Thanks for visiting swg.c!

Why not subscribe?

My Watch List

Appointment Television
30 Rock
Battlestar Galactica
Big Love
Big Bang Theory
Californication
The Daily Show
Dexter
Entourage
Friday Night Lights
Lost
Mad Men
Robot Chicken
The Office
Pushing Daisies
Samantha Who?
The Tudors
Weeds

Homework TV
House
How I Met Your Mother
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
My Name Is Earl
Saturday Night Live
     
(w/DVR fast-forward)
Two and a Half Men

On the Bubble
Canterbury's Law
Grey's Anatomy
The Riches
True Blood

Currently Catching Up NewsRadio
Curb Your Enthusiasm

To-Do List
Malcolm in the Middle

Sex and the City
The Sopranos

Have Definitely Seen Every Single Episode
Action
Angel
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Carnivale
Coupling (BBC)
Dead Like Me
Deadwood
Firefly
Freaks & Geeks
Rome
Scrubs
The Shield
Slings & Arrows
Anything with “Star” in the title
South Park
West Wing
Wonder Falls
Veronica Mars



SUBSCRIBE!

Add to My Yahoo! Google Reader or Homepage Subscribe with Bloglines Subscribe in NewsGator Online Add to netvibes Add to My AOL

Most Read Posts

Top Commenters

Archives

Search


My Regular Reads:

new show review: Carpoolers

October 2nd, 2007 by screenwriterguy

CarpoolersIn both my first sketch comedy group and the new one, when it comes time to consider our work for production, we find it helpful to vote for each script in one of three categories: “yes,” “no,” or “meh.” A vote of “meh” means that you don’t really have any problems with the script. It’s generally well constructed, and for the most part it’s funny. But, for whatever reason, it fails to excite.

“Meh” sums up Carpoolers.

The first thing to know is that it doesn’t all happen in a car. Early promotional material in May implied that the show revolved around the drive to work. Really, the drive is the reason these four men know each other. Each has his own family and job. (They seem to work in an office complex, allowing for various occupations.) We spend less than ten percent of the time in the car. The characters are all pretty distinct and interesting enough. The main story line, in which one of the carpoolers worries that both his wife and his son make more money than he does, was technically well executed. Still… no spark.

The comments on my recent post, “How Pepsi and Nike Destroyed Western Culture” touch on the fact that a sitcom doesn’t have time to flesh out characters any more. The result, in my opinion, is rushed, pat stories that feel like they’re trying too hard. Carpoolers fits that bill. I’m not saying six more minutes would have helped them make a good show, but it would have been better than this pilot. This story seemed to work really hard to introduce us to everyone and set up the problem, then solved it moments afterwards. It’s hard to offer much catharsis in such constraints.

Best Aspect: The man-child son of one of the carpoolers, whom we never see wearing bottoms beyond tightie-whities.

Worst Aspect: This will make me seem like a geek, but… editing. I noticed it. And that means it isn’t doing its job. The pacing just felt off on this one, in a few places.

Verdict: If I’m one day vegging and flipping channels, I might try another episode, but I won’t actively pursue this show.

Odds of Success: Small. The Cavemen lead-in might have been big tonight, out of morbid curiosity, but whatever numbers they got to stick around were no doubt underwhelmed.

Similar Posts:

Posted in |

Leave a Reply