Entertainment
Value: 5/10
Historical
Significance: 2/10
Disc
Features: 4/10
I’m
not sure how it is possible, but “Men at Work” seems to have left absolutely no
impression on me. Even when I remember the specifics of the sitcom’s storyline,
I find it nearly impossible to remember any one specific moment. Perhaps this
is because none of the moments stand out, none of the characters stand out, and
few of the jokes are unpredictable to inspire any kind of “laughing out loud.”
The story feels like a half-dozen other shows, the actors are unmemorable, the
characters cliché stereotypes and even the one-liners are predictable. In
short, this is the kind of television people keep on in the background just to
stave off loneliness.
Created
by actor Breckin Meyer (TV’s “Franklin & Bash), “Men at Work” is about a
group of guys who all work for a Manhattan-based men’s magazine. Milo (Danny Masterson) leads up the group as our obvious
protagonist, mostly because he is the most generic and doesn’t fall into a
comical sidekick stereotype like all of the rest of the guys. In the pilot Milo is dumped, and the resulting season is all about his
recovery and re-emergence into the dating scene. This is only possible, and
mildly comical, due the help of his three co-workers and friends. Neal (Adam
Busch), Tyler (Michael Cassidy), and Gibbs (James Lesure) all fall into generic
roles in this forgettable sitcom.
The
first season of “Men at Work” doesn’t dig too deep, giving us a lot of
situations we have seen before. Milo ’s venture
into a newfound social life is less than impressive, and each of his cohorts
are just as easily pigeonholed. There are ten episodes in the first season, all
of which are easily fit onto two DVDs in this two-disc set, along with room for
special features. There are deleted scenes and outtakes, some of which were
funnier than the show’s jokes.
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