Skip to main content

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.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

EPISODE GUIDES: Rhoda Season Five

On Thursdays, I go through classic series with a critical look at each season. Today I am looking at Season Five (the final season) of  Rhoda ! RHODA: SEASON FIVE 1978 13 episodes Rhoda' s final season was a truncated one as the show was cancelled in December 1978 after only 13 episodes had been produced (and only nine had aired). This feels like a continuation from season four in many ways except with the ill-advised split between Ida and Martin (more on that below). While  Rhoda  has an occasional good moment and even a couple decent episodes, it is a show that seems so wildly different from season one and not in a good way.  Rhoda  could never figure out what it fully wanted to be and only made it four and a half seasons as a result. Starring Valerie Harper as Rhoda Morgenstern  (13 episodes) Julie Kavner as Brenda Morgenstern  (13 episodes) Ray Buktenica as Benny Goodwin  (11 episodes) Kenneth McMillan as Jack Doyle  (9 episodes) Nancy Wa...
Post a Comment
Read more

SCHEDULES OF THE PAST: 1995-1996 Thursdays

On Tuesdays, I take a look at schedules from yesteryear. Here's a look at Thursdays in the 1995-96 season! ABC 8:00 8:30 9:00 10:00 Sep Charlie Grace The Monroes Various Programs Oct Murder One Nov Various Programs Dec Various Programs Thursday Night Movie Jan Feb World’s Funniest Videos Before They Were Stars! Mar Apr May NBC was the powerhouse on Thursday nights but ABC still gave it the old college try in the Fall of 1995 with a trio of new dramas that they hoped would help them cut into the Peacock's dominance. Headlining their night was Murder One , a high profile new show from Steven Bochco that received much of the network's attention before the season started. The series focused on one murder case for an entire season, whi...
Post a Comment
Read more

DECADE IN REVIEW: The Best Comedies of the 2010s

During the month of December, I will be looking back at the decade that was the 2010s on TV. I will be sharing my favorite sitcoms, dramas, the best episodes, the best performances and the worst shows of the decade. To be eligible for this list, a show had to air the majority of its episodes in the 2010s. However, for the rankings and determination, all episodes were taken into account, including ones that may have aired before 2010. I will also preface that there are comedies that have aired this decade that I haven't watched yet so this is the best of what I have watched. To be fair, that preface is more true for dramas. There's not a ton of unwatched comedies sitting in my Netflix or Amazon watchlist. So here are my Top 10 comedies of the 2010s! Close Calls:  Master of None (Netflix) - An inconsistent but occasionally fascinating commentary on many life issues done so with innovative storytelling. The Good Place (NBC) - A show that aims high with a fascinating premis...
Post a Comment
Read more