BLOGS

Melissa & Joey: Aww, Poor Melissa and Joey

ABC Family tried their hand at capturing some of that Hot in Cleveland magic with last night's premiere of Melissa & Joey, a sitcom starring two '90s icons -- Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence. Like Hot in Cleveland, the show is hackneyed and miserably unfunny, but unlike Hot in Cleveland, at least I can't really say its scripts are beneath its stars.

That sounds unnecessarily harsh, and maybe it is, but I honestly can't think of anything better that these two actors would actually be suited for. Can you imagine Melissa Joan Hart pulling off legit acting on a show like Mad Men or House? Or even on something dopey like True Blood or Grey's Anatomy? I love Clarissa as much as the next twentysomething, but I honestly can't. Joey Lawrence is a bit stronger than Melissa Joan Hart in the acting department, judging from this pilot alone, but not by much, and they both seem so comfortable flailing around speaking in cartoonish, jokey voices that maybe they should just stay there.

The show also has one of those unfortunate political undercurrents that silly shows just embarrass themselves by including (think Brothers & Sisters' last three seasons). Melissa is a local politician from a long line of seriously screwed-up politicians (she's the current guardian of her niece and nephew because their parents are in federal prison, for example), and Joey is an out-of-work commodities trader who yells at her at a city council meeting and then worms his way into being her nanny. Which, OK, fine, this is farce, I'll forgive a little suspension of disbelief. It's just that the show doesn't need random outbursts of "Don't get mad just because I cut back on the city's sanitation budget to allow for smaller class sizes!" and "I hate my principal! She got rid of all the music programs due to a lack of budget for the arts!" and crap. It just detracts from the show and makes it seem sad in its aspirations to be something higher brow than a lame little family show, which is exactly what it is.

Then there are the jokes, and, more importantly, the laugh track. This show's laugh track is one of the most irritating things I've ever heard (like, Sports Night Season 1 level bad), both because it's constant and because nothing's funny. Like, there's this one part where Melissa's phone rings at the same times as her aid's and they both look at each other and go "It's yours!" and there's a huge uproar of laughter? I'm concerned that this show doesn't even know what jokes are, because there was ample evidence in the pilot that it does not. And for as toothless and family-grade hokey it is for 95% of the episode, have fun explaining a completely random cunt joke to any seven-year-old you may be watching this with! Woof. What is this show?

Did you watch it? Tell us what you thought in the comments!

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55 Comments

August 18, 2010 11:18 AM
Sara
Reply

The funniest thing about this review is how you imply Mad Men and House are on the same quality level. Hee!

August 18, 2010 11:55 AM
Reverie
Reply

No laugh track; live audience. Actually, I think it's funnier than Hot in Cleveland because all the adult characters mean well and aren't selfish in a mean-spirited way.

August 18, 2010 12:13 PM
cdredhead
Reply

My kids liked this show a lot. My son has been complaining about budget cuts in his junior high for the past two years. Believe it or not, kids really do say some of those things.

The show was not high-caliber or high-brow in the slightest, but it was cute and pretty mild. With everything that kids see in the news, my kids took the federal prison thing in stride ("Isn't that where Martha Stewart went?" Maybe my son is a bit more politically conscious than most kids...)

And I didn't catch any c* jokes.

August 18, 2010 2:15 PM
Mary
Reply

I was bored but didn't feel well so wanted to watch tv and gave it a try. I found MJH jerky movements and overly cartoonish facial expressions annoying. My sister and I looked at each other in disbelief twice: once when they made the incredibly obvious c* joke. I don't know how anyone could miss it, given how much work they put into setting it up and making sure you got it. The second time was when we both came to the conclusion that Joey Lawrence was the better actor. I'm fine with mild family, not everything has to be highbrow, cutesy family drama. But, some comedic timing or acting skill is necessary even for those shows. I lied, we actually came to three shocking conculsions - the third being we would rather watch an episode of the King of Queens than another one of these. Blech.

August 18, 2010 2:56 PM
Robert
Reply

I want to live in a world where Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Blossom's brother are on EVERY sitcom, so this will do for now and hopefully it will get better as it goes.

August 18, 2010 4:03 PM
Quasar
Reply

There is no laugh track. It says "filmed in front of a live studio audience" right at the beginninbg of the show. Makes me wonder if you even watched it.

August 18, 2010 7:33 PM
Karen
Reply
replied to comment from Quasar

I missed the very beginning, she was already doing her press conference when I tuned in. Without that information, it was easy to think it was a laugh track. Cut the reviewer some slack, maybe she just missed that part. Obviously she saw it given that she quoted it and gave details of the scenes. Besides, it was "filmed in front of a live studio audence" not "broadcast live" which means they still could have enhanced it with a laugh track.

August 18, 2010 8:11 PM
Rose
Reply

I thought Joey Lawrence did a good job a few years ago in the wonderful "American Dreams". I think he could do better than this show.

August 18, 2010 8:44 PM
Srah
Reply

Sports Night Season 1 laughtrack references are only to be used in the most dire of circumstances.....

So on that, thanks for the advice, I think i'll skip this show.

August 18, 2010 10:42 PM
Rebecca
Reply

I actually didn't mind it. Yes, it was hokey at times, but meh, sometimes I like cornball. And Joey is pretty to look at. I guess my little teenage heart is happy to see the 90s stars I grew up with have some work. But I may giggle (or roll my eyes, I'm not sure yet) if they get Joey to say, "WHOA!" at some point in the series.

August 18, 2010 11:39 PM
Jade
Reply

I taped the show on my dvr and watched episodes 1 and 2 last night. I could probably stand to keep watching it, but won't be sad if it's cacelled. BTW, did anyone else notice the editing on the first episode where Joey and Mel are in her living room. Everytime the camera would cut to Joey the purse, and then later the computer bag, would go from shoulder to shoulder on Melissa.

August 19, 2010 2:27 AM
Sandy
Reply

Meh. It wasn't awesome, but it was what I expected. As with all sitcoms ever made ever, you can't judge it by the pilot. Sitcoms are really not very good until the actors develop at least a little rapport with one another. I thought some of the writing was pretty good. I don't think this will ever be my favorite show, but I think it shows promise to be a nice Boy Meets World-esque guilty pleasure.

August 19, 2010 7:19 PM
Carol
Reply

It was ok. I like Hot in Cleveland better. I'm still not happy about the cancellation of 10 Things I Hate about You, very good series. Much better than Melissa & Joey

August 23, 2010 8:53 PM
Bgurl
Reply
replied to comment from Quasar

You cannot be that naive...

August 27, 2011 10:21 AM
Kathy
Reply

We love this show!!!!

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