Most ABC television shows, especially the comedies, are hit or miss. Series like ABC's recent creation Modern Family have gumption that viewers fall in love with; the characters are original and flawed to the necessary comic extent, and the circumstances parody reality. Then there are the failures. The station's attempt to create the series Cavemen in 2007, based off of the Geico commercials, was a catastrophe. The show was canceled within a month. When ABC added Scrubs to its weekly repertoire, the show's ratings took a nosedive, and it, too, has now been canceled.
It is too soon to predict accurately which category ABC's latest comedy series Romantically Challenged will fall into. Chances are that it will be the latter.
The show premiered April 19, an indication that ABC has little faith in its quality because it was not saved for the fall lineup. The plot follows four single friends and their dating challenges. Alyssa Milano stars as Rebecca Thomas, a lawyer recently divorced after 15 years of marriage. During the pilot episode, she goes on her first date since the split, and though it ends in shambles, she finds that she is ready to move on from her past heartbreak.
The show is not characteristically "bad." The actors do a decent job with the roles they're given. The main problem is that from this view, the series lacks any depth. There is not anything special about the characters that has not been seen in dozens of other shows before. The outlook for the plot seems trite. How many successful or failed dates can you watch before it becomes old?
The narrow scope of "looking for love" is what will ultimately break the show. True, past successes have revolved around friends playing the dating game, such as Friends. But the Friends altogether lovable cast with great chemistry also dealt with issues in the workplace and the outside world. Romantically Challenged gives no indication of reaching the same depth. It also lacks the witty writing necessary to mock human nature as shows like Seinfeld have.
As much as I wanted to give the show a chance, I simply could not do it. The conversations were awkwardly forced, the jokes dull and flat. To put it simply, it just tried too hard.
ABC also is taking some risks by not posting the show for online viewing. Any viewers unable to watch it regularly on cable may choose to forgo it entirely if they cannot catch up with online episodes. Consequently, it may lose out on a potential fan base, in addition to commercial funding.
I am not saying the new series is a complete bust, but the writers need to invigorate the show with down-to-Earth situations and the insightful humor that makes popular comedies like Modern Family worth watching. Otherwise, it will be a miracle if Romantically Challenged lasts longer than a summer fling.
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