USA Not Likely to Be BENCHED For New Sitcom

Article first published as TV Review: 'Benched' - 'Pilot' on Blogcritics.

USA’s newest comedy, premiering this week, is called Benched. A smart lawyer named Nina (Eliza Coupe, Happy Endings, Scrubs) suffers a breakdown after being dumped by her fiance, Trent (Carter MacIntyre, Undercovers, Drop Dead Diva), and being passed over for promotion at her company. Her explosion is spectacular, and leaves her lucky to find employment in the crummy public defender’s office. Here, though, she might just find a sense of purpose amid the downtrodden misfits.

Benched doesn’t have much that one could call fresh and original. The Jerry Maguire-opening and tale of a person who finds deeper meaning than money is nothing new. There are quite a few other shows like it on television, both dramas and comedies, and so it seems like USA is just repeating a common structure. But there’s something charming and breezy about Benched that makes for good entertainment, even if it’s not exactly high quality.

One thing Benched has going for it is the quirky supportive cast. Like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, our lead is surrounded by a number of cartoonish players who give the proceedings a hyper reality. Sheryl (Maria Bamford, Adventure Time) looks to be very near the edge, even as she’s flighty enough to not let much in her day bother her. Oscar Nuñez plays Carlos, a role that, at first glance, seems quite similar to his part in The Office, non-showy, but still funny. Micah (Jolene Purdy, Under the Dome) keeps Nina going, the intern who tells the hard truths. Phil (Jay Harrington, Better Off Ted), a compulsive gambler, serves as a love interest and cautionary tale for Nina. And Trent is still around, often facing Nina in court. Because of these various personalities, I like the show.

Coupe is a great leading lady. She has proven her worth as part of an ensemble, and as much as I enjoy seeing her do that, she can also carry a program as the protagonist on her own. The second fiddle here is Harrington, who has been desperately missed on television, a few years having passed since his last starring role, and together the pair have terrific chemistry. It’s a no-brainer match, one audiences are sure to eat up. I did.

In the first episode, a lot of time is spent establishing the premise. We have to see Nina get to where she’s going to be. Still, it seems like there is time for her to start to find her footing, giving viewers an idea of what Benched will be on a regular basis. Nina spends time in the court room, sparring with Trent, Judge Nelson (Fred Melamed, Silk Stalkings), and a grumpy bailiff (Cedric Yarbrough, Reno 911!). While the case isn’t all that important, just watching the cast interact is good enough, and will probably be the best part of any installment.

Benched is genuinely humorous, well-crafted by creators Michaela Watkins (last see on-screen in Trophy Wife) and Damon Jones (Tammy). Even if they didn’t come up with many ideas of their own (maybe they were instructed not to by the network?), they show great talent in putting the various pieces together to make them work. Not every effort in this vein is nearly as good as Benched is. It takes some people who know what they’re doing to pull it off, and given the small writing resumes of the creators, this is a fine first big effort to be proud off.

Benched is far from perfect, and it has a lot of work to do if it wants to become anyone’s favorite show. Yet, there are some excellent ingredients here, well stirred, so it’s worth checking out. Given how funny those involved can be, it is likely there will be payoff if you start watching and stick with it.

Benched premieres Tuesday at 10:30 p.m. ET on USA.

‘Louie – The Complete Season 3′ DVD Review

Article first published as ‘Louie – The Complete Season 3′ DVD Review on Blogcritics.

FX’s Louie is a very odd show. Written, directed by, and starring Louis C.K., it’s semi-autobiographical, semi-comedic, and semi-dramatic. There is nothing ‘semi-’ about its quality, though.  Perhaps best described as an extended vignettes (occasionally running into multiple episodes), interspersed with Louie C.K. stand-up bits, the show defies easy definition, but it’s always compelling, insightful, and authentic in ways no other TV show comes close.


The third season of Louie was recently released as a three-disc DVD set. The 13 episodes run a gamut in terms of story, but the usually somber, and frequently pathetic, tone is consistent. Louie is a divorced father of two young girls who tries to date and interact with the world while maintaining a career as a stand-up comedian. A few events in this season give him hope that he can finally improve his standing, but as one expects, that never quite happens.

Louie and the Ladies

A major theme in of season three involves Louie’s interactions with females. His daughters, Lilly (Hadley Delany) and Jane (Ursula Parker) are a big part of that, of course, but he also goes on dates with various women, including Liz (Parker Posey), Maria (Maria Bamford), and Laurie (Melissa Leo, who won an Emmy for the role). Louie doesn’t understand the opposite sex, this much is clear, but he really tries. He does understand that women are all different, though, and he tries to give his daughters the freedom to be who they want to be, as long as they also end up as good people. Finding a steady girlfriend could help him provide the girls with a role model, but the task proves difficult. This is dealt with quite heavily in the two-parter, “Daddy’s Girlfriend.”

The Life of a Standup

Another thing Louie ponders is getting his own talk show. In the three-part “Late Show,” Louie interviews to be David Letterman’s possible replacement (this was before Letterman announced he was stepping down and Stephen Colbert was replacing him in real life). Finding out he may just be being used as leverage against the network’s first choice, Jerry Seinfeld (himself), Louie begins to wonder how much he really even wants the job. Should he fight for it, or is he better off staying out of the late night game, as Jay Leno (himself) advises? Louie seeks the counsel of many of his peers, but is still torn.

Does this mean Louie is afraid of success? I don’t think the real Louie is, or he wouldn’t be working so hard to make Louie. He gets complete creative control of the process, and even takes a year off or shortens a season as he sees fit, and the viewers and critics still flock back. But you have to wonder what success means to Louie the character.

Other episodes are stand-alone. Louie has a horrible day in “Something Is Wrong.” He develops an awkward friendship with a lifeguard in “Miami.” He is one of only two people to attend a funeral for a terrible guy in “Barney/Never.” He makes up (again) with Marc Maron (himself) in “Ikea/Piano Lesson.” He freaks out about seeing his estranged father in “Dad.” He confronts the death of a sister (Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation) and travels to China in “New Year’s Eve.” All of these and more are really interesting, thought-provoking installments, and while continuity between them may not always be present, they are great in their own right.

The only complaint I have about Louie – The Complete Season 3 is the same one I’ve had about Fox’s other recent releases: no bonus features. I’m sure Louie could give us some really neat insight into his process if the studio had let him. And also, this season only gets the DVD treatment nearly two years after it finished airing, rather than a timely Blu-ray release, as past seasons have seen. Louie and Louie deserve better.

Louie – The Complete Season 3 is available now.

"A New Start" For ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT (Season 4 Episodes 1-5)

Article first published as "A New Start" For ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT (Season 4 Episodes 1-5) on TheTVKing.

Netflix has resurrected Arrested Development, seven years after its cancellation on FOX, and now, starting today, presents fifteen brand new episodes. For ease of review purposes, I am breaking down my coverage into three articles covering five episodes each.

This new Arrested Development brings back all the beloved characters from the sitcom, but because of scheduling difficulties, each installment focuses on one specific player. Other cast members come in and out often, but there is a single person who gets the most stuff, while others are barely seen at all.

First up is "Flight of the Phoenix" with Michael (Jason Bateman), arguably the central protagonist of the ensemble. When last we leave Michael, he is trying to escape his family, a smart move considering how much they have been dragging him down. But as we see in this premiere, he is not able to stay away, and thus is pulled into self-destruction's embrace even tighter, hitting near rock bottom when forced to move into his son, George Michael's (Michael Cera), dorm room, only to eventually be kicked out.

This is wonderful development for Michael, both in keeping with the personality already established, and because it demonstrates just how much like the rest of the family he is. Michael has striven very hard to set himself apart and seem "normal," but that just isn't how life shakes out for him, and even after George Michael finally grows a bit of a spine and in a roundabout way asks Michael to leave, Michael still doesn't get the hint.

Michael seems better when episode four, "The B. Team," picks up his tale, but it has to be denial, rather than success, driving the change. Intent on becoming a movie producer, working with Ron Howard (the narrator of Arrested Development playing himself here) to put together a picture about the Bluth family, specifically Michael's relationship with George Michael. Hopefully, through this experience, Michael will finally see that he is just as bad a father as his dad is, albeit in different ways, and Ron Howard's interest will serve as a wake-up call to him, leading to understanding and lasting development.

I absolutely adore "The B. Team" because of all of the meta references in it. Besides Howard, we see Brian Grazer (himself), and their offices at Imagine Entertainment. Whether or not the picture gets made, which I feel it will, and that the flashback scenes with Kristen Wiig, Seth Rogen, and others playing the familiar characters are probably from this project, this is a clever, tongue-in-cheek extension of some of the self-referential jokes the series already does. I only wish Bryce Dallas Howard would play Ron Howard's daughter in Arrested Development, rather than Isla Fisher (Confessions of a Shopaholic) filling the role.

It's not just done for meta purposes, though, firmly ensconcing the bigger story with these bits. Through a few plot twists, Maeby's (Alia Shawkat) producer career ends up being connected, and former Bluth secretary Kitty (Judy Greer) now works there, using the job for some unknown scheme to bring down the family. And other recurring roles, such as Warden Gentles (James Lipton), Andy and Rocky Richter (Andy Richter), and Carl Weathers (Carl Weathers) figure in, as well.

In fact, that's how much of Arrested Development seems to be playing out. Season four, like the first three before it, brilliantly weaves new characters and gags into everything that has come before it, with many faces and bits returning when least expected. The list of guest stars in these first five half-hours is quite long, though each is used effectively to further the plot, rather than being distracting or plain stunt casting. I think this sort of talent effectively helps fill the gaps of the missing main players.

Episodes three and five, "Indian Takers" and "A New Start," unfold concurrently, with the former following Lindsay (Portia de Rossi) and the latter focusing on Tobias (David Cross). Each have many of the same settings and scenes, but "A New Start" does not repeat "Indian Takers," instead giving new glimpses of the bigger picture.

I think Lindsay and Tobias are meant for each other. Sure, they end up with two other lovers in these episodes (The Office's Chris Diamantopoulus and comedian Maria Bamford), but they way that they keep crossing paths and end up in the same spots proves they're connected. Perhaps they aren't sexually attracted to one another, but there's a reason they are in each other's lives, and it's kind of sweet, if a bit sad, to see how hopeless they are to escape each other, much as they might try.

These two installments aren't the only ones that cross, with a couple of focal points, the aftermath of Lucille's (Jessica Walter) arrest in the season three finale and a family meeting to discuss stimulus money, bringing everyone back together. While it's sometimes hard to pinpoint the exact timeline of the narrative, each episode tells a cohesive story, and also serves the season's arcs as a whole. Putting this together has to be a difficult feat, and I'm impressed with how well it's being done, assuming it will all wrap up neatly in the end.

The weak point of these first five is episode two, "Borderline Personalities." This is about a scheme George Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor) hatches with Oscar (also Tambor) being his unwilling accomplice, but despite the wonderful additions of John Slattery (Mad Men), Karen Maruyama (Pulp Fiction), and Mary Lynn Rajskub (24), as well as the genius dual performance given by Tambor, I just couldn't get into the setting or story.

I think part of the accessibility problem is my general disinterest with anything set in the desert or with that harsh southwestern color scheme, so perhaps this is a personal opinion that will not be shared by other fans. However, even though I do consider it the worst of the five, I still think it is pretty darn funny.

Ten more episodes remain to check out, and they are sure to evoke as many laughs as the ostrich, an inability to recognize faces, subtle references, a secret ballot, a Google unnamed tech company car, and so much more have already gotten. I like that Netflix has them all out at once because I don't have to wait, but it's sad to think they'll be burned through in a few days and then it'll be over again. Thankfully, the first five installments prove that Arrested Development has lost nothing during the very long hiatus, and remains one of TV's smartest, most original, most complex comedies. I'm so glad it's back!

Arrested Development season four is available in its entirety on Netflix now.