PILOT REVIEW: Are You There, Chelsea?

ARE YOU THERE, CHELSEA?

Starring: Laura Prepon, Lenny Clarke, Lauren Lapkus, Jake McDorman, Mark Povinelli, Ali Wong

Based on the Book by Chelsea Handler
Written by Julie Larson and Dottie Zicklin, Directed by Gail Mancuso

Are You There, Chelsea? is a bawdy new NBC sitcom based on Chelsea Handler's book Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea. In the show, Laura Prepon plays party girl Chelsea while Handler actual plays her uptight sister, Sloan. The rest of the cast is Chelsea's circle of friends and co-workers as well as her father (Lenny Clarke).

THE GOOD: There's a few moments here that make me think there could be some chemistry within the cast. They seem to be having a good time with each other and the friendships seem less put upon that they do in other pilots. Some of the stronger performances come from Lauren Lapkus as Chelsea's virginal rooommate (her knock-knock joke was the single best moment) and Handler as Chelsea's sister. Handler has such good, sarcastic delivery that she seems perfectly suited for a sitcom. So basically the pieces are there, but the show still faces an uphill climb towards being a quality sitcom.

THE BAD: This show seems to want to push the envelope but it's stuck in a very standard style. If it's going to go down the risque road, it needs to be more like 2 Broke Girls. If it's going to go down the twentysomethings hanging out road, it needs to be more like Friends. Right now, it seems awkwardly stuck in-between. The delivery isn't bad but it didn't work all the time - too many cliche jokes, the vodka jokes didn't work, etc. Also a pet peeve of mine in modern sitcoms, particularly multi-camera ones, is the quick flashbacks and this show is another one that uses the overdone and usually unfunny style.

BOTTOM LINE: NBC needs broader sitcoms than its niche Thursday shows and this show is honestly a step in the right direction towards that end. But it's not a step in the right direction for quality. It's pretty generic standard stuff. If the cast can gel, it has some potential because there were some connections in the pilot. And with NBC's state of affairs, they might be willing to be patient to see if that happens.