UNDATEABLE
When some of my most favourite sitcoms went off the air, a friend suggested I watch "Undateable". And after I watched the first episode of the first season, I was hooked. A multi-camera sitcom made by Adam Sztykiel, this summer filler at NBC actually is more hilarious than many of its counterparts. The show is loosely based on a book of the same name by Ellen Rakieten and Anne Coyle.
Danny Burton (Chris D'Elia), a 30 year old single man living in Detroit, Michigan, finds a new roommate, after his old roomy gets married and moves out. This new guy is Justin Kearney (Brent Morin). He and Danny instantly click, even though they are different people altogether; while Danny is a carefree man living his life to the fullest with no intentions of settling down, Justin, a bar owner, is just the polar opposite. They, alongside their friends Brett (David Fynn), Burski (Rick Glassman), Shelly (Ron Funches) and Danny's sister Leslie (Bianca Kajlich), comprise of the main cast. It is their day-to-day activities and uncalled for situations that form the plot of the humorous show.
All of the friends possess individual qualities that make them either unattractive, or unworthy of a proper romantic relationship. Ergo 'undateable'. The show mostly takes place in Danny and Justin's home or at the latter's Black Eyes Bar. Besides, Danny and Justin are bound to disagree on something or the other in every episode, and most of the funny dialogues come from there. Shelly is my favourite character, whose perfectly timed punch lines and generally adorable personality is loved by his friends.
Now here's my take. I like the show, really. It's "LOL" funny, has great character combinations with more or less likeable episodes. But I still cannot get over the fact that some of the characters closely resemble roles from other sitcoms we've seen throughout the years. For example, Danny, a stubborn ladies' man who doesn't want to grow up, reminds me of Charlie Harper (Two and A Half Men) and Barney Stinson (HIMYM), and Justin, sensitive and seemingly mature, possesses Ted Mosby (HIMYM) and Ross Geller's (Friends) attributes. Sometimes there are way too many punch lines in quick succession, and can get a little tedious. Otherwise, I have no complaints. The show really does make me laugh.
The first season has 13 episodes with 22 minutes runtime each. The second season of Undateable is in progress, so you really haven't missed much. I'd say go for this show if your weekend is free and if you're up for some light-hearted laughs.
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