YOUNG & HUNGRY & Safe

Article first published as YOUNG & HUNGRY Review on Seat42F.

I don’t tend to watch the comedies (or many dramas) on ABC Family because they are full of stock characters and ‘classic,’ meaning tired, sitcom notions. I am slightly tempted by the new YOUNG & HUNGRY, though, because of the charm of the cast. It’s a light, frothy series that’s almost a remake of The Nanny, but with some great supporting players and a premise that will give it legs for at least a couple of seasons, even if the acting is a little over-the-top and the dialogue, at times, groan-inducing.

Emily Osment (Hannah Montana) stars as Gabi Diamond, a professional chef who is broke and having trouble finding work, much to the dismay of her roommate, Sofia (Aimee Carrero, Level Up). Then, Gabi interviews for a position as the personal cook of rich techie Josh Kaminski (Jonathan Sadowski, $#*! My Dad Says). It’s a dream job, and Gabi might just be on the road to comfort, until she screws it up by coming between Josh and his girlfriend, Caroline (Malory Jansen, Baby Daddy). Now, Gabi must stay in an uncomfortable position or risk not having the money she needs to buy groceries and pay rent.

Gabi herself is not a great character. Exhibiting the heightened emotional reactions Osment likely picked up from a certain former co-star, her character makes bad choices and isn’t good at dealing with awkward situations. But it’s her “aw, shucks” attitude and blatant innocence that keep her from being absolutely ridiculous. And her education and talents pull her away from the dumb blonde stereotype that would ruin her completely, Osment pulling off making Gabi seem competent, at least in the kitchen.

More enticing, though, are Rex Lee (Entourage, Suburgatory) and Kym Whitley (Rango, We Bought a Zoo) as Elliot and Yolanda, Josh’s other staff. Elliot is a yes-man butt-kisser who takes an immediate dislike to Gabi, mostly because she stands in the way of him hiring a gorgeous winner of Top Chef. Yolanda is sassy and smart in a very attractive style. They are my favorite parts of this pilot.

Elliot and Yolanda are nothing new, stock characters of the type I mentioned with distaste in the first sentence of this review. The thing is, though, Lee and Whitley are terrific entertainers. They know just how to deliver a line or milk a scene to make it land with humor and authenticity. Even if they never rise above predictability and superficial personalities, they are still enjoyable to watch, far more interesting than Josh or Gabi.

Now, the set up will grow stale after a season or two, with the tension between Josh and Gabi begging for some sort of balancing out sooner rather than later. Gabi can’t stay hungry, as the title indicates, for long. But that’s a problem for down the road, and I’m sure the writers will find a less-than-clever way to solve it, a la Melissa and Joey getting together.

YOUNG & HUNGRY will fit in well on ABC Family. It’s not too emotionally deep and it’s pretty tame in scope and material. There may just a tad too much sex to really call it ‘family’ fare, but most of its peers contain the same, and what sexuality is exhibited is highly sanitized for the modern era. It chooses easy laughs over growth and development, and establishes a sensibility that one would find on the broadcast networks in the 1990s.

What this means it that YOUNG & HUNGRY won’t be any serious TV viewer’s favorite show. However, like a candy bar, it can be delicious in the moment, even if it does you no favors in the long-term. It’s a good mix of nuts and sweetness, a bit soft in the center, but still tasty, even if it’s not gourmet. This puts it several notches better than its peers like Baby Daddy and Melissa & Joey, and miles above its weekly pairing, Mystery Girls.

YOUNG & HUNGRY premieres Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC Family.

Animal Practice doesn't make perfect

Grade: 69%

ANIMAL PRACTICE, a new NBC sitcom, is airing a special preview of its “Pilot” tonight after the Olympics. Set in a huge veterinary hospital, Dr. George Coleman (Justin Kirk, Weeds) runs the show in his unprofessional style, gambling while helping patients, assisted by Dr. Rizzo (Crystal the Monkey, The Hangover Part II, Night at the Museum, Community). Then his ex-girlfriend, Dorothy Rutledge (JoAnna Garcia Swisher, Better With You), takes over, and as they say, there’s going to be some changes around here.

It’s smart of NBC to air their new shows following a popular sporting event that lots of people tune into, considering that not a lot of viewers generally watch NBC shows. However, this only works for series that are smart and funny, like Go On. In the case of ANIMAL PRACTICE, it will probably be counter productive, confirming the negative opinions about the network, and not earning any extra eyeballs come September.

On paper, ANIMAL PRACTICE should be good. Kirk is brilliant in Weeds, Garcia Swisher is charming and funny, and they have decent enough chemistry. The animals, especially acting pro Crystal, lend an air of whimsy, and actually contribute positively, not just being used for gags, or wasted as set dressing. There is also a terrific ensemble, which includes Tyler Labine (Reaper), Bobby Lee (MADtv), and Kym Whitley (Sparks). Plus, the setting is unique and quirky enough for viewers to expect something original and neat, a la Better Off Ted.

Unfortunately, ANIMAL PRACTICE does not live up to the sum of its parts. The main problem, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, has to be Kirk. Or more accurately, Kirk in the part of Coleman. He just isn’t right for the role. I’m not asserting that Kirk can’t handle being the center of a series, as I don’t believe that to be the case at all. He just doesn’t feel right in this one, even though he should, given his past work. The entire half hour, I wished that Labine would switch places, and then there might be something here. But alas, no.

Coleman is supposed to not play well with humans, preferring the company of animals, but I think that part of the issue is that Kirk does display empathy to other people. He can’t help it. His character is allowed to show that just a bit, even as we’re hit over the head with the knowledge that he’s actually the opposite of this. This can shift, given time, but at the moment, nothing really adds up, and that’s unacceptable because he is the show’s lead.

The second change that should be made is to immediately fire Betsy Sodaro’s Angela. She is a weird person, which again, should be a good fit for this type of humor. But she’s too weird. Her presence is disturbing, and every time she’s in a scene, it distracts from what’s going on, in a bad way. She’s part of a new sitcom trend, like Jennifer Irwin’s Creepy Carol in Breaking In, that should never have been started. Again, the actress is probably fine, though I’m not familiar with her previous work. But unlike Kirk’s Coleman, she isn’t necessary, and I don’t see any way that she could become an acceptable part. Best just to ditch her now.

Now, there is room for ANIMAL PRACTICE to grow. Just because Kirk isn't connecting with the rest of the cast and his surroundings now, doesn't mean he won't eventually. He's a smart guy and a talented actor; he can probably figure it out, and I'm willing to wait around and give him that chance. After all, there are some good jokes, and there are enough positive ingredients to hold my attraction. So my recommendation isn't to avoid the show, but don't hold high expectations for it at the start, either.

ANIMAL PRACTICE previews tonight, and then officially premieres Wednesday, September 26th on NBC.