PILOT REVIEW: Bent

BENT

Starring: Amanda Peet, David Walton, Margo Harshman, Joey King, and Jeffrey Tambor

Created by Tad Quill
Written by Tad Quill, Directed by Craig Zisk

Bent is a new romantic sitcom that is focused on the tried and true "will they or won't they" concept. In this show, it centers on an uptight divorcee lawyer Alex (Amanda Peet) who hires a womanizer and recovering gambler Pete (David Walton) as a contractor for her kitchen. Also in the cast is Alex's flirtatious sister (Margo Harshman) and daughter Charlie (Joey King) as well as Pete's father (Jeffrey Tambor).

THE GOOD: There is genuine chemistry between Peet and Walton in this show. Too many sitcoms try to force it but it happened naturally between these two and that is a combination of good writing and natural chemistry. The writing is fast and witty, it reminds me of Mad About You in many ways because both lead actors have good comic timing and a repartee with each other. The show has many funny zingers and the contrast between the two leads, though cliche, works thanks to the actors playing those types quite well.

THE BAD: The problem, which Mad About You sometimes had too, was that the quick and witty pace of the show does not always work with other characters as well as it does with the two leads. Margo Harshman is more annoying than funny as the flirty sister and Jeffrey Tambor seems miscast as he doesn't add much to the show. It falls flat in scenes where Peet and Walton are not interacting with each other. There were also little gaffes like a beer bottle that had lots of foam and then no foam depending on the camera shot. I don't always notice things like that so it had to be a pretty obvious one.

BOTTOM LINE: It's a shame this show debuted dead on arrival in the ratings for NBC because I think it has real potential. The natural chemistry between the two leads is palatable and though the supporting cast isn't strong, the writing seems to be there and those supporting characters could improve over time. Unfortunately it will most likely not have time to try that. I'm not sure why NBC dumped this in March while debuting garbage like Free Agents and Whitney in the fall. Oh well.