Worst Week

This is one of those surprising shows. You know, the kind that you see by accident and are completely amazed by. I'm not very well tapped into the hype of television (got Tivo, so I don't see much in the way of commercials), so I don't know if it was given a big promo campaign or not, but I really hope the network gives it multiple seasons. The idea, a British import, follows an idea similar to "Meet the Fockers". An average good guy who seems to have cataclysmic bad luck is marrying (and having a child with) his loving girlfriend who comes from an uptight upper middle class family with a domineering father. There are also echoes of "Everybody Loves Raymond" here, with themes of overbearing in-laws and the quirkiness of family.

While I loved "Meet the Fockers" and "Raymond", in many ways I appreciate "Worst Week" because of some subtle but gratifying different choices made by the creators. In Fockers, for example, Ben Stiller's character is almost always alone in his antics. When something goes wrong and he finds himself in the middle of a mess his girlfriend is, along with her family, a judgmental observer, leaving the viewer to feel like Focker, alone and ashamed. Of course, she forgives him by the end, but it always felt a little harsh to me as this was supposed to be his future wife and mother of his child. "Worst Week", by comparison, places the girlfriend often into the role of co-conspirator, so that even if everything goes wrong you still have the foxhole "at least we're in this together" sort of feeling. And while I'm a huge fan of "Raymond", I like that the story of Sam and Melanie (the two main protagonists) is starting much earlier. In many ways Sam and Melanie are still kids themselves, and it's kind of nice to watch as they grow into their roles of husband and wife (and mom and dad) rather than picking up the story much later in their life.

All in all, the humor is well written and acted. Especially Kyle Bornheimer, who is a real find as the hapless everyman Sam. And Erinn Hayes, who plays Melanie, does a fantastic job of portraying the formerly rebellious girl all grown up, neatly skirting the line between hip thirty-something and quasi daddy's girl who is drawn towards a conventional family life. Every show I've seen so far has consistently gotten good laughs out of me, so I think that if you enjoy a good warm family kind of humor you will really like this show.

There are some bad critics about the serial but it's not bad at all...

I should confess that it was beyond all of my expectations...

Been a really while since I laughed and enjoyed a movie this much...

Of course scenario contains some signs of meet the parents but it's just a more advanced and prolonged version... Basically a guy meet's girls family story but contains many many original moments... which I think should be respected... but beyond this it's already a nice serial...

Not a masterpiece but I a very very good serial to spend nice time...

I'd advise it to all who haven't enjoy a comedy and haven't laugh so much since a long time like me...

Just watch it and you'll not loose anything... you'll just have fun!..

Poor,beleaguered SAm Briggs(Kyle Bornheimer,who seems to have been born with a 'I'm screwed!'face)is about to marry the lovely Melanie(Erinn HAyes),but has the dangerous task of trying to impress her parents(KUrtwood Smith and NAncy Lenehan,both great!)and seems to wear bad luck around his neck. EAch element of their impending nuptials becomes fraught with peril,all laying out traps for our intrepid hero.

THis comedy has worked so far(At this writing,about twelve episodes deep). THe timing and reactions of all involved work well enough(Or better yet,they stay out of the way of the natural humor to develop)that this show has a true charm and appeal to it. I'm probably mincing details here,but I still cannot help but feel like naming a show "Worst Week" suggests that this show's running plot is a singular or finite problem. Since the mere nature of a TV series is,usually,to continue indefinitely,the naming of a show set around a singular worst week seems to present a bit of a problem. Or maybe that's just me.

UNless there's been a revelation as to the time constraints of this show in a previous episode(or episodes)that I've not been cognizant of,I cannot help but feel like a show with the kind of genuinely funny quality and rich potential,the producers might want to change the title. Some suggestions: "Worst Weeks"? "Another BAd Week"? "ONe Bad DAy After Another"?

Again,just suggestions. Good show,though!

This is a rare example where the American version of a TV show is better than the British original. The original was merely frustrating in its Sisyphean contrivances whereas the American is more sweet-natured and the actors are more likable. I particularly loved the scene where a stunned budgie is mistaken for a growing erection in the hapless hero's pants while he watches his fiancée's sister breastfeeding – it's more complicated than that of course but still hilarious! The fiancée's father is played by Kurtwood Smith from Dead Poets' Society and many other good movies. Unfortunately Channel 10 in Australia gave up on the show after a few episodes because of poor ratings.

For a comedy, I usually don't have to high requirements, one being of course that it should be funny. Well, it isn't.

One major thing with comedy is timing and chemistry. Recently, the people behind forgetting Sara Marshall, knocked up,etc have surprised me by doing rather simple story's that still feels fresh even though there isn't really anything new about them, yet it still works.

This show is quite the opposite. Some rather good ideas is completely lost due to poor timing and more or less every single joke being obvious a long time before occurring. I really though it would be fun after reading about it. For me, it really isn't. Actually one of the most disappointing show's I've seen in a long time.