Shelved

From the mind of Anthony Q. Farrell (writer for The Office, Overlord and the Underwoods), Shelved is a pretty expected single camera mundane and lighthearted workplace sitcom, centring around a small public library in Toronto, Ontario. The single season 8 episode series introduces us to all the library employees and a few of the regular visitors, and while quite enjoyable ultimately feels too short and relatively superficial. More of a trial season so far, I do hope future seasons get more episodes and flesh out character dynamics a bit more, but the writing was decent, the acting was decent, the set (basically just inside a library) was decent. A surprising amount of political and social issue commentary for a family sitcom, I didn't mind it, let out at least three audible laughs during its run, although I do wish they went a bit more of a nuanced route. It seems like most of the jokes basically wrote themselves, and they didn't go out of their way to create anything particularly clever, with any clear vision or passion, nor with any significant depth. Many are comparing this to The Office, however I'd say its much closer to Parks & Rec or Abbott Elementary in tone, and even closer to the likes of Superstore in quality and feeling like a daytime, innocent sitcom. Like Superstore again and unlike the others they spend no time justifying the existence of the camera and abandon the sort of "documentary" structure the others use, which is a totally fine if not preferred artistic choice from my point of view, however they now no longer have justification for the talking heads scenes, so these are missing and are missed. All said again its short so if you like these style of shows I would certainly recommend. I didn't love it, but I certainly didn't hate it.

I have high hopes for this series. A typical office comedy series, with various character and their shenanigans. But sadly this is not it. The story itself doesn't bring us as the audience to care, or even knowing the characters personally. The characters heavily rely on the 'label'; the boss, the new worker, the mysognistic, the feminist, etc etc. Where's the funny? And what makes it even sadder, I hardly see the use of the public library as a setting. I only see they sort of 'interact' among the book, but not the actual job of librarians or what they actually do everyday. It feels like written by someone who seach about librarian's job and make a story about it.

I'm disappointed. After four episodes I decide to wave my white flag.

All the characters have a potential of having episodes based on the character. If I was to complain on the show, would be the character of Wendy being a little too nerdy......but the characters are all great, Jaq is just wonderful, Bryce adds old school. There are episodes that can be outside of the Library as well in the library the various characters add so much life and various story lines. The show has to be reviewed and rewritten for additional story lines and serious overtones with current life story's and of course funny / crazy story lines simple story lines. There is good diverse characters to put up several seasons of shows. Please write up season 2.

This show is a rip off of Abbott Elementary, and unfortunately not a good one. It's so by the numbers I wonder if AI helped write it.

Earnest lead black female character- check.

Nerdy black young male - check Conservative old white guy - check Overly progressive hippie - check Characterless and boring LGBTIQ+ to make up the numbers - check

Progressive plot episode early to virtue signal and meet quotas yep that too.

But worst of all, it's just rarely funny. Not laugh out loud funny and not cringe funny. Just try hard funny.

Sad becuase the setting had a lot of potential and the actors are all really trying. Lyndie Greenwood shows she can act and is a pretty face, but she's not from what ive seen a FUNNY actress.

And the show also contains the most annoying and unfunny character I've seen in a sitcom for a long time- Wendy the homeless lady. You can skip her scenes.

I really really wanted this to be more than it is. The actors seem to really try and although I love the library and the idea of a workplace comedy in one, it just comes off as average or slightly below. The characters are very similar to Parks and Rec but it is all just so lowest common denominator humor that pretty much just makes fun of the Ron Swanson ripoff and his WRONG conservative leanings and (yay Derrick from Shadows!) the librarian from the main city branch and his need to see things run normally. All the while laughing off public porn watching, egregious building code violations, theft, and feces in the aisles so everyone feels safe smh. Maybe it will grow, but hasn't so far... Do better. If you are totally copying a show and formula and characters a decade later, it should be pretty easy to come up with situations and jokes that transpose until you get your footing, otherwise the current writing feels amateur and doesn't bring anything new. If cheeseburgers were really good 10 years ago and then someone in Canadada sells a CheeseBeef Sandwich, then it should have something to differentiate itself. Add mushrooms, pickled bananas, something to make it memorable and appealing. Just not enough real laughs to be a comedy and comes more across as a fantasized biography. Ooooh tha Widdle Twain dat Could, so cute to watch the underdog win when it somehow feels deserving but why get new computers when there is feces on the floor, bathrooms destroyed, no public water fountain, and a trip hazard one of the locals uses to balance themselves, and the mentally incapable to physically and sexually harass your staff? It sounds like great management and the branch is totally deserving of new computers and respect because the boss is nice and has a big heart... zzzzzz I'll give it a couple of more episodes but it really needs to pick up the comedy part of sitcom. And someone drop a piano on that hateful desk assistant. She is just an awful, judgmental, negative person. It was fun to see her get schooled by the other women before launching into their gender-affirming resolution.