On Order and Away

A group of odd characters work and sometimes live at an English pub. The characters are introduced in the first episode, and try to come together in the last. In between, there are four separate story lines with only two or three characters appearing in each. This approach doesn't allow for synergy, and we're left not knowing a great deal about them. And given how over-the-top and off-putting many of them are, not caring much either.

I just started Whites (UK, 2010), which has a similar setting, and there's no comparison: it's orders of magnitude better than On Order and Away. I'm not anxiously awaiting a second season.