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 Do Not Disturb

 

August 25th, 2008.            Jerry O’Connell (“Crossing Jordan”), Niecy Nash (“Reno 911!”), Molly Stanton, Jolene Purdy, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Dave Franco and Robert Wagner star as the staff behind one the hottest and hippest new hotels in New York City, in the half hour situation comedy Do Not Disturb, airing Wednesdays this fall on FOX, starting September 10th.

            Neil (O'Connell) has been working very hard to create the most exclusive new hotel in New York. Every piece of furniture, every piece of art on the walls and every other detail in "The Inn" has been a personal decision. Now just as the press and the elite travelers of the world are starting to discover the hotel, his father R.J. (Wagner) shows up to take all the credit.

            Human resources manager Ronda Pete (Nash) is sympathetic, has her own problems. First, she's trying to calm a reservations clerk who wants to be transferred to the front desk. Then she has a bellman who doesn't like his job and has no skill for it either. And of course she has a group of front desk clerks who keep falling off the gigantic heels Neil is forcing them to wear.

            Larry (Ferguson), the head of housekeeping is also dealing with his own issues. He's trying to rebuild the self-esteem of his Vietnamese maid while keeping his gay partner from calling him every minute of the day about everything from the color of drapes, to the future of their relationship.

            On the outside, this may look like the most exclusive hotel in New York, but under a very thin veil lies the truth. This place could come apart at the seams at any moment.

            The premise for this comedy may be the perfect set-up. There is a large collection of characters in a workplace setting. There is a built-in conflict between the people who upstairs with the rich and famous guests of the hotel and then there is those who wants to work upstairs. There is the opportunity to bring in a multitude of guests.

            Star Jerry O'Connell is surprisingly good in a comedy role. After several consecutive successes in drama's, his ability to step out of that comfort zone is very refreshing. The character he has created is not the most likeable guy, but he is totally credible as the boss of a fine hotel. His fussy, picky, image conscious character can flip from good guy to bad on a dime and back again when it suits him. He even went as far as to perform a slapstick gag in the pilot episode that would have left most actors calling for a stunt man. I'm looking forward to seeing just how far he is willing to take this character and the comedy performances he will deliver in coming episodes.

            Co-Star Niecy Nash is likewise talented, but after her strong performances on Reno 911, I was not surprised to see just how funny she can be and how human she is in her character of Ronda Pete.  The chemistry between her and O'Connell is noticeable in the pilot episode and I expect it will get much better as these two talents hit their stride in future episodes.

            The rest of the supporting staff are also very good and each has the ability to provide some additional funny moments. Jesse Tyler Ferguson is a scene-stealer who will be a big part of the success of this comedy.

            If the writing for the rest of the episodes stays as strong as the pilot, I predict this series will be a solid hit for FOX. You can't force good chemistry to happen, but you sure can see it when it does.

   

  -  Editor  -

 

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