Starring Bret Harrison, Eric Christian Olsen, Mimi Rogers, Philip Baker Hall, Amanda Loncar, Sarah Mason, Joy Osmanski
Written By: Pam Brady and Will Gluck
Directed By:
Studio: Twentieth Century Fox Television
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I don’t really know when the major television studios finally realized that laugh tracks weren’t helpful anymore and deterred from a truly funny show’s comedy. I don’t think Scrubs was the first show, but it certainly was one that showed that comedy on television could be funny, poignant, and not need an audience to guide you along. Eventually this idea brought forth one of the funniest American shows ever in Arrested Development.

It’s ironic that the same company that brought us such wonderful show as Arrested could pretty much replace it with a show that more or less had as many genuine laughs as there are words in its title. That said, with its single-camera laugh-track-free style, it gets set a cut above other shows of its ilk, but that doesn’t automatically make it a good show. It still needs funny and original writing and good performances to make it stand out.

The premise of the show is that Sam (Bret Harrison) got a huge executive job right out of college but is still making the transition to the professional life while living with his brother Sully (Eric Christian Olsen) and friends Lizzy and Piper (the super-hot Sarah Mason and Amanda Loncar), partying and drinking with them when he’s not working. The problem from the get-go is that the producers anticipate just about all the humour to come from the fact that he’s living this double life, when in reality, so many people do it. In fact, for a guy that seems to be doing really well at his job, he has a lot of trouble sorting out his own personal life, and not in the cute sitcommy way – he’s just an idiot.

The strongest part of the show are the supporting characters. Philip Baker Hall is still one of the best characters still going and is painfully misused as a hard-ass boss that is EXACTLY like Dr. Kelso on Scrubs, right down to the gay son. Olsen is also very strong as Sully, gaining most of his momentum from physical gags and his own stupidity. Meanwhile, Lizzy plays a ditz so dumb that there really should be no reason that Sam or Med School-bound Piper would really be her friend. And yet, they all live together in a huge and beautiful house, despite the fact that Sam and Lizzy are the only ones who work (she’s a bartender).

The worst part of the show is its romantic subplot. Sam has a huge crush on Piper, and has had it through all of college. However, she’s been with her boyfriend forever, and at the outset of the show, he moved away and they are doing the “whole long distance thing”. This creates that same old ridiculous American sitcom tension that is so forced that it makes me want to punch both Sam and Piper. She is of course completely oblivious to his romantic attachment to her, and temporarily breaks up with her boyfriend no less than three times during the course of show and manages to reunite just before Sam tells her how he feels each time. Now this whole ‘will they-won’t they’ plotline has been done in just about every sitcom ever, but what makes this one so lame is that it’s so inconsistent. The ‘in-love-with-a-girl-with-a-long-term-boyfriend’ thing is perfected on The Office, where they balance an often depressing look at human nature and the tendency to settle compared to a life that may or may not be better. On The Loop, we only see Piper’s boyfriend for a little while and really don’t know whether Sam would be better for her. We have to suspend our disbelief to really believe that he’s an asshole, which is something that is never established.

Ultimately the problem lies within the foundation of the show. Sam is meant to be our hero and the character with whom we are supposed to sympathize, but he’s just too much of a douche to really care about. Yes, he seems like a nice guy, but as displayed in the second episode, really has no moral basis and absolutely no will power. I think what would have made this better is having the character be far more likable, or one in the British loser vein, a total arsehole who the audience is meant to laugh at, not with.

The show comes with one special feature, a half-assed 6 minute behind-the-scenes featurette where all the actors and actresses talk about how this show is like ‘nothing else on television’, and I think that might have been true only because Arrested Development had been cancelled and The Office, Scrubs, and every other show except According To Jim was on hiatus. I’m sorry Eric Christian Olsen, this show isn’t original or one of the best things on television right now.

What surprised me most after watching the show was realizing that after its 7 episode run last spring, it’s actually getting renewed. But minus Lizzy and Piper – and that doesn’t make much sense because most of the show was about how Sam wanted Piper. And it’s sad that a lacklustre show like this can get renewed while Fox cancels countless near-classic shows. Maybe they should make a show about a guy who cancels funny shows. I bet that would get ratings. Or maybe he’d have to cancel it.

Features:
Thesis: Work vs. Play Featurette

Audio:
5.0 Dolby Surround

Video:
Widescreen 1.78:1

Subtitles:
English, Spanish

Favorite Scenes: Trouble In The Saddle, Tiger Express
Rating: NR
Running Time: 153 minutes
Extras Rating:
Overall Rating: