This summer, I’m almost positive I broke the record for number of times a person can watch the movie “Pitch Perfect” in one week.
I won’t tell you the number because it’s awfully embarrassing, but let’s just say that it was abnormally high. When the movie began playing on HBO, it always seemed to be on at some point every day.
It was on after I came home from work or from a friend’s house, in the morning when I ate my cereal and so forth. So obviously I became weirdly obsessed with Skylar Astin, the breakout star of the film.
He’s just so darn cute. And his singing is nearly orgasmic. So when I began seeing promos for his new TBS comedy “Ground Floor,” I casually thought I’d give it a try (actually, I freaked out and put the date in my phone).
But I wouldn’t be a TV buff if I hadn’t put more research into the show. I also found out that the show comes from the mind of Bill Lawrence, aka the creator of one of my favorite comedies, “Scrubs.”
John C. McGinley, also known as Dr. Cox from “Scrubs,” is even starring, too! Since I’m obviously such a sucker for name recognition, I was sold and scheduled time to watch the two-episode premiere on Nov. 14.
Before I get to my review, I’ll briefly summarize the main plot. Astin stars as Brody, a hot-shot banker at a successful company who, in the pilot episode, hooks up with Jennifer (Briga Heelan). It seems like true love, but Jennifer actually works in the same building as Brody, only in the “building support” department on the ground floor. Get it now?
Obviously this upsets their co-workers as they try to start a relationship despite coming from different levels in the building and, generally, in life.
The pilot is a little rough. Not in content, per say, but in overall editing. I guess I’m just not used to a multiple-camera setup and those awkward laugh tracks. Laugh tracks are okay when used sparingly, like in the case of “How I Met Your Mother,” but when they’re so overbearing that they make me cringe, there’s a problem.
But when I eventually got used to the laughing, I finally saw that there’s a ray of promise in the show, only because of its main characters.
It’s no surprise I approve of Astin; he knows when to be goofy and when to be serious, and he’s got charm in spades (he even sang at the end of the pilot — score!). Heelan is bold when playing Jennifer. Even though she’s meant to be sarcastic and rough-edged to Brody’s sensitive insecurities, Heelan makes Jennifer likable.
It was hard to see McGinley as anyone besides tough-loving Dr. Cox, especially since he uses that same wide range of inflections during his discouraging pep talks in “Ground Floor.” I was half-expecting him to shout out “newbie!” to Brody like he was doe-eyed J.D. from “Scrubs.”
McGinley plays Mr. Mansfield, the harsh boss who practically bans Brody from seeing Jennifer. That’s totally a Dr. Cox move, but he verbally admits that he’s secretly pulling for the two to make it work. That’s totally not a Dr. Cox move.
But overall, the series is watchable. I admit I didn’t have high hopes, since most freshman series on TBS tend to get axed. But the network may have something here.
I like the romantic comedy premise. It’s been working lately for serialized comedies like “The Mindy Project,” which I adore indefinitely, so I think it could work for “Ground Floor,” too.
The one-liners improved throughout both episodes, and the supporting characters seem to be breaking through their vague outlines. That’s obviously an indicator that this show is going somewhere.
So I’ll stick around for a few more episodes. I mean, when Skylar Astin and I finally get married, it’ll be a little awkward if I say I didn’t watch his show on TBS.
