Pilot Review: Playing House

Playing House (USA)
Premiered April 29 at 10pm

USA, a network known for its lighthearted hourlong dramas, is getting into the business of half-hour comedies. “Sirens,” from Denis Leary, premiered a few months ago, and now we have a show about two best friends whose current lives at the start of the pilot couldn’t be any more different. This show is actually remarkably similar to the last effort put together by best friends Lennon Parham and Jessica St. Clair, which was NBC’s short-lived April replacement “Best Friends Forever” in 2012. In their newest iteration, Emma (St. Clair) has so much trouble detaching from her high-powered international job that a visit home for just one weekend proves immensely problematic. Maggie (Lennon Parham), on the other hand, still lives where they grew up, almost ready to pop and feeling very unsupported by her best friend during her pregnancy. The pilot spends its entire course driving home the point that maybe Emma could thrive if she succumbed to suburbia, and that she is actually the person who cares most about Emma in the world. Both Parham, who I still remember from a tiny guest appearance on an old “Parks and Recreation” episode, and St. Clair, who was recently on “Veep” and has plenty of additional television experience, show that they are capable of comedy, and, put together, should make an effective pair. In supporting roles, two actors who seem to be on every show right now - Keegan-Michael Key of “Key and Peele” and Zach Woods of “Silicon Valley” - add a level of nonthreatening entertainment. This show has already set itself up, and now can it go forward and manage to be offbeat and enjoyable enough to stand apart from what is otherwise a pretty conventional comedy?

How will it work as a series? Now that Emma has decided that she’s with the corporate life, it’s going to be a monumental adjustment to get used to living in a slower-paced, much more family- and memory-oriented environment. That should create some amusement, and hopefully will allow Emma and Maggie to become equally fleshed-out and funny characters.
How long will it last? It’s hard to know. USA has different standards than other networks for success, and I’m not sure where this one will fall. Reviews were about on par with “Sirens,” and I think that the network could want to pick both of them up if it wants to endorse a new format. I think this one’s chances are pretty good.

Pilot grade: B-