BLOGS

Better With You: May It Die a Quick, Merciful Death

Just wondering -- what is ABC thinking? Why is this multi-camera comedy that feels, tonally, like something quickly cancelled from the late '90s on ABC, airing on the same night when Modern Family and Cougar Town are doing something much more sophisticated and worthwhile? Why is this throwback even on TV? And why is so much good talent being wasted on it? I thought ABC was past this. Hell, even The Middle, bad as it is, looks and sounds like it's from this decade. What is the meaning of this?

I imagine ABC will be putting this show behind them fairly soon, but it's still a shame it exists at all. Yes, yes, pilots are weird, particularly sitcom pilots, but even with most sitcoms that started slowly and turned out to be great, I could see some talent, some point of view in the writing right out of the gate that I knew I'd eventually enjoy. But this show is about three generations (not really generations, as the sisters are only four years apart, but Jesus, they act like the older one's 57) of couples showing us the gradual devolution of romantic relationships into nothing but monotony and resentment. Only less intelligent, ridiculously clownish, and somehow even more stale than that.

It relies on devices that are universal, sure, but when you rely only on tired, well-worn topics like how parents hate their daughter's boyfriends, how moms are obsessed with weddings and grandbabies regardless of whether or not either is a good idea, and how opting to live together instead of getting married is so weird, you are a retread. You are dated. And you have nothing to offer.

I did like that one joke about how people who think they're worldly pronounce things obnoxiously, though. But that was a lone bright spot.

Joanna Garcia, Kurt Fuller and Debra Jo Rupp are great, and I think they deserve better than an embarrassing fall review cycle and a swift cancellation. Unfortunately, based on what I've seen, that's exactly what they're getting. Better luck next pilot season, guys.

Did you see it? Tell us what you thought in the comments, then check out our entire fall preview!

Watch TWoP's editors discuss this fall's worst new TV shows in this segment airing on the New York Nonstop cable news channel:

View more news videos at: http://www.nbcnewyork.com/video.

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