In the Motherhood, Cupid, Surviving Suburbia
The Poop: I think TV really needs a strong, female-centric comedy. This is not it. The problem is mainly that the show just isn’t funny. The leads are all strong, but they just don’t have anything to work with. There are three plots in the first episode, and I’ve seen all of them done better elsewhere, with nothing new added.
Not only have you seen the stories before, but you’ve heard all the jokes. Did you know it’s hard for single moms to find the time to date? Did you know that kids will go to school and repeat things that they heard at home? Did you know pregnant women get certain societal privileges? Yes? Well, you just saved yourself 22 minutes.
Structurally, it seems like if you’re splitting time between 3 leads, they need to be more demographically different. Instead, we get three stories about women with children, with the only difference being in their ages. So if you don’t find jokes about parenthood hilarious, they’ve got nothing for you here.
And between the spouses, nannies, and children, there are a lot of characters on this show, probably too many for a pilot. I’m still not clear as to which kids belong to who, actually. Did Megan Mullally even have kids at all? I probably could have kept track better had it been interesting or funny. As it is, I’m not going to bother.
The Prognosis: It just isn’t good, and it’s not even as if it’s because it’s dated, which is a problem that crippled too many sitcoms this year. It just isn’t funny. You didn’t miss anything by not watching it.
Cupid
ABC, Cancelled
The Premise: So there’s this guy who may or may not be the actual Cupid, and he (per him) has 
to make 100 perfect matches before he can return to Olympus. It’s actually a remake of the 1998 series of the same name and premise, which was also cancelled during its first season. It just may not be a winning premise, you know?
to make 100 perfect matches before he can return to Olympus. It’s actually a remake of the 1998 series of the same name and premise, which was also cancelled during its first season. It just may not be a winning premise, you know?The Personnel: It’s created by Rob Thomas, currently enjoying sainthood for his work on Veronica Mars. Bobby Cannavale stars as Trevor (Cupid), and while he’s probably better known for other things, we will always know him best as the guy from The Station Agent and Alonzo Torquemada on Oz. Sarah Paulson co-stars as icy therapist Claire, and while she was awesome in Deadwood, she has since appeared in The Spirit and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.
The Poop: You know what’s weird? There was another show this season about mythological gods fixing people up, the short-lived Valentine. Technically, that show was probably a rip-off of the original run of Cupid. Unfortunately, that means I’ve already used up most of what I have to say while talking about Valentine. It appears that TV shows about matchmaking gods just aren’t very good.
In general, I don’t like romantic comedies. At least, those hacky ones where two star-crossed lovers meet cute, and then events (or perhaps a sassy friend) conspire to bring them together, even if neither of them realizes that’s what they really want. These movies are where Hell is born, friends. And Cupid (or Valentine) is that plot repeated over and over every week, until merciful cancellation sets in.
Rob Thomas is a talented guy, and he’s done good work. I love Veronica Mars, and I really want to see more from him. I don’t know why he’s so married to this limited concept, though. It’s awash in cliché, none more boring than Sarah Paulson’s character. Humorless professional woman who doesn’t know how badly she needs to get laid? It’s a boring, insulting, and frankly offensive characterization. (Poor Sarah Paulson. First she ends up serving as the straw man in Aaron Sorkin’s poorly executed rants against Christianity and his ex-girlfriend, then she ends up in the worst movie of 2008, now she’s here. We should take up a collection on her behalf.)
The Prognosis: This show made me die inside. Not just because it’s exactly the kind of plotting I hate, but because there are so many people involved who should be doing better work. Your refusal to watch Cupid (again) freed them. You’re the real heroes here.
Surviving Suburbia
ABC, Friday 8 PM
The Premise: It’s a three-camera sitcom about a suburban family. Put-upon mother, dopey dad, two wiseass kids. So, it’s not so much a “premise”, really.The Personnel: Bob Saget stars, along with Cynthia Stevenson as his wife. You may remember Cynthia from Dead Like Me, or if you are old and didn’t have friends in the late 80’s, you probably remember her from the late-night spoof My Talk Show. Jere Burns of Dear John stars as Bob’s friend, and Dan Cortese, best known for the 1990’s, appears as the new neighbor.
The Poop: Man, this is one generic show. I mean, it stars a stand-up comedian as an incompetent father in the suburbs – that’s pretty much 50% of all sitcoms aired between 1987 and 2003
I can’t even really write a decent review, because it’s just so bland. It’s no different from 100 other shows that you’ve already seen. Sure, the cast is solid, but there’s nothing special here. You’ve heard all these jokes and seen all these plots. Would you believe that a lie has negative consequences? I assume there’s an episode with a misunderstanding, possibly caused when somebody hears part of a sentence and jumps to conclusions.
My reviewing fails me. It’s like reviewing water or pavement or something.
The Prognosis: I barely remember having watched it ten minutes ago, so I don’t think I’ll be riding out the remaining episodes. Sorry, Bob.
