PILOT REVIEW: Perfect Couples

PERFECT COUPLES

Starring: Kyle Bornheimer, Christine Woods, David Walton, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Hayes MacArthur, Olivia Munn

Created by Jon Pollack and Scott Silveri
Written by Jon Pollack and Scott Silveri, Directed by Andy Ackerman

NBC's newest single camera sitcom to nestle into its Thursday night lineup is Perfect Couples. Recently, NBC's Thursday lineup has been known for critically acclaimed and/or cult favorite shows. But Couples is not likely to be either one of them. It's a shrill and unfunny show. Centered on three different couples - the normal Dave and Julia (Kyle Bornheimer and Christine Woods), the uptight "experts" Rex and Leigh (Hayes MacArthur and Olivia Munn), and the passionate and intense Vance and Amy (David Walton and Mary Elizabeth Ellis). The pilot was a bit of a mess, but it focused on a game night that went awry and an ensuing fight between Vance and Amy.

The show was off to a rough start with an unfunny cold open that seemed to mimic the openings fellow new sitcom Better With You has been using. Though this wasn't nearly as funny with the exception of the dog scene with Dave and Julia, which was mildly amusing. In fact, Bornheimer as Dave is the only character who shows any real potential as he delivered a few funny lines with what he was given. The rest of the cast doesn't even seem real - they seem to just be there to deliver lines that set up unfunny jokes. MacArthur's Rex might be the worst of them all as he is trying too hard to act. Walton's Vance is annoying, Ellis' Amy is over the top, and Munn and Woods as Leigh and Julia are barely even noticeable. Lines like "you Sesacrested me" and gags like Vance and Amy not being able to keep their hands off each other on game night elicited more groans from me than laughs.

There are many more terribly unfunny moments that it's hard to list them all - the "exit music" scene, Amy breaking into song when she accuses Vance of never letting her audition for American Idol. It tries too hard and it fails at that. It's hard to believe something this unfunny and poorly written/acted made it to the air because I can't see the appeal to even the most casual or dumb viewer. NBC's Thursday comedies are not for everyone, but this one is not for anyone.