Pilot Review: Men at Work

Men at Work (TBS)
Premiered May 24 at 10pm

Watching a handful of “Friends” reruns last week on TBS didn’t do this show any favors, since it was advertised nonstop every single commercial, and, as tends to be the case, pretty much all of the funny parts are in the previews. That’s not to suggest, of course, that there are many laughs to be found in either of this show’s first two episodes, since that’s just not the case. Up until now, TBS has mostly only into reruns and original shows featuring Tyler Perry, and therefore programming primetime for the audience that loves to watch “Family Guy” or “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” during the day requires some finesse and some creativity. This show represents neither of those skills, and doesn’t have the themed appeal of something like “My Boys.” Instead, the show features a star most recognizable for a series that used to rerun nonstop on FX, “That 70s Show,” who hasn’t done much since that series and boasts a similarly energy-free role here. The show brings together several other recognizable TV faces: Michael Cassidy from “The O.C.” and “Privileged,” James Lesure from “Las Vegas” and “Mr. Sunshine,” and Adam Busch, from short-lived stuff like “Point Pleasant” and “The Jury.” Unfortunately, none of them are terribly funny, especially considering the way their characters are painted. The show is created by Breckin Meyer, who delivers more laughs and bearable entertainment as the star of sister network TNT’s “Franklin & Bash,” which returns for its second next week. When a character swallows balloons of flour to write a story about drug trafficking in a show’s second episode, things have already gone too far. I have no desire to continue with this show.

How will it work as a series? There are four guys with radically different lives, and aside from the fact that their careers aren’t too diverse, there is plenty of material to be milked, as evidenced by the attempt at dirty talk, relationship problems, and reporting jokes rampant in the show’s first two episodes. A double dose each night should ensure that much laugh track-assisted nonsense can be achieved on a regular basis.
How long will it last? The first two installments were a hit, besting repeats in the same time slot and other original programming debuts. I suspect that this show is exactly what TBS wants to be cranking out, and given that “My Boys” managed to last four seasons, I think they’ll want to jump on the bandwagon with this one right away.

Pilot grade: D