Bent [NBC - US]

Richard Dower

Starts March 21st: http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/02/21/community-returns-march-15-at-8pm-premieres-for-bent-best-friends-forever-and-betty-whites-off-their-rockers/121031/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Tvbythenumbers+%28TVbytheNumbers%29

“Bent” will premiere on Wednesday, March 21 followed by a second episode.The series will continue with original back-to-back one-hour blocks on Wednesday, March 28 and April 4.

"Bent" is a romantic comedy about a womanizing, surfer dude contractor and his beautiful, no-nonsense, type-A client, who work together to remodel each other’s lives as they renovate her Venice, California home. The recently divorced Alex (Amanda Peet, “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip”) is a high-strung lawyer who is raising her young daughter, Charlie (Joey King, "Ramona and Beezus") as a single mom. She downsizes into a smaller house and hires charismatic Pete (David Walton, “Perfect Couples”), a free-spirited ladies’ man and recovering gambling addict who desperately needs this gig with Alex to jumpstart his life -- and prove that he is no longer a screw-up.

Also starring are Margo Harshman ("Sorority Row") and Jeffrey Tambor ("Arrested Development"). The single-camera comedy is from writer and executive producer Tad Quill ("Scrubs," "Spin City") and director Craig Zisk ("Nurse Jackie," "Weeds"). The series is produced by Universal Television and Rosalita Productions Inc.

squonk

Doesn't sound that promising going by the description. Anyway, an hour long comedy? Sounds like it'd make a good half hour sitcom but might be a bit much for an hour.

Basq

Amanda Peet? I'm out!

Richard Dower

Full promo vid: http://www.spoilertv.com/2012/02/bent-season-1-full-length-trailer.html

JP Liz V1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRB6SEre7EQ

Another doomed show for Walton

Duck Soup

Watched the first two episodes. Really enjoyable. Dialogue's snappy, characters engaging.

NBC seem to be doing their best to screw up a good thing, but we'll see what happens. How long the plot device of a hunky building contractor wooing a hot yuppie can hold, I don't know. How long does it take to refit a kitchen?

Skinfull

Basq wrote: »

Amanda Peet? I'm out!

Amanda Peet? I'm in!

And I watched the first 2 episodes last night. Not horrible but has some work to do!

Duck Soup

Skinfull wrote: »

Amanda Peet? I'm in!

And I watched the first 2 episodes last night. Not horrible but has some work to do!

NBC are apparently stringing 3 or 4 episodes together in a short time frame. Some commentators are saying it shows lack of faith in the show, others that it's a legitimate way of reeling in viewers to the plot line quickly.

It's the plot line that worries me. The dialogue is smart, the support cast good. I'm a little worried that it could fall prey to Suburgatory syndrome, where you're initially charmed by the sharp repartee and interesting premise, only to find that it's got nowhere much to go.

The characters have to develop a little more depth to go with the smart mouths (as MASH did, for example). The contractor can't keep fixing the faucet at midnight (not a euphemism) for 9 months.

But, as I say, my initial impression is good; I hope it kicks on from there.

Skinfull

Duck Soup wrote: »

...

It's the plot line that worries me. The dialogue is smart, the support cast good. I'm a little worried that it could fall prey to Suburgatory syndrome, where you're initially charmed by the sharp repartee and interesting premise, only to find that it's got nowhere much to go.

...

But, as I say, my initial impression is good; I hope it kicks on from there.

Nailed it. That's exactly what happened to Suburgatory! I'm hoping they stray away from the romance and keep it witty or caustic between them. But I cant see it goin too far.

Duck Soup

Well, watched it to its six part conclusion. I doubt it's coming back, as a 6 episode 'first season' doesn't exactly shout confidence. Maybe 2 out of the 6 shows were a mite flat, but overall it I thought it worked well.

It wouldn't exactly have been rocket surgery to create a more long-term story development - the contractor becomes a next door neighbour/housesitter/boyfriend/au pair, but it seems the script editors couldn't see the thinness of the original premise. Which is a shame, because it had zingy dialogues and good casting, top to bottom. Farewell then Bent, I hardly knew ye.

KeanSeenan

Fúck NBC, I went through all 6 of these recently and they showed some serious potential, but they never even gave it a chance.
Same way the Parks and Rec started out too, look where that is now.

Richard Dower

Cancelled, axed etc. - lasted longer then BFF though.