Moving Out of 1600 Penn

Article first published as Moving Out of 1600 Penn on TheTVKing.

NBC's 1600 Penn is considered a long shot for renewal, and after viewing this week's season finale, I can see why. "Marry Me, Baby" finds President Dale Gilchrist (Bill Pullman) making a disparaging comment about marriage. The cable news frenzy and his political opponents latch one, and one of them discovers that Dale and Emily (Jenna Elfman) may not be legally married. Since the blunder is Skip's (Josh Gad) fault, of course, he helps Winslow (Rene Auberjonois) throw them a White House wedding.

How could a president possible get elected without someone discovering this before now? It's well established that some disapprove of his marriage to the much younger Emily. Surely, someone who doesn't like Dale would have dug up this nugget during the primaries or general election, which stretch for years, and twenty-four hour news cycles will report anything to fill the airwaves. Why does it only come out now?

Worse, all will be forgiven if they just have a ceremony now. Would Dale's detractors really just accept this? For reasonable people, a paperwork mix-up is understandable, and they would look past this. But in the modern age, those in the political arena and the pundits that report on them are often anything but reasonable. This "simple fix" in "Marry Me, Baby" feels completely inauthentic and hollow.

As if that isn't bad enough, Becca (Martha MacIsaac) goes into labor in the middle of the nuptials when Skip sings her birthing song. Dale and Emily still take a second to say "I do" before rushing her to the hospital, because every bad sitcom cliche must be touched upon before the half hour can be over. But one disaster piles on top of another to build to zany and unfunny antics.

That's the problem with 1600 Penn. Despite a charming cast, it plays way too much to convention. It has the chance to be something special, given its unique setting for a half hour comedy, and yet blows it to fit into the standard sitcom mold. It's a lot like the short-lived, hilarious That's My Bush, except that That's My Bush played to such stereotypes for effect, while 1600 Penn seems to think that's what it should be doing, rather than poking fun at itself. It needs the tongue in cheekness to work.

There are a couple of moments where it feels like this might happen. It's fantastic that Dale asks if he always hoses up traffic this much after trying to make it through the snarl caused by Becca's car. This is the sort of observational stuff that really works, and the spark of something that has kept me watching, even when I often don't want to. Unfortunately, such brilliant bits are few and far between.

The horribleness continues when Skip's long-time crush, Stacey (Susan Park), confesses to liking him in "Marry Me, Baby." Where does this come from? Stacey has been a poorly developed character since day one, willingly putting herself in situations that she doesn't want to be, with no depth given to explain the contradiction. This last minute connection between her and Skip feels tacked on and ridiculous.

That being said, there are a couple of good moments in the episode. I love when Emily and Becca connect, and admit their feelings for one another. They have been dancing around this issue for longer than the series has been on, and in such an emotionally-charged situation, it's nice to see them come together, rather than keep battling one another. They probably won't be best friends, but there is understanding and affection present.

I also like the surprise that Becca's baby is born black, meaning that Marshall (Andre Holland) is the father. I admit, I did not see this coming, since Becca never even considers the possibility that the infant could be Marshall's, which makes this twist even less believable. Shouldn't she have wrestled with the possibility at some point?

However, I like it because of the implication that D.B. (Robbie Amell) has no place in the cast going forward, his only connection to the family being that he's Becca's baby daddy, and dropping D.B. is a completely unexpected move. I applaud a twist that one doesn't see coming. Of course, in the unlikely event 1600 Penn does get renewed, they will probably stretch and find a way to accommodate him, no matter how dumb the plot gets to accomplish this, and so ruin any cred they've built now.

I watched this entire season because I adore most of the cast, and they seem to be doing their best at selling the crappy material they are given, which does make the series marginally entertaining. But 1600 Penn is not a show I would recommend watching to anyone else, and also not one I will miss. I hope the talent involved, and there definitely is some serious talent here, soon bounce back in projects that make better use of them.

News of a cancellation of renewal for 1600 Penn is expected soon.

1600 Penn the wrong address for this comedy

Grade: 71%

NBC’s latest sitcom is 1600 PENN. It’s a family sitcom, following a father, Dale Gilchrest (Bill Pullman, Torchwood: Miracle Day, Independence Day), his four children, and his new trophy wife, Emily (Jenna Elfman, Damages, Dharma & Greg). Their relationships are about what you’d expect in a clan of this type. The kids, especially the eldest son, Skip (Josh Gad, Book of Mormon), want their father’s approval, and Emily would like to win her stepchildren’s trust.

The twist is, Dale is the President of the United States, and the family lives in the White House.

Some might expect that this may change the circumstances a bit. And it does, but only to a small extent. Instead of relatives or friends visiting the family, it’s foreign dignitaries. Instead of wondering what their neighbors will think about personal developments, the entire population of the U.S. is watching the Gilchrests. Instead of breaking grandmother’s dish in a predictable accident, it’s priceless China that people lost their lives transporting that is destroyed.

But basically, 1600 PENN is a family comedy like many others. The relationships are relatable and typical, and the characters are usually more concerned with how they feel about each other, than how the world at large views them. Sure, oldest daughter Becca (Martha MacIsaac, Superbad, Greek) isn’t happy when the press speculate on her unplanned pregnancy. But she is more concerned with her father and younger siblings’ reactions.

One would think that this is a recipe for success, taking a household that typically sits out of reach of the average person, and opening it up in a way that we can find accessible. But that’s not quite how it plays out.

The problem is, the humor of 1600 PENN is far goofier than it should be. Whereas, a series like Modern Family may look at how people actually act, 1600 PENN makes every disaster and stunt over-sized, until it becomes completely unrealistic. In the “Pilot,” Skip sets a frat house on fire, and gets away with it with no discernible consequences. Then he solves global issues by drinking and joking. Emily and Becca bicker in front of the press. In episode three, Dale uses a meeting with the joint chiefs of staff to discuss parenting. It’s just too much to accept.

I’m not saying the characters aren’t interesting. Emily is earnest, for sure, and everyone cares about each other. Younger daughter, Marigold (Amara Miller, The Descendants), is a budding lesbian, and youngest son, Xander (Benjamin Stockham, Sons of Tucson), is worried about meteors hitting the earth, so they have stories to tell, too. There is a love triangle set up between Becca, her baby daddy, D.B. (Robbie Amell, Revenge), and Dale’s assistant / press secretary, Marshall (Andre Holland, Friends with Benefits). Even Skip, screw up as he is, has his positives, and loves his family.

But the situations just go too far. Should it be scaled back, there could be something here. Instead, this one seems destined for a quick cancellation, without even being given time to build up an audience, or address the problems. It’s too bad, as with a cast like this, and an intriguing premise, it could have been good.

One final complaint, I am just not sure what Marshall’s job is. He is the only main character who isn’t part of the family, and is constantly seen giving briefings and helping out Dale. The other White House workers hover around, but none are shown to have any importance. Instead, Marshall seems to be the representation for the entire staff, which may save on budget and logistics, but makes the world in which the show is set seem even less fleshed out than it already does.

While 1600 PENN may be a curiosity that some may want to check out, you won’t miss much by skipping it, and likely won’t regret that decision.

1600 PENN premieres Thursday, January 10th at 9:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

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Article first posted on Seat42F