Network: CBS; Genre: Sitcom; Content Rating: TV-PG (language, adult content); Perspective: Contemporary (star range: 1 - 4);
Seasons Reviewed: Series (1 season)
A series of circumstances bring together several childhood classmates, including straight-laced Ethan Haas (Jason Ritter, "Joan of Arcadia") whose recent break-up leads him to form an unlikely friendship with eccentric Kate (Lizzy Caplan, "Freaks and Geeks"); suicidal Richie (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) whose "meet cute" moment with strange Lina (Heather Goldenhersh) involves backing over her with his car; and dim-bulb repairman Duncan (Jon Bernthal) who is somehow such a catch he has the heart of Nicole (Andrea Anders, "Joey") despite her marriage to a pro football player.
Kevin Bright half of the team behind NBC's ratings-driven classic "Friends" goes right back to the fun-of-school-doesn't-have-to-end-with-adulthood well with "The Class". Where "Friends" was dull, lazy and not funny. "Class" has all those idiotic sitcom clichés and predictable situations and laughs lines with the added bonus of being quite miserable. This despite that the characters here are fundamentally kind of original. Unlike on "Friends" they are all distinct with distinct opinions and personalities. And yet they all might as well have a big neon sign hanging around their neck that says "quirky".
Exhibit A: The poor acting of Jason Ritter and the aggravation of watching his character resist anything good for him because it serves to drag out the story is the first of the annoyances. Exhibit B: Are we supposed to root for the boring relationship of Richie & Lina because they are two lost soul misfits who found each other in Bright's fantasy sitcom universe? Exhibit C: If it is possible to be worse than that, worse, the show actually wants us to root for Nicole to cheat on her husband. The Hollywood double standard aside (that would have advocated a man suffer anything from a car keying to cold blooded murder if the gender roles were reversed), Nicole and Duncan's relationship is unconvincing and thus the storyline comes off as slimy, unpleasant and a deeply unfunny sit through.
I'm still a big advocate of the studio-audience sitcom, but in the comic world of beautiful people caught in wacky relationships you can do a whole lot better than the dreary, lifeless, assembly-line "The Class".
* / 4
Seasons Reviewed: Series (1 season)
A series of circumstances bring together several childhood classmates, including straight-laced Ethan Haas (Jason Ritter, "Joan of Arcadia") whose recent break-up leads him to form an unlikely friendship with eccentric Kate (Lizzy Caplan, "Freaks and Geeks"); suicidal Richie (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) whose "meet cute" moment with strange Lina (Heather Goldenhersh) involves backing over her with his car; and dim-bulb repairman Duncan (Jon Bernthal) who is somehow such a catch he has the heart of Nicole (Andrea Anders, "Joey") despite her marriage to a pro football player.
Kevin Bright half of the team behind NBC's ratings-driven classic "Friends" goes right back to the fun-of-school-doesn't-have-to-end-with-adulthood well with "The Class". Where "Friends" was dull, lazy and not funny. "Class" has all those idiotic sitcom clichés and predictable situations and laughs lines with the added bonus of being quite miserable. This despite that the characters here are fundamentally kind of original. Unlike on "Friends" they are all distinct with distinct opinions and personalities. And yet they all might as well have a big neon sign hanging around their neck that says "quirky".
Exhibit A: The poor acting of Jason Ritter and the aggravation of watching his character resist anything good for him because it serves to drag out the story is the first of the annoyances. Exhibit B: Are we supposed to root for the boring relationship of Richie & Lina because they are two lost soul misfits who found each other in Bright's fantasy sitcom universe? Exhibit C: If it is possible to be worse than that, worse, the show actually wants us to root for Nicole to cheat on her husband. The Hollywood double standard aside (that would have advocated a man suffer anything from a car keying to cold blooded murder if the gender roles were reversed), Nicole and Duncan's relationship is unconvincing and thus the storyline comes off as slimy, unpleasant and a deeply unfunny sit through.
I'm still a big advocate of the studio-audience sitcom, but in the comic world of beautiful people caught in wacky relationships you can do a whole lot better than the dreary, lifeless, assembly-line "The Class".
* / 4