What I Like About You

This has become one of my favorite shows on television. At first I only watched it for its awesome theme songs but I have become hooked on it. Every week I enjoy watching it to see what kind of predicament Holly and Val get themselves into. I think the show is very well cast and has become truly hilarious. The leads and supporting cast are both excellent, and this is a perfect vehicle for Amanda Bynes. Yay WB! I think that with a few more seasons this will become even better. The characters are well fleshed-out, and I think it will only get better with time. I like it. Not only is it well cast, but the actors work well together in a great ensemble.

*** out of ****

I wasn't expecting much. Just another boring, predictable "talking heads" situation comedy. But this show was different. Amanda Bynes has a background of playing broad comedy on Nickelodeon shows. Jennie Garth is best remembered for playing teen angst on "Beverly Hills, 90210". Inside the silly plot of the pilot, which was similar to an RKO short subject comedy of the 1940s or 1950s, physical comedy abounded. Bynes comes off like a teenaged Lucille Ball and Garth is dragged into the action. No, Garth is no straight women; she handles the physical stuff better than expected. The pilot was a good start. Now only if the writers don't allow the show to get soft and sentimental! Keep the physical comedy coming!

The premise and scripting of WILABT are both reasonable, and compared to many comedies out there, they're excellent. However, by the standards of Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond and Frasier, this is a distinctly average show.

What makes me watch it every time it's on are Amanda Bynes and Wesley Jonathon. Jonathon is a great character actor, and livens up what could be a dull character (the "Best Friend"). The part of Henry is excellently written, which surprised me, as the Val and Jeff characters are both weak.

But as I said above, Amanda Bynes makes this a good show. Easily the most talented teen on television, and in the top 10, whatever age, of current times, she's a great asset to the show. Rubber faced, with what could be described as a "beauty in repose", she takes a part that's been poorly-written, with physical humour that could easily look horrible, and makes it funny.

What America may have found here is a true star - not a mildly talented actress like Lindsay Lohan who has the scripting to make her a star, or a "piece of ass" (to quote one critic) like Hillary Duff...but a true superstar. Long make she reign as Queen of Teens.

I had fears when I watched the first episode of "What I Like About You".

First, Jennie Garth. Sure she's beautiful and she knows how to act, and its shown in her 90210 days. But 90210 and WILAI are two different genres, one is aimed for the drama and the other show is mostly comedy. So was it a good idea putting a dramatic actress into a comedy? Most of the time, it is.

Second, Amanda Banes. Oh boy. Up until this show she was up in the hall of shame next to Shea LeBeauf (and if you've seen I, Robot you'll know what I'm saying). She was decent in All That but when she got her own show she began acting goofy, way too goofy, so goofy that even Jim Carrey will stare at her blankly. Goofy is good, but not too much. Last year she was fine on her movie (I think it's called "What a girl wants...) but WILAI is her best performance yet thanks to her wit.

So the basic plot is that Holy (Banes) is moving to her older sister house Valerie (Garth) because her father is moving to Japan. And from there will be plenty adventure! Of a teenage girl and her older sister. Also in the cast are Garth's boyfriend Simon Rex playing Jeff, the silly yet caring boyfriend and Wesley Jonathan playing Gary, Holy's best friend. The character of Gary is fun but most of the time his annoying. On the contrary, Jeff is a better character, Simon Rex did a good job here by reflecting his "stupid" personality, but not too much.

After the first season Simon Rex left the show (unfortunately) and there were plenty of new characters to fill in the slot in the second season: Holy's best friend Tina, Val's co-worker Lorene and finally the "more-than-friends" Vince and Henry. Holy has a relationship with Henry, the nice and gentle guy but later she falls in love with Vince and the plot gets tangled and more complicated than it was on the first season. At the end another great character leaves the show, Henry, and I hope the show will get better on the third season.

Overall, most of the characters are nice, Gary is starting to be more and more bearable but Tina seems mostly useless. If I have to rate this show it's a tough call. The first season was funnier but the second has better plot. So in the end I'll say this, if the writers can just combine the comedy and plot twists together the show will be even better. Anyway nice job and as much as I hate to say it, Amanda Bynes is on the right track.

Holly Tyler (Amanda Bynes)'s father is moving to Japan for his new job. She stays with her strait-laced sister Valerie (Jennie Garth) for a final week before moving. Val has a great life in NYC. Holly is nothing but trouble. Despite the various disasters, Val takes her in. Gary Thorpe is her best friend. Lauren starts out as a competitive co-worker and ends up as Val's best friend. In the 2nd season, Holly finds a new friend in rebellious Tina Haven. The two Tyler sisters find love and heartbreak.

This was when Amanda Bynes was still cute and funny. She's doing broad and sometime slapstick comedy. This has photogenic actors in a perfectly OK blend of single-gal sitcom and teenage comedy. The rotating boyfriend carousel does get tiresome. It's hard to say any of the boyfriends truly stuck. In the end, the best couple is probably Holly and Val although Gary and Tina do find each other. This is a passable cute sitcom with some serviceable laughs.