PILOT REVIEW: Work It

WORK IT

Starring: Ben Koldyke, Amaury Nolasco, Rochelle Aytes, John Caparulo, Kirstin Eggers, Beth Lacke, Rebecca Mader, Kate Reinders, Hannah Sullivan

Created by Andrew Reich and Ted Cohen
Written by Andrew Reich and Ted Cohen, Directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller

Work Out is a new sitcom from ABC that focuses on two out-of-work guys (Ben Koldyke and Amaury Nolasco) who are lamenting the "mancession." After the unemployment check runs out, they resort to the extremity of dressing as women to successfully land jobs. Surrounding the cast is their family and friends who don't know the truth, yet.

THE GOOD: Yikes... well this is something different. I guess the only good thing is that there's very little that people need to be up in arms about as far as content. While it's exceedingly stupid, it's not offensive or controversial. How could anyone really be offended by something that's just too silly for 2012 television? Other than that though, I don't have much good to say about Work It. Maybe it would even be better if it was controversial.

THE BAD: Well I Hate My Teenage Daughter's approximate one month run as the worst new show of the 2011-2012 TV season has ended. I didn't expect to like this show and then I liked it less than I thought I would. Let's skip over the obvious criticism of the outlandish premise because, I mean, it has worked before (Mrs. Doubtfire is one of my all time favorite movies). But this show doesn't work because the writing and performances are so week. There's too many tired jokes and contrived moments (the "you and me both" line said in sync, the fake set-ups giving the background of the characters. It's all poor. And the performances are worse. Mrs. Doubtfire worked because Robin Williams was believable as an elderly English nanny but neither Koldyke or Nolasco do it well or funny. Any man could cross dress and act like a woman as well as they can. If this show was going to work, it would need a dynamite performance and this is anywhere close to that. John Caparulo and Koldyke's daughter on the show are particular weak links in a weak ensemble.

BOTTOM LINE: Work It is not going to work out. The stupidity was to be expected but some thought it might be in a fun way - try again. It's just a generic weak sitcom with a stupid twist.