48 replies to this topic

[KalEl]

I saw the posters for this and even a commercial but it honestly tells you nothing about the show. When I finally read a review it was hardly complimentary tallying up the cliches (uptight divorced lawyer with cute 10-year-old daughter, easy going bed-hopping scruffy contractor he hires, his wacky crew, his wacky dad, her slutty sister, her uptight WASPy boyfriend...), but upon finally seeing it, it was smarter, faster and funnier than either NBC or the review gave it credit for. I guess having low expectations helped, but I enjoyed it.

Unfortunately it won't be for long as NBC is burning off all the episodes in pretty much a few days. Poor Amanda Peet. Nothing really works for her.

[Rinaldo]

So far (I've seen only the pilot) I enjoy it too. Alan Sepinwall thinks it's working better than a lot of new shows too, for whatever that may be worth. I've hitherto been immune to the charms/talents of Amanda Peet, but she's rather enjoyable here -- maybe partly because both she and the scruffy contractor are written as self-aware enough to be impatient with themselves for being so predictable, just as any of us might be.

The crew and the daughter seem likable and well played too. But the guy's father seems like more than we need in the mix and there's nothing original or amusing about him (including the all-too-obvious choice of Jeffrey Tambor for the part). That doesn't really hurt the show much, though, and I imagine I'm in while the 6 episodes last. (As Sepinwall astutely points out, why not watch a romcom like this if you enjoy it, with no fretting about a possible short life? It's not like any mysteries will be left unsolved, and the laughs and banter will still work.)

[Numb Nut]

I just watched the first two eps. Cute show, but I won't be coming back for more. I enjoy Peet (despite her sameness from role to role) but the show relies on the appeal of the contractor and I don't like him at all; I definitely don't see him as "hot," so all the banter around his alleged hotness seems ludicrous to me. I don't find him charming or funny, and I can imagine the process of having to cast lesser-looking dudes around him to make him more appealing. The actress playing the daughter seems to be the new Dakota Fanning; she's everywhere.

[SanDiego]

i must be in the minority because I enjoyed it. Since you don't see too much of Amanda Peet (or at least I don't in my little world of television addiction), she was a good choice for the role. Honestly, the only two characters I didn't like were her sister?/BFF?, and Pete's dad. Oh, and the boyfriend. None of them add anything to the show. LOVE LOVE LOVE the daughter, and her chemistry with Pete. The scene on the roof was very charming.
I want that house! I kept asking myself, why in the world would you do even one thing to the kitchen other than maybe get rid of the tile countertops.
MORE JESSE PLEMONS, please!! He seemed to be just standing around, waiting for a line.
I'll be back for the other four episodes, but unfortunately don't hold out hope it will continue past that. Such is the curse of liking a show.

[biakbiak]

Jesse Plemons is looking more and more like Matt Damon. Though it was a little disconcerting having him on a show with characters named Riggins!

There are only six episodes, so I will watch the next two weeks.

[Seshat23]

I meant to give this a try after reading some favorable comments from some critics last week, but it completely slipped my mind. I'll have to catch up online. From the previews and teasers, the lead characters seem to have pretty good chemistry.

[Rickster]

I liked this quite a bit too. I liked the pilot more than the second episode - I thought the dialogue was a bit snappier in the pilot, probably because they spent more time working on it. Too soon to give it a solid thumbs up, but I hope this gets a shot to come back in the fall.

Edited by Rickster, Mar 22, 2012 @ 1:04 PM.

[Bruinsfan]

During the pilot I found myself thinking "OK, Lawyer Lady, you're upset because you don't approve of your unmarried contractor's sex life (or, apparently, the fact that he has one that you're not a part of), and summarily fire him because of it? Better pray you're the only lawyer he knows or has ever heard of."

[aliconehead]

Jesse Plemons is looking more and more like Matt Damon. Though it was a little disconcerting having him on a show with characters named Riggins!

I thought the same thing, both about him looking like Matt Damon and the Riggins thing. I loved FNL and am looking forward to some more Landry

[CGRealms]

Count me in as one who was pleasantly surprised by this one. Breezy tone, fun performances. Not a show I have to expend a lot of mental energy for. Normally I don't like Amanda Peet much, but she's good as the straightman here. A little surprised that Ramona from the Selena Gomez movie is a tween now.

[Cyrax]

Just as I assumed after the Friends With Benefits fiasco, this was a total pointless series pickup by NBC. Just lifeless and dull, plus that dude was the worst part of Perfect Couples too. Shouldn't hope that the other 6-episode sitcom Best Friends Forever is any better...

[goodlucinda]

I was totally charmed by the first episode (all I've watched so far). I suppose theree might be a superfluous character or two, but it was fun and funny, well-acted, and with nice eye candy.

Oddly, I found myself comparing it favorably to a couple of sitcoms I've loved for a while and now find overstuffed. The Quirk Per Second ratio on a couple of ABC soaps is wearing thin . . .

[TheRabbi]

I really enjoyed this. Lots of quirky charming characters. Not a lot of belly-laughs, but a high frequency of chuckles, which is good.

Favorite moments were both in the second episode, with the guy trying to win over the young girl by describing cutting the heart of a fetal pig. And the conversation between the main character, his ex, and a random girl. "Hi this is my ex, he gambled away my engagement ring." "To be fair, I had no intention of marrying her." Classic.

[Rickster]

Wow, this was the lowest rated NBC comedy premiere ever, at a 1.0 for the first one and a 0.9 for the second. They really should have done a better job promoting it. I'll admit I probably wouldn't have tuned in except I heard Amanda Peete was in it.

I guess it'll be more like a 90 minute RomCom than a series, 'cause it ain't coming back.

[SmithW6079]

During the pilot I found myself thinking "OK, Lawyer Lady, you're upset because you don't approve of your unmarried contractor's sex life (or, apparently, the fact that he has one that you're not a part of), and summarily fire him because of it? Better pray you're the only lawyer he knows or has ever heard of."

I thought it was because he had sex with her nanny that she had fired him, not that he had sex with some random skank.

I watched the two episodes and it just seemed so forced. Contractor guy (can't remember the actor's name, but I did like him in "100 Questions") is all-wise and all-wonderful, connecting with the kid, offering fatherly advice. Really, there's no doubt of the end-game.

I also liked the contracting crew, especially the black guy who's a gossip, and the ginger Matt Damon. He could be a really funny character, based on some of his throw-away lines (plus his stealing the acting job from the Jeffrey Tambor character, whom I've always disliked).

So are criminal financiers the "in" thing on TV this season -- Caroline Channing's father on "2 Broke Girls," Amanda's "dead" husband on "GCB," and now the father on this show?

[jbreckenridge]

The guy playing the smarmy douchebag obstacle boyfriend was also the smarmy douchebag obstacle husband on "Joey" and the smarmy douchebag obstacle boyfriend on "Good Morning, Miami." I wouldn't expect "Bent" to last longer than either of those.

[Jilly Copper]

I wish I enjoyed this as much as many of you, but the whole time I was watching, all I could think of was this cutaway from Family Guy:


Business Woman

[Bruinsfan]

I thought it was because he had sex with her nanny that she had fired him, not that he had sex with some random skank.

So far as I'm aware, the nanny is a consenting adult whose sex life is also none of her employer's business. I take a dim view (and I think Southern California courts just might back me up on this) of people who think they get to issue ultimatums about the personal lives of their employees as if the latter are Medieval serfs beholden to the nobles whose land they work. If the nanny and bucktoothed contractor had been sexing each other up in the boss' home when she was paying them to do their jobs, it would have been a different matter.

[Rinaldo]

The guy playing the smarmy douchebag obstacle boyfriend

...known in other eras as the Ralph Bellamy role, later the Bill Pullman role.

That said, my impression is that this obstacle guy is refreshingly not being portrayed as a smarmy douchebag. He seems a reasonably nice guy, whose occasional irritated reactions to Contractor Guy are usually more-than-justified. No doubt the mythology of the show as it develops will be that he's somehow "not as interesting" as the new guy, but so far he seems like the better long-term bet to me.

[AnnaRose]

That said, my impression is that this obstacle guy is refreshingly not being portrayed as a smarmy douchebag. He seems a reasonably nice guy, whose occasional irritated reactions to Contractor Guy are usually more-than-justified.

Yeah, I didn't find him smarmy at all, and liked him better than the smug, surfer-dude who isn't nearly as attractive as his character seems to think he is.

I loved Amanda Peet in this and the actress who plays her daughter. Too bad it probably won't get a chance to stick around.

I also liked the contracting crew, especially the black guy who's a gossip

He has some promise, but he was mumbling his lines too much at the beginning which was really frustrating. Jesse Plemmons was mumbling quite a bit too. Enunciate people. Lines aren't funny if your audience can't understand what you're saying.

[Seshat23]

They really should have done a better job promoting it.

Yes. With the lack of promotion and the brutal scheduling, NBC didn't give it much of a chance. It's too bad because I enjoyed the first two episodes. There were some funny scenes even if there weren't a lot of laugh out loud moments (though I did laugh at the fetal pig story and when Pete flooded his motorcycle again).

[LurkerNoMore]

I kept asking myself, why in the world would you do even one thing to the kitchen other than maybe get rid of the tile countertops.

This! The kitchen was absolutely fine. They must have a set designer with a background from HGTV who believes in nothing less than a totally new, designer kitchen.

Like the black guy. "Who is smitten?". "Oh, that is just me trying out a white-people word."

I totally agree that Pete is not as hot as they are telling us that he is, but I can see how women would fall for someone who is good with his hands and who is somewhat confidently charming.

Not only did NBC not promote this (for promotion, see Smash), but the title is ridiculous. I get it after having seen the show, but it doesn't tell people anything about the show.

[Rickster]

I forgot about the ridiculous kitchen remodel premise. The first thing I noticed was the extremely expensive professional stove and I was wondering why they would want to replace that, and where was the sub-zero refrigerator.

[KalEl]

That said, my impression is that this obstacle guy is refreshingly not being portrayed as a smarmy douchebag. He seems a reasonably nice guy, whose occasional irritated reactions to Contractor Guy are usually more-than-justified. No doubt the mythology of the show as it develops will be that he's somehow "not as interesting" as the new guy, but so far he seems like the better long-term bet to me.

Exactly! That's the difference between a good show and a bad one. This show is filled with cliches to be sure, but it's in how they are executed that matters. He could have been a one-note stiff to regularly lose to the lead, but he's smart and gives as good as he gets. My favorite line was "Hit the showers, meat." Bull Durham reference for the win!

[Guido]

I might be imagining things, but wasn't this already the plot of a sitcom from a few years back? Divorced mom hires a contractor to do some work and he ends up not leaving?

[corgi-ears]

Maybe you're thinking of Murphy Brown, Guido.

[Rickster]

Another couple of funny episodes. I agree it's all in the execution. I do think Jeffrey Tambor seems to be parachuted in from a different show and doesn't fit in well.

This is probably my second favorite new comedy this season, next to New Girl, and might even be better if it were given the time to develop. I just have to scratch my head at what NBC is doing here. I don't get it.

[Guido]

Maybe you're thinking of Murphy Brown, Guido.

No, not MB. I swear I remember a very similar plot to a show, but perhaps I'm just imagining it.

[Beloved Aunt]

No, not MB. I swear I remember a very similar plot to a show, but perhaps I'm just imagining it.

Are you thinking of "It Had To Be You" with Faye Dunaway and the late, great Robert Urich?

I'm enjoying the show as a short-commitment, British-style, six episode series. I don't know if I'd watch it regularly if it was 22 episodes a season. I find the lead more smarmy than charismatic. I actually like his crew more than him. Admittedly, I'm not thinking of them as Back Fat, Clem and Vlad. I'm thinking of them more as Landry from Friday Night Lights, Leon from Curb Your Enthusiasm and the Russian guy from Deadwood.

Is Screwsie the sister's real name? It's got to be a nickname -- right?

Edited by Beloved Aunt, Mar 29, 2012 @ 12:59 PM.

[brothertonbanks]

Leon from Curb Your Enthusiasm and the Russian guy from Deadwood.

That's where I've seen the electrician before. I remembered Blazunov the telegraph operator's voice, but he looks so different here. IMO, the show's okay. I'm watching for Amanda Peet. The daughter has a lot of potential. Matt Letscher I remember most recently from Eli Stone, but he's been in a lot of shows.