Unhitched is unfunny: A spoilery review
-
- February
- 28
How do I say this without coming off like some kind of a comedy snob, which I swear I’m not?
Fox’s new comedy starring Rashida Jones and Craig Bierko, Unhitched (premieres 9:30 p.m., Sunday), is less funny than a barrel of monkeys. Actually it’s about as funny as one monkey, his private parts pixelated, forcing himself on his owner’s date.
This Farrelly Brothers-branded take on dating after 30—they’re exec-producers—has none of the the brilliance of a There’s Something About Mary and little of the quirky charm of a Shallow Hal or the authentic sixth-grade humor of a Dumb and Dumber. It isn’t without potential or even without redeeming moments. In fact, I’m in for the long haul—however long Fox decides that haul will be—so I’m inclined to focus on the positive.
Let me just get this out of my system first.
After watching the first two episodes, I feel like someone decided to make a show that was Farrelys-esque. But unlike the Farrelly’s best work, most of the bits fail to land.
Attempted monkey sex? A shrimp-like skin tag as a woman’s only flaw? Falling for your hooker? The whole thing just felt clumsy.
Asking your doctor friend for advice is not the same as dropping your drawers and lying down on your coffee table for an exam while your friends sit around your living room chatting.
And the single-cam approach, which I’m a proponent of, just accentuated the high school film class project vibe.
Besides Jones, by the way, are any of these guys actually still in their 30s?
Rye Brook native Craig Bierko, as Jack “Gater” Gately, is a charming guy. Johnny Sneed looks every bit the part of a maturity-stunted microbrewery owner. But neither made a particularly memorable first impression on me.
OK, I feel better now. Now as for what I liked: Rashida Jones.
That’s right, Karen-haters, I said it. She is by far the highlight of the show, and not just because she’s the lone woman. She just has a certain sparkle to her. And yet, she looked uncomfortable and out of place at times, though I think maybe I was just uncomfortable for her.
It was nice seeing her again, especially in a less mopey role than the one her Karen Filippelli became by the end of her run on The Office. I was actually reminded me how much I liked her for most of that third season.
When Jones wasn’t on-screen, which was a ridiculous amount of time, my interest in the show waned. What perked it up again was any scene involving Dr. Freddy Sahgal (Shaun Majmuder). The Second City alum known best for his stint in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle steals every scene he’s in that Jones isn’t and even a few of those.
I didn’t laugh until seven minutes into the second episode, but when I did it was at something Freddy said.
The biggest problem was that I didn’t relate at all to these people. I never had to date in my 30s, but I can get my head around the concept and would expect I’d laugh a lot at a funny take on it. Instead of funny, I got a Johnny Knoxville cameo.
I’m not giving up on Unhitched, not yet anyway. But this late-season pickup is going to have to find its bearings, or rather its funny bone, fast. If not, I hope Jones still has Office showrunner Greg Daniels on speed dial.
This entry was posted
on Thursday, February 28th, 2008 at 4:13 pm by Brian Howard.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Print
| 
Email
OMG. That’s about the harshest “this show isn’t funny” I’ve ever read in my life. Possibly the most creative, as well, but … I’ll never think of pixillated monkey parts in the same way again.
So you’re saying you didn’t like it…
Was that mean? I didn’t mean to be mean. I just think this show’s got some potential that needs developing.
Awkward. Maybe the premise is there, but had no flow from joke to joke and seemed very awkward. I try not to think about a show too much, i either like it or i don’t. And I didn’t. Seinfeld worked so well because of the superior character actors (besides Seinfeld himself) that made the jokes play out so well. These actors are accomplished; granted but they don’t bring it home, to put it in crude terms. Absolutely there is potential but I’m not sure the pieces are in place. I’m canadian and have always thought Shawn Majmuder is hilarious, so for his sake i hope it works out.
P.S. If Unhitched was Fox’s answer when they cancelled The War at Home I think this may be another failure.