ENJOYing BRODY STEVENS

Article first published as ENJOYing BRODY STEVENS on TheTVKing.

Comedy Central recently launched its first 'drama' series, Brody Stevens: Enjoy It! In the first two half-hours, "Brody Stevens, Who Are You?" and "Breakdown!," presented together this week, we meet Steven Brody Stevens, a comedian who used to do warmup for Chelsea Lately and has appeared in The Hangover films. Suffering from mental problems, Brody backed away from the spotlight for awhile and stayed in an institution, but is now back on his meds and ready to make his comeback.

Brody Stevens: Enjoy It! seems to be an unscripted reality series following the show's lead, though surely there is some structure to the episodes. It's hard to tell how much is real, with Brody, Chelsea Handler, Zach Galifianakis, and others playing themselves, seemingly not doing anything so unrealistic that this appears faked or staged. This may just be mostly authentic.

This program is actually based off an HBO short-form project, which explains why it seems more high brow than CC's other fare. The interviews and conversations are mixed pleasingly with amusing animation to really get inside Brody's head in a creative way. The whole thing doesn't quite feel like anything else I've seen before, lending it a bit of originality that is much appreciated.

Brody himself is an oddball, but in a good way. He definitely has had some anger issues in the past, given the stories and explanations he spills early in the run, but he appears to be stable and considerate now. He is working through his stuff with the help of a therapist, and is on a mission to rebuild bridges, such as the one with Chelsea, whose show he quit.

Brody is also bluntly honest. As he embarks on a date with a woman in episode two, he over shares way too much about himself, scaring her away. However, it's this earnestness and the need to not hide anything that makes him endearing, too, knowing what you see is what you get. He doesn't always portray himself in a positive light, when lends him credibility. Any person willing to be this open and honest on a television show (and when discussing sex with their mother) is probably pretty up front about their feelings.

This series is quite compelling. Everyone likes a good comeback story, and Brody has one. He also seems like the type of person who deserves it. His career is clearly not huge, as most people will not have heard of him, but he's been involved in projects with high profiles, showing he has talent and famous friends who respect his skills. If Zach Galifianakis likes him, why not us at home, too?

As a rule, I generally avoid reality shows at all costs. But if Brody Stevens wants to pour his heart and soul out for us on screen, and he seems like someone who is a good person with his head on straight, who am I to criticize? Especially when he's such a fascinating individual. I think I'll keep watching.

Brody Stevens: Enjoy It! airs Sundays at midnight on Comedy Central.

Whitney Has Her "Cake, Cake, Cake" and Eats It, Too

Article first published as Whitney Has Her "Cake, Cake, Cake" and Eats It, Too on TheTVKing.

NBC's Whitney surprised many when it got picked up for a sixteen episode second season last spring. Now, sitting on the bubble again, hopefully it will defy the odds once more and get a third year's order. It has worked on correcting the initial flaws hard enough to deserve it.

I really like Whitney. At the end of season one, I was of the opinion that only the stuff between Whitney (Whitney Cummings) and her boyfriend, Alex (Chris D'Elia), worked, while their friends should go. With a bit of retooling, though, I've ended up liking the other three that were kept from the first season. Newcomer RJ (Tone Bell) has yet to establish himself as a valuable member of the ensemble, but that can be worked on, or he could be replaced, too. The series has found its groove, with a good balance between the comedy and emotion, and I think it has the legs to run awhile longer, at least four or five seasons, anyway.

In the season finale, "Cake, Cake, Cake," Roxanne (Rhea Seehorn) gets jealous when Mark (Dan O'Brien), who has been pursuing her for awhile, begins dating another girl. Mark is frustrated with waiting, and assumes Roxanne isn't ever going to come around. But after seeing her reaction, he ditches the date and kisses Roxanne.

As Whitney and Alex move to "fixed" status, which I'll get to in a minute, Whitney still needs the messed up characters. Roxanne and Mark can serve that purpose nicely. The problem in season one is that Roxanne and Mark seemed too stable. Now that they have been shown to be amusingly and majorly flawed, too, they fit in the show. I look forward to the possibility of seeing them work on a relationship, and the foibles that will come with such a plot, should the series get renewed.

Lily (Zoe Lister Jones) doesn't have a lot to do in "Cake, Cake, Cake," but instead gets her story in the penultimate episode, "Alex, Meet Lily," which also aired this week. She used to appear to have things together, but as she acknowledges why her relationships don't work, and vows to work on herself, she also, like her co-stars, steps into a role that will be interesting moving forward.

Now that these three have solidified their places in the larger scheme, Whitney becomes a true ensemble.

At the same time, Whitney realizes that Alex has fixed her. Despite her screwed up childhood, a long-term bond with Alex has left her happy and relatively well-adjusted. Yes, it's fun to see Whitney freak out and show off her damage. But it's also great for her to finally see that these things are in her past, and while everyone has problems, hers aren't so bad right now. If the show ends here, at least Whitney has managed to come around and achieve her happy ending.

Lest you think they are now destined to become a boring couple, Alex starts to crack owing to his parents split. Just as Whitney is healed, Alex needs help himself. It's an intriguing swap, and it also not only opens the door for other developments in the future, but makes them feel like a fully formed, two-sided couple, which is a wonderful step forward for the show.

Should the series get a third season, and I definitely hope they do, there is another plot I'd like to see pursued besides those already mentioned, and that is the story of Whitney's therapist, Dr. Price (Chelsea Handler). This is a woman that eats a cake with her hands in the park in "Cake, Cake, Cake," reveals that she sees Whitney as her best friend, and is cool with being in Whitney's life after treatment has stopped. Dr. Price is extremely damaged, and while Handler probably doesn't have time for a full-time sitcom role, a recurring place for her would lend nicely to the already established direction.

Whitney is done for the year, and now awaits news on whether it will return to NBC or not. If the answer is not, might I suggest TBS as an alternative home? It has worked for Cougar Town.

New January sitcoms bomb one and all

    January brings the return of midseason favorite and cable series. But it also heralds a batch of "second tries" by the networks to replace falls shows that just didn't work out. All three major networks, NBC, CBS, and ABC have launched new sitcoms recently, including one last night. All three sitcoms should soon be gone, with any luck, because these are not examples of what good comedy television is.


     First out of the gate was ABC's Work It. Lee (Benjamin Koldyke, How I Met Your Mother, Big Love) and Angel (Amaury Nolasco, Prison Break, Chase) have been out of work for awhile. Lee, in a desperate move, dresses as a girl and gets a position as a pharmaceutical rep, and Angel rides his coat tails. Rebecca Mader (Lost) does a great bitch, but that doesn't mean she brings much to the table. This series does earn a few laughs, but only because it is so incredibly bad. It's the sitcom version of SyFy made-for-TV movies. That's not the way a show wants to be laughed at, because it is certainly not laughing with. But it's a cheesy pile of gristle that still (barely) manages to entertain. Which means I may continue to watch it until it gets canceled, which should happen soon enough. But a classic, it is not. And if it doesn't get canceled soon, the joke of how truly horrific it is will wear thin, and it will definitely go off my TiVo.

     Next comes along NBC's Are You There, Chelsea?, the worst of the bunch. Based on Chelsea Handler's book, Are You There, Vodka, It's Me, Chelsea?, but of course with a shortened title, the first episode fails to amuse even slightly. Handler herself plays the religious, uptight, older, pregnant sister of the titular character, and it doesn't work at all. Laura Prepon (That '70s Show, October Road) tries valiantly with playing a version of Handler, but even Prepon's considerable talents cannot rise the material above drivel. Greek's Jake McDorman adds little as the bartender who couldn't have sex with Chelsea because they both like to be on top, though Lenny Clarke (Rescue Me) is not bad as her father. Lauren Lapkus and Ali Wong (breaking_in) have it worst as Chelsea's friends. An annoying, intrusive laugh track doesn't help. Skip this one entirely.

     Finally, CBS's Rob is the one with the least amount of promise, yet, perhaps by sticking to a traditional sitcom feel, it is the best of the new class. Which is not to say that it's great, by any means. Rob (Rob Schneider, Deuce Bigalow) marries Maggie (Claudia Bassols, C.L.A. No somos angeles), a girl that is way too hot for him, after six weeks of dating. Then he is introduced to her loud, obnoxious, Mexican family. Uncle Hector (Eugenio Derbez, La familia P. Luche) is the worst character, being a mooching recent immigrant. But Cheech Marin, as Maggie's father Fernando, is not at all what one expect from the character or the actor, which is a redeeming quality for the show. The cast also boasts Diana Maria Riva (The Good Guys, The West Wing) and Lupe Ontiveros (As Good As It Gets, Los Americans) among the cast. Despite some ridiculous situations involving Rob acting too much like an idiot, if the series tones down the main character, there may be something there. Unfortunately, it's something many a sitcom has already found before it.

     All in all, not an impressive batch. But then again, neither were the fall premieres. Maybe next year will be better. Until then, enjoy the tried and true wealth of funny series already running.

     Work It airs Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

     Are You There, Chelsea runs on Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

     Rob is Thursdays, 8:30 p.m. ET, on CBS.

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