Editor's Review

Bent

(July 20th, 2011. - www.tvview.tv)               Amanda Peet, David Walton, Joey King, Jeffrey Tambor and Margo Harshman star in the single camera comedy Bent, coming to NBC as a mid season replacement.

This is a new romantic comedy about two people who suddenly find themselves attracted to the qualities that typically repel them. On the surface, Alex (Peet) and Pete (Walton) could not be more different. The recently divorced Alex is a resilient and tough lawyer who now is raising her eight-year-old daughter, Charlie (King), as a single mom. Unwilling to let anything get in her way, she downsizes into a smaller house, and she hires Pete, a recovering gambling addict and unapologetic womanizer, as the contractor to re-do her kitchen. The remodeling job is Pete's last chance to prove that he is no longer a screw-up, but he doesn't know what's about to hit him when he encounters the force of nature that is Alex, nor does she realize that she's met her match in Pete, a man unafraid to call out her flaws. Jeffrey Tambor also stars as Pete's father, Walt, an out-of-work actor. Margo Harshman stars as Alex's wild younger sister Screwsie.

Like a lot of romantic comedies of the past, or romantic moments within comedies, this series starts off by creating the classic premise. A mismatched couple are clearly attracted to each other on a physical level, but have not yet broken through the barriers. If they close the deal, they lose the audience. If they don't, the courtship gets old and they lose they audience. Typically, this kind of situation is better suited to feature films, where the whole thing can play out in 90 minutes. When you try and keep the sparks flying for a prolonged period, like say a 5 year period and more than 100 episodes, at some point the audience will show their frustration by changing the channel.  

Once the contracting job that brought these two characters together is complete, there will be little to keep them together. Walton`s character is a care-free surfer who occasionally takes a job and is a womanizer who never settles down. How is he the kind of man who would catch the eye of a lawyer and single mother. This guy will never clean up enough to be able to join her in her circles and hang out with her friends. So she is going to have to come down to surfer level. I just don’t see that happening.

I like Jeffery Tambour`s character. This eccentric, free spirit of a man is one of the best things about this comedy. His instant chemistry with 8 year old Joey King is a scene stealer that will have you smiling. I`m not sure if that alone is enough to hold an audience, but it certainly is all that can be expected from these supporting characters. The rest of the weight must be carried by the stars if this comedy is to find success.

I am not hopeful about the future of this comedy. I think they can produce a few good episodes before it falls into a rut. And that will spell the end for this romantic comedy.

 

-  Editor