MovieChat Forums > Accidentally on Purpose (2009) Discussion > Held to a higher standard?

Held to a higher standard?

posted 14 years ago by mklasr
14 replies | jump to latest

This show isn't as funny as the other 3 CBS comedies on Monday night, but it's head and shoulders ahead of anything the other Networks put up. ABC is looking at a big 0-for-4 on Wednesday Night, and I can't believe anyone laughs at any of NBC's Thursday Night-ers. 30 Rock seems like I should be laughing at it, but there's just something missing. I do laugh at "Accidentally on Purpose", and I feel like Ashley Jensen's character has some potential for a possible Emmy nomination down the line. It feels like she's going for some sort of female equivalent of Neil Patrick Harris on "How I met your mother", but I don't think it's something you can just duplicate. Jensen is the key to this show. If she can find her groove, and if they can figure out whether Jenna Elfman will date the father, her ex, or someone else, the show has a chance. In the first episode, Elfman made a joke about needing "to update her facebook status." I don't know how much longer I can wait.

[–] suzycreamcheese1 14 years ago

No thanks. I just don't have the energy.

RIP Heath Ledger 1979-2008

[–] even0110 14 years ago

Holy crap. I guess I knew there were people like you out there because the Nielsen ratings say so, but it's frightening to read your post nonetheless. Emmy nominations?!

[–] mklasr 14 years ago

I happen to think that Ashley Jensen is willing to put herself out there. I'm sorry that my opinion frightens you so much. Maybe you feel safer with Tina Fey and 30 Rock. Don't worry, that show will dominate the Emmys for years to come. Now, if only that show could put together a scene funny enough to put in a commercial..

[–] bsump_98 14 years ago

Alright I admit that Two and Half Men and Big Bang are good but How I met your Mother is slipping in its potential so to have Aop as you call it rounds out the schedule and it is pretty good in my opinion and I feel sorry that you don't think so. This show is much better than Worst Week which was a part of the same schedule las year. I liked that one too but only because of Kirkwood Smith because I knew him as Red in That 70s Show. Worst Week's humor was very dry and usually involved a stupid not funny mom in law and two preppy happy in laws that made me gag cause no one acts like that in any other comedy. Yet AOP has funny humor maybe dumb but sometimes it will make you chuckle and I am very sorry you all can't see it as a good show.

[–] mklasr 14 years ago

How I met your Mother has lost a step since its beginning. I guess it was so funny in its first few seasons, that I've kind of given it a pass ever subce. AOP is funny at times, but it's not quite there yet. As I said before, Jenna Elfman's character needs to decide who she's going to date, otherwise this show may get trapped in the love triangle. I call it "The Ally McBeal Syndrome." Jenna Elfman's character pretty much has to end up with the baby's father, and then follow the path of "Knocked Up." I hope I didn't give away the end of the first season.

[–] even0110 14 years ago

Ashley Jensen was phenomenal in "Extras". If you want to see her do real work, not just get cheap, one-liner laughs made "funnier" because of her British accent, check that out. I doubt you will like it though. It has no laugh track so you wouldn't know when to chuckle. That might be hard for you.

[–] mklasr 14 years ago

It's not that I don't know when to chuckle so much as that it doesn't give me a chance to chuckle. Everybody Hates Chris is an exception. Also, 30 Rock is border-line funny.

[–] Sovereign_Knight 14 years ago

This show isn't funny. I think there is potential there, the writers just need to find there grove. There are several shows that start off not so hot and then turn into huge successes. I think Cheers (might have been MASH) is a good example of that. They wanted to cancel it but one of the executives wives like it so it stuck around. They finally got their act together and it stayed on for a long time. I don't care for this show in its current format but who knows, maybe they'll straighten it out.

[–] b530 14 years ago

They need to replace or get rid of the characters that play her friend and sister.. they're annoying, and not hot.

[–] Kotter7579 14 years ago

"ABC is looking at a big 0-for-4 on Wednesday Night"

How about 3-for-4? Only Hank was cancelled, and it should have been. Modern Family is the most talked about new comedy, and it's a great show. It's in the prime slot of the night as well. Even though I'm not a fan of The Middle or Cougartown, those two have apparently been doing well and ABC is behind them as well.

Play the Pipes of Peace!

[–] mklasr 14 years ago

That's very perplexing to me. CBS has the top 6 comedies, and all have laugh tracks/studio audiences. NBC hasn't used a laugh track in quite some time, and now ABC pulls the plug on its one show with a laugh track. "Modern Family" and NBC's "30 Rock" are good shows, but I just don't laugh at them the way I do for shows with laugh tracks. I remember "3rd Rock from the Sun", you could see French Stewart feeding off of the audience's response. That was part of the show's enjoyment for me. I remember when "Scrubs" devoted an episode to defending their decision not to use a laugh track, so I understand the argument against it, but I still think it's an essential part of a successful sitcom.

[–] afitzgerald88 14 years ago

Are you saying that you need a laugh track/studio audience to know when to laugh? If so, I don't have much else to say.

Non-Laugh Track
The Office
Curb Your Enthusiasm
30 Rock
Community
Arrested Development
Parks and Recreation
Malcolm in the Middle
My Name is Earl
Bernie Mac Show

Also, all of the animated shows don't use laugh tracks. Laugh tracks have not been an "essential part of a successful sitcom" for a long time.

That is all.

[–] mklasr 14 years ago

CBS, with their 6 laugh track sitcoms, is consistently winning Monday and Wednesday Nights, including routine victories over ABC's Wednesday Night dramedies. NBC, with its 4 dramedies, is consistently finishing 4th on Thursday Nights. ABC's 2 dramedies are consistently finishing 4th on Tuesday Night. Did I mention that the only way for NBC to beat even ABC was for ABC to recylce one of NBC's dramedies? I guess that's my definition of a successful sitcom. Ratings.

Check out www.futoncritic.com, and let me know when dramedies start getting higher ratings than comedies. Go ahead, either ABC vs. CBS on Wednesday, NBC Thursday vs. CBS Monday, or ABC Tuesday vs. CBS Monday. First run episodes only, and same week shows, please. I don't have much else to say.

[–] mklasr 14 years ago

"Till Death" is apparently the exception, scoring fewer total viewers than any of NBC's Thursday Night dramedies do in the 18-49 demo. It has had the misfortune of going up against the Olympics, and this week it goes up against the Oscar preview show. Next week, will get a chance to prove itself, although it doesn't look too promising.