TV: Starved
Starved is a new show on FX that centers around a group of people with various eating disorders. Sam (Eric Shaeffer) is an anorexic/compulsive overeater, Billie (Laura Benanti) is a recovered anorexic, Dan (Del Pentecost) is a compulsive overeater, and Adam (Sterling K. Brown) is a recovering bulemic. The show has great potential to be very funny. Three of the four main characters are men, working against the common notion that primarily women have eating disorders, and it's something that's never really been done. The problem comes with the execution of the show.
The characters are for the most part compelling, but they are also shallow. This isn't a problem if it's done well (just look at Seinfeld), but it's just not done correctly here. Some of the scenes are funny, and the overall story of the pilot was fine. The problem that I found was that the show tries too hard to be "edgy" and to "push the envelope" (read: there's a lot of sex and swearing and things that are just starting to be accepted on cable networks). This distracts from the story and takes away from the likeability of the characters. There are moments of humor and moments of nastiness; the problem is that the nasty is more memorable than the funny.
The scenes at the Overeaters Anonymous group are hilarious, and there are a couple other good scenes (Adam is a cop, and at one point he pulls over a Chinese food delivery guy on a bike and takes his food), but mostly it centers around shallow dialogue and cheap "shocking" scenes. Don't get me wrong--a show can have profanity and such and still be entertaining (The Sopranos comes to mind), but this is just too much and it doesn't fit the subject matter. It's a shame, too, because there are so few good original comedies on TV--this one had a chance with its solid premise. Unfortunately, it's been sabotaged by people who think vulgarity for the sake of vulgarity is funny.
Final Score: 2 cents
The characters are for the most part compelling, but they are also shallow. This isn't a problem if it's done well (just look at Seinfeld), but it's just not done correctly here. Some of the scenes are funny, and the overall story of the pilot was fine. The problem that I found was that the show tries too hard to be "edgy" and to "push the envelope" (read: there's a lot of sex and swearing and things that are just starting to be accepted on cable networks). This distracts from the story and takes away from the likeability of the characters. There are moments of humor and moments of nastiness; the problem is that the nasty is more memorable than the funny.
The scenes at the Overeaters Anonymous group are hilarious, and there are a couple other good scenes (Adam is a cop, and at one point he pulls over a Chinese food delivery guy on a bike and takes his food), but mostly it centers around shallow dialogue and cheap "shocking" scenes. Don't get me wrong--a show can have profanity and such and still be entertaining (The Sopranos comes to mind), but this is just too much and it doesn't fit the subject matter. It's a shame, too, because there are so few good original comedies on TV--this one had a chance with its solid premise. Unfortunately, it's been sabotaged by people who think vulgarity for the sake of vulgarity is funny.
Final Score: 2 cents
Tha Docta's two cents. | 8:10 AM
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