Whitney (NBC, Thursdays 9:30/8:30 Central)

Whitney

NBC, Thursdays 9:30/8:30 Central

Sep 22, 2011 By Jeremy Nisen Web Exclusive

Whitney Cummings plays someone evidently based on herself and her real-life experiences in this eponymous show. From the get-go, the stereotypical relationship tropes make an appearance: man and woman getting ready at the same time in the bathroom; lack of sex in long-term relationship (the "long-term" here being a vast three years); whether or not marriage is the right choice for such a couple, etc.

Here's what's likeable about Whitney: Cummings has an easy physicality that lends itself well to comedy; a couple of supporting characters are funny (particularly Maulik Pancholy as Neal, and some promise from Rhea Seehorn as Roxanne); and the punch lines per minute are astonishingly high.

However, most of those fall pretty flat. Fast-paced dialogue is one thing; throwing crap at the wall to see what sticks is another. The introduction of Jane Kaczmarek as Whitney's dejected mother puts the very bland cherry on top of this nearly vanilla sundae (the writing and role, not the acting, which is fine).

There is one scene that's amusing, when Cummings is role-playing in a nurse costume, but makes her boyfriend sit down and fill out insurance forms before he can "see the doctor." Aside from that semi-precious gem, Whitney's just another typical sitcom. Subscribing to the line 'em up, shoot 'em down formula, there's not much special—or funny—about it. (www.nbc.com/whitney)

Author rating: 4/10

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Average reader rating: 3/10