Grid Effect

In Case of Emergency, last night’s other ABC debut, has the same exact texture and style too it as Knights. A collection of guys and one token aesthetically pleasing woman (To this shows credit, their female lead is much more attractive than Knights of Prosperity’s female lead). Let me just say that I tend too think Jimmy Kimmel is quite hillarious, and the fact he did a cameo on this trainwreck leads me too believe his ratings are worse than previously thought and that ABC must really have him by the balls.

The premise is four friends/acquaintances cross paths through extenuating circumstances on one night when they are all questioning their own validity and place in life (though the three male leads all seem pretty familiar with each other, Kelly Hu’s character seems too be the only new addition to “the group”). The humor if not identical, is probably a little less “edgy” than that of Knights, and I use the term loosely.

Never the less, this series also negated the laugh track, which I am traditionally in favor of, but the jokes are so bad that they need too be supported by some sort of background appreciation. One of the running gags throughout the pilot is the girl cannot remember the guy’s name who had an unbeknownst crush on her in high school, but can remember the other two guys, and seemingly every other detail about her youth, quite vividly. If this recycled, rehashed and redistributed humor is indicative of the series, then a laugh track is probably necessary just too remind the audience it’s supposed too be a comedy.

Other notes:

Johnathan Silverman plays a more tense version of the guy from Weekend At Bernies. For the half hour he is essentially doing an incredibly poor caricature of Woody Allen. The most cringe inducing moment comes from him when he gives a painful explanation about the hardest part of being divorced, that is, filling out the emergency contact info when visiting the hospital (get it? “In Case of Emergency”? Yeah, it’s really bad when a shows actual title comes from such a insipid moment).

At least it’s a paycheck

David Arquette, between this and producing Dirt, decided too remind us why he has been out of entertainment for the past couple years. Silverman says he can’t drive because he doesn’t have his license on him.

I almost forgot too mention, Lori Laughlin, the girl from RAD (also John Stamos’ wife on Full House, but I prefer too remember her from the 80’s BMX teen movie) plays a doctor. She is the strong, confident one; But didn’t go too high school with the four former classmates.

Oh well, I tried and was unimpressed. It’s back too pretending that ABC only exists for professional and collegiate athletics.