In the US: Wednesdays, 8.30/7.30c, NBC
Well, three episodes into Free Agents and I have to say, this is not a funny show.
The first episode was an odd combination of the dark British original and a standard US ensemble sitcom, the former being good, the latter being the opposite. It didn’t quite fit together and whatever good qualities there were in the former were more than neutralised by the ridiculously bad qualities of the latter.
Episode two, however, while a slightly smoother affair thanks to old Friends producer Ira Ungerleider, lost darkness in favour of attempts at one-liners that didn’t quite work. And episode three was a completely unremarkable affair whose one big stab at comedy was having a therapist called Dr Hu. Imagine the hilarity.
It’s a shame, really, because the pairing of Hank Azaria and Kathryn Hahn is a good one, Anthony Stewart Head is marvellously over the top, and the show does make perceptive, intelligent comments. It’s just not funny. And when it tries to be funny, it’s painful.
Given its ratings are somewhere near absolute zero, I don’t think it’s going to be long for this world, so I’m going to say give this one a miss.
Carusometer rating: 4
Rob’s prediction: Dead before the end of the season
