Benched

It's a crowded place on TV and I didn't expect this to supplant so many great shows on my viewing schedule when it's not too much a variation of the stock sitcom. However, I was surprised that adds something a little new to the equation.

Eliza Coupe stars as former hotshot lawyer Nina Whitley who is banished from the high-priced world after a public meltdown cost her her job.

She takes a job as a public defender where she often doesn't have enough resources or time to do a halfway decent job with her clients. Because of these constraints and this satiric bent, this half-hour comedy gets to the nuts and bolts of the legal system better than many legal dramas.

Nina's office is full of people who aren't on the same wavelength as her. Her arch-nemesis (and potential love interest) Phil does not take the job as seriously and as he's the ring leader of sorts, Nina is often the fish out of water.

Coupe is the rare actress whose stunningly beautiful yet can convince the audience that her character would have trouble landing a date.

The chemistry among the cast is impeccable and Oscar Nunez and Jay Harrington find themselves in roles that are complete reversals from their last TV roles of Oscar on "The Office" and Ted from "Better off Ted" respectively. The brilliant Maria Bamford is underutilized however but hopefully that will change.

I don't know what's wrong with these other reviewers.

This is way better than "Bad Judge", which I really wanted to like.

The lead has great comic timing and the rest of the cast shoes promise.

Just the fact that the stand-up comic Maria Bamford is in the cast makes it worth watching.

I laughed a lot during the first episode, and there are signs that there will be some heart along with the laughs.

Good comedies are hard to come by - give it a chance.

I don't know why IMDb request ten lines of text for a review! It's just not necessary!

I love this show, it is such a shame that it has been canceled. Please, dear Lord of the airing, if you read this, sign (at least) season 2!!

The two main leading roles are fun and the scenario is pretty well written. Somehow it reminds me Ally McBeal but without the annoying Calista Flockart. Eliza Coupe is delicious. She perfectly endorses the part of the daddy's bitchy rich girl.

It's fresh, it's contemporary.

Please, put it back on air, I wanna know what is coming next!

Let me be the public defender of this show and ask the Court a deal for Benched!

Corporate lawyer Nina Whitley (Eliza Coupe) loses her boyfriend and then loses her expected promotion. She explodes and quits. Her outburst becomes legendary and she can't find any work other than as a lowly public defender. Her new co-workers include Phil Quinlan (Jay Harrington) and Carlos (Oscar Nuñez). The best worker in the office may be the intern Micah (Jolene Purdy). Nina finds herself facing off against her ex-boyfriend ADA Trent Barber (Carter MacIntyre) in court.

I don't know who Damon Jones is but I really like Michaela Watkins in her work. She always seems to be very smart in her comedy and a bit offbeat. This has a nice slice of that. It's not that edgy but Eliza Coupe is terrific as the traditional flustered single gal. Jay Harrington is setting up nicely as the romantic lead. However it's canceled after it's 12 episodes first season.

Caught this on Disney+ and right after finishing Raising the Bar. So went from a serious-ish look at the public justice system to one that used it for the setting of a comedy show; and it worked. The lead and the characters play their parts perfectly and the episodes are very entertaining. Shame, they didn't make a couple more seasons.