max would come back with some largely unfunny joke based on the inevitable double-entendre.
Thing is, as much as I'd like to enjoy the show, it just misses every single time. Max, who is supposed to be streetwise, is merely rude. Then there's Caroline, who looks desperately like someone who wants an inroad to the show, but is perpetually denied. Between them, they rattle through their dialogue at the speed of sound, with a delivery as wooden as Sherwood Forest and a vocal pitch which my dog finds deeply disturbing.
And to add even more to the quagmire, we have some lovely racial stereotypes: a token Black guy, a Ukranian man (played by an American), an Asian man (played by an American, but at least is of Asian origin) and a Polish woman (played by an American). Most of the "jokes" seem to revolve around either poking fun at these characters, or the characters themselves indulging in a bit of poking fun at themselves. And when they're done doing that, it's on to the innuendo and blatant sex references. Wow, it's like being back in the Seventies!
But wait, there's more: Because the script is so weak and obviously being read from a teleprompter (and thus removing any need to act), it's not funny. So to crank up the fun factor, everybody shouts. And just to make sure we never miss a "gag", there's masses of canned laughter piped indelicately over the top.
There's room for a recurring plot here, with the cupcake business. But all they ever do is talk about it. Why don't we see where they're going with it, aside from the cash display before the end credits? And where's the character development? Oh, wait, that's not going to happen with such one dimensional characters.
Oh, and one last thing: Jennifer Coolidge. Aside from the hugely annoying "whoop" she gets when she appears - no, wait, I'm not parking that one. Why? Why does she get that? Because she was Stifler's Mom? Or am I missing something? She's not Fonzie, she's a bit part. Pack it in! Anyway, aside from that, can someone please explain where her Polish accent is from? I've heard plenty of Poles talking (we have a fair number live in my area) and none of them sound like she does.
And a final last thing - promise! - how has this show got a rating of 7? Almost every review rates it lower than I have!
I can't understand how a show as engaging, warm and genuinely funny as "My Name Is Earl" can get canned so easily, while dross like this is allowed to carry on unabated. I miss that show, because I want to know what happens next. But this one? Well, we don't worry about that, because nothing is happening at all.
EDIT: Having read a few more reviews, it seemed I'd been trying with the wrong end of the show. So I found an online source with the first season and started watching. And they were right, it's much better! I enjoyed the character progression in the first few episodes and now feel like I've got a better understanding of the characters, especially the two girls. Watching Max's initially wobbly relationship with Caroline and the way she bonds with Chestnut shows off a softer, more emotional side, that you just don't see in the later seasons.
The writing is a bit tighter and there's a few laughs to be had. Not many, but a few. And yes, there's still way too many sex jokes. But there is something there that's at least worth 20 minutes of your time and for that I have increased the score to 3 stars. Just don't get too invested beyond the first season.
The premise seems sound enough: Streetwise but poor kid working two jobs meets silver spooner who's had all her wealth stripped thanks to her daddy getting caught for embezzlement. Cue the interest as these two girls, poles apart, develop their friendship through a variety of classic sitcom-style outlandish situations, with some laughs along the way. How hard can it be to make a mess of that?
Apparently, not very hard at all. And I'm sure Max would come back with some largely unfunny joke based on the inevitable double-entendre.
Thing is, as much as I'd like to enjoy the show, it just misses every single time. Max, who is supposed to be streetwise, is merely rude. Then there's Caroline, who looks desperately like someone who wants an inroad to the show, but is perpetually denied. Between them, they rattle through their dialogue at the speed of sound, with a delivery as wooden as Sherwood Forest and a vocal pitch which my dog finds deeply disturbing.
And to add even more to the quagmire, we have some lovely racial stereotypes: a token Black guy, a Ukranian man (played by an American), an Asian man (played by an American, but at least is of Asian origin) and a Polish woman (played by an American). Most of the "jokes" seem to revolve around either poking fun at these characters, or the characters themselves indulging in a bit of poking fun at themselves. And when they're done doing that, it's on to the innuendo and blatant sex references. Wow, it's like being back in the Seventies!
But wait, there's more: Because the script is so weak and obviously being read from a teleprompter (and thus removing any need to act), it's not funny. So to crank up the fun factor, everybody shouts. And just to make sure we never miss a "gag", there's masses of canned laughter piped indelicately over the top.
There's room for a recurring plot here, with the cupcake business. But all they ever do is talk about it. Why don't we see where they're going with it, aside from the cash display before the end credits? And where's the character development? Oh, wait, that's not going to happen with such one dimensional characters.
Oh, and one last thing: Jennifer Coolidge. Aside from the hugely annoying "whoop" she gets when she appears - no, wait, I'm not parking that one. Why? Why does she get that? Because she was Stifler's Mom? Or am I missing something? She's not Fonzie, she's a bit part. Pack it in! Anyway, aside from that, can someone please explain where her Polish accent is from? I've heard plenty of Poles talking (we have a fair number live in my area) and none of them sound like she does.
And a final last thing - promise! - how has this show got a rating of 7? Almost every review rates it lower than I have!
I can't understand how a show as engaging, warm and genuinely funny as "My Name Is Earl" can get canned so easily, while dross like this is allowed to carry on unabated. I miss that show, because I want to know what happens next. But this one? Well, we don't worry about that, because nothing is happening at all.
EDIT: Having read a few more reviews, it seemed I'd been trying with the wrong end of the show. So I found an online source with the first season and started watching. And they were right, it's much better! I enjoyed the character progression in the first few episodes and now feel like I've got a better understanding of the characters, especially the two girls. Watching Max's initially wobbly relationship with Caroline and the way she bonds with Chestnut shows off a softer, more emotional side, that you just don't see in the later seasons.
The writing is a bit tighter and there's a few laughs to be had. Not many, but a few. And yes, there's still way too many sex jokes. But there is something there that's at least worth 20 minutes of your time and for that I have increased the score to 3 stars. Just don't get too invested beyond the first season.