This blog was originally published on elkharttruth.com on Dec. 28, 2014.
After watching all the new fall TV shows and then seeing a lot of comedies, I came to a conclusion:
If the supporting characters on a TV show are less than desirable, not even good leads can save it.
Cases in point: “A to Z” and “Manhattan Love Story.”
These two comedies were among the first of the 2014 season to be axed (Though “A to Z” is still airing new episodes, production will most likely not continue). And I was not too surprised.
I thought the leads for the shows were endearing. But their friends on the shows were awful.
The lead actress in “Manhattan Love Story” roomed with her college friend and her husband.
And boy, were they obnoxious. The college friend, Amy, was always talking like she knew everything, with a whiny voice, might I add. And her husband, David, was just stupid and loud.
Same sort of problem in “A to Z.” Cristin Milioti (“How I Met Your Mother”) and Ben Feldman (“Mad Men,” “Drop Dead Diva”), the leads, were quirky and entertaining.
But both characters had best friends who were archetypes. The girl friend was desperate for love and the guy friend was a player.
It’s 2014, almost 2015. TV viewers are smart — they are beyond watching stereotyped characters. It’s boring, uninteresting and a waste of time.
Not every show can be an ensemble show like “Friends” or “Modern Family,” where every character has enough of a story line each episode to give them purpose.
But shows should not have useless characters that only add frustration instead of enjoyment to a TV program.
Think “Breaking Bad” or “The Big Bang Theory.” Those shows have obvious lead and supporting actors. But you’re invested in every character no matter how many minutes they are on your TV screen.
A smart show needs smart characters. And only smart shows will survive.
I get that comedies are hard to write because it’s difficult to be funny. But it can be done. And we don’t need to bog down with dramas. We need to laugh, too.