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Less Than Perfect

  • TV Series
  • 2002–20062002–2006
  • TV-PGTV-PG
  • 30m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
3.4K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,117
876
Episode guide
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Eric Roberts, Andy Dick, Andrea Parker, Sara Rue, Sherri Shepherd, and Zachary Levi in Less Than Perfect (2002)
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Play trailer0:21
1 Video
99+ Photos
  • Comedy
Huge egos. Backbiting assistants. Screaming deadlines. Claudia "Claude" Casey has moved up in the secretarial world of television news, from permanent floater to the anchor's desk. It's a sh... Read allHuge egos. Backbiting assistants. Screaming deadlines. Claudia "Claude" Casey has moved up in the secretarial world of television news, from permanent floater to the anchor's desk. It's a short elevator ride from the depths of the mailroom to the executive summit, but still the i... Read allHuge egos. Backbiting assistants. Screaming deadlines. Claudia "Claude" Casey has moved up in the secretarial world of television news, from permanent floater to the anchor's desk. It's a short elevator ride from the depths of the mailroom to the executive summit, but still the ice queen assistants give her a chilly reception. Now, can this perky former temp's warmth ... Read all
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
3.4K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,117
876
  • Creator
    • Terri Minsky
  • Stars
    • Sara Rue
    • Zachary Levi
    • Andrea Parker
Top credits
  • Creator
    • Terri Minsky
  • Stars
    • Sara Rue
    • Zachary Levi
    • Andrea Parker
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 37User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 2 nominations

    Episodes81

    Browse episodes
    TopTop-rated

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 0:21
    Trailer

    Photos475

    Sara Rue in Less Than Perfect (2002)
    Sara Rue in Less Than Perfect (2002)
    Andrea Parker in Less Than Perfect (2002)
    Andrea Parker in Less Than Perfect (2002)
    Andy Dick in Less Than Perfect (2002)
    Andy Dick, Sara Rue, and Sherri Shepherd in Less Than Perfect (2002)
    Andy Dick and Zachary Levi in Less Than Perfect (2002)
    Michael Boatman and Sara Rue in Less Than Perfect (2002)
    Eric Roberts and Andrea Parker in Less Than Perfect (2002)
    Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg in Less Than Perfect (2002)
    Andrea Parker and Zachary Levi in Less Than Perfect (2002)
    Richard Ruccolo and Sara Rue in Less Than Perfect (2002)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Sara Rue
    Sara Rue
    • Claude Caseyas Claude Casey
    81 episodes81 eps • 2002–2006
    Zachary Levi
    Zachary Levi
    • Kipp Steadmanas Kipp Steadman
    81 episodes81 eps • 2002–2006
    Andrea Parker
    Andrea Parker
    • Lydia Westonas Lydia Weston
    81 episodes81 eps • 2002–2006
    Andy Dick
    Andy Dick
    • Owen Kronskyas Owen Kronsky
    81 episodes81 eps • 2002–2006
    Sherri Shepherd
    Sherri Shepherd
    • Ramona Plattas Ramona Platt
    80 episodes80 eps • 2002–2006
    Eric Roberts
    Eric Roberts
    • Will Butleras Will Butler
    65 episodes65 eps • 2002–2005
    Will Sasso
    Will Sasso
    • Carl Monarias Carl Monari
    61 episodes61 eps • 2003–2006
    Patrick Warburton
    Patrick Warburton
    • Jeb Dentonas Jeb Denton
    49 episodes49 eps • 2003–2006
    Josh Braaten
    Josh Braaten
    • Charlieas Charlie…
    8 episodes8 eps • 2002–2005
    Jim Marshall
    • Workeras Worker…
    5 episodes5 eps • 2003–2006
    William Ragsdale
    William Ragsdale
    • Mitch Calgroveas Mitch Calgrove
    4 episodes4 eps • 2004
    Christopher Mauldin
    • Mail Guyas Mail Guy…
    4 episodes4 eps • 2003–2005
    Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg
    Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg
    • Danias Dani
    3 episodes3 eps • 2003
    George Wyner
    George Wyner
    • Alan Turnbachas Alan Turnbach
    3 episodes3 eps • 2003–2006
    John Eric Bentley
    John Eric Bentley
    • Directoras Director…
    3 episodes3 eps • 2002–2006
    French Stewart
    French Stewart
    • Gene Schmidtlineas Gene Schmidtline
    3 episodes3 eps • 2003–2005
    Andrew Hunter Sherman
    • Wyattas Wyatt
    3 episodes3 eps • 2004–2006
    Diana Maria Riva
    Diana Maria Riva
    • Vivianas Vivian
    3 episodes3 eps • 2004–2005
    • Creator
      • Terri Minsky
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Sara Rue and Patrick Warburton starred together here years before Rue joined the cast of Rules of Engagement, another well-received sitcom.
    • Connections
      Referenced in Late Night with Conan O'Brien: Andy Dick/Clyde Peeling/Wheat (2004)

    User reviews37

    Review
    Top review
    Well written and good ensemble, but has increasingly cheated on it's premise
    Network: ABC; Genre: sitcom/office comedy; Content Rating: TV-PG (adult content); Classification: contemporary (star range: 1 – 4);

    Season Reviewed: series (2+ seasons)

    From it's great ensemble to it's sparkling witty dialogue to a lush look and office comedy set that actually looks like it plans to be around for awhile, 'Less Than Perfect' was the best and most promising new sitcom of the limp 2002 TV season. A season that could go down as one of the worst on record without exaggeration. As it moves into it's 2nd and now 3rd seasons it starts to cheat it's original concept and the laughs come fewer and far between, but even so this is still one show that knows how to be a good sitcom.

    From the outset 'Perfect' had something different. Not quite a cookie-cutter series, it has some effort and a real vision put into it. In the beginning we follow Claude Casey (introducing Sara Rue, practically perfect in the role) an average girl who is given the opportunity to advance from her friends on the 4th floor (Andy Dick, in usual vogue mode, and Sherri Shepard) and take a fulltime secretarial position for anchorman Will Butler (perennial lifetime movie villain Eric Roberts) on the prestigious 22nd floor. Claude must contend with the 22nd floor snobs and it's there where we find the best part of this ensemble. Introducing Zachary Levi (who sounds like he graduated from the Ryan Reynolds school of acting) in what should be the show's breakout character, Kipp and Andrea Parker as Lydia. Both are hysterically funny with Levi giving Kipp a complex and intriguing undercurrent and Parker (aside from being about as hot as the surface of the sun) getting to show off an amazing comic talent you'd never know she had from 'The Pretender'. It's in the moments where Kipp and Lydia are dispensing some great 1-liners (the show can really write them) and riffing on each other and everyone around them, that 'Less than Perfect' succeeds at being the kind of bombastic ensemble comedy that hasn't been prevalent since 'Newsradio'.

    But the show doesn't have the focus or confidence to keep it up and later starts overcompensating by throwing new characters on top of the already sizeable ensemble. Carl (Will Sasso, 'Mad TV') sticks out like an obnoxious hangnail you just wish would go away. Patrick Warburton, the hardest working guy on TV (Dave's World, Seinfeld, Newsradio, Family Guy, The Tick), is always funny, but his presence only reminds me of how many times he was brought on board to liven up a show in it's dying years. With the additions, 'Perfect' strains to juggle all the characters and real talents like Levi, Parker and Dick get jutted to the side of the stage. Now they either only show up to make a wise-crack or the episode will give everybody a little story made up of a scene or two and none of it comes to any sort of head at the end.

    In the shuffle, the edges of the best characters have all been ground down. Zipp and Lydia in particular are now reduced to miserable, pathetic beggars, while Claude and her friends are elevated to enviable status, often needed to help them out their snobby brethren. The show has concocted a phony backward world in this regard trumpeting the lives of it's leads and make fun of Lydia's materialism as if it wasn't already trampled ground. Its previous sharp class warfare comedy has gone out the door for more familiar sitcom fair.

    But worst has been what the show has done to Claude. I just don't believe the character anymore. When the show began creator Terri Minsky was quoted saying that 'Less than Perfect' would be like the anti-'Friends'. That it would be (paraphrasing here) about regular, working class people, where Claude is like a female 'Drew Carey' (my description) because, as she asked: Does anyone actually believe the situations that Jennifer Aniston gets into each week. Well, it's high time somebody said it. Problem is, a Rachael Green character is exactly what Claude has become. Now, everybody loves Claude (and not in the ironic vein of 'Everybody Loves Raymond') and her character has lost all touch with the ground. Then again, what can you expect from the creator of 'Lizzie McGuire', another show so star-enamored it tries desperately to make it's attractive lead seem "average" to the viewers, all the while putting her in one unbelievable situation after another.

    Sara Rue is probably too cute for the role, but the show could just as easily ignore that or play up Claude's funny-loser qualities. But instead Claude now wears high-class designer outfits and ends up juggling men mid-way through the first season – one of them being that year's 'Bachelor' who gives Claude a rose to win her over in a bit of shameless ABC cross-promotion. I am Jack's raging bile duct. 'Perfect' is as close to proof as it comes that we are never going to have a "funny female loser" character on TV. No matter how average or put-upon the show sets her up, everyone will fall in love with her in the end. It must be tough.

    But even with these reservations, the acting and writing on this show is better than good. And it's funny. That along with my hope that it can even itself out, makes it worth a recommendation. If only the show had the guts to stick with its original concept it could have really been something to write home about.

    * * ½
    helpful•9
    7
    • liquidcelluloid-1
    • Jun 3, 2004

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 1, 2002 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Далека від досконалості
    • Filming locations
      • CBS Studio Center - 4024 Radford Avenue, Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Touchstone Television
      • Wass/Stein Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      30 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.78 : 1(original ratio)

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