Saturday, September 13, 2008

Should You Watch: Do Not Disturb

A sitcom set in a big ol' hotel doesn't sound like a terrible idea, does it? In fact, a sitcom, period, seems pretty nice when compared to so much of the junk that's on the networks' primetime schedules. Unfortunately, when the sitcom is "Do Not Disturb," you get a harsh reminder that, scarce as they are nowadays, the few new comedies that make it to air can be just as junky as anything else that's on.

I wish I could explain the premise of this new series, but the first episode did such a poor job of establishing it, I got nothing. Of course, it's possible that the premise really is just, "People that work in a hotel act all horny all the time and trade innuendo and lame punchlines," because that's what the debut episode (which I don't believe is the actual pilot) gave us. Oh, what a disappointment it is to see Jason Bateman credited as a director for this show.

People like having sex. People that work in a hotel presumably are no less inclined than the general population, maybe even more so (for argument's sake). Showing that in a sitcom is OK--if it's funny.

Would you be surprised at this point to learn "Do Not Disturb" airs on FOX?

You should watch "Do Not Disturb" if...

*You're desperate for new sitcoms, even one that features a punchline ending with, "...when we saw her penis."

*You're a charter member of the Jerry O'Connell Fan Club and a member in good standing of the sub-group of Fans Who Support Television's Constant Effort to Push Jerry O'Connell as a Sex Symbol and Make Us Forget His Role in "Stand By Me."

*You like the idea of a sitcom set in a hotel, just not enough that you expect to see scenes that actually involve hotel business, operations, or situations.

*You hope that Taylor Cole, the actress who played "Tasha" in the first episode, returns (Hey, I'm not made of stone, you know).

*You want to support any comedy that puts gay men in the same ludicrous, contrived situations that heterosexual men usually get into on TV.

*You've been lulled into a Coma of Mediocrity by watching 'Til Death at 9:00 and risk injuring yourself if you move too quickly to turn the channel at 9:30.

2 comments:

Ivan G Shreve Jr said...

it's possible that the premise really is just, "People that work in a hotel act all horny all the time and trade innuendo and lame punchlines," because that's what the debut episode (which I don't believe is the actual pilot) gave us.

I worked in a hotel, and I never acted horny...nor did I trade innuendo. The lame punchlines part was present, though.

Rick Brooks said...

Just think: The average hotel dick could experience 2 out of 3 at any given time.