Life on a Stick

I loathe- absolutely cannot endure- teen 'comedy' crass. I actually cringe when I change the channel and something like That 70's Show, According to Jim, or My Wife and Kids comes up. It has always shocked me that one genre can be so absolutely void of creativity, wit and intellect. Honestly, they are so predictable and weak it's a wonder they thrive the way they do.

So when my inability to go to sleep at a respectable time has me surfing late night television- though my expectations aren't high- I shudder when I land on what I immediately identify as teen crass. The well lit, obviously-a-set set, attractive young adults, and slight overacting; it's all there. I linger to hear and gauge the next punchline, to see whether it's worth my late night infomercial time.

I only had to wait a minute before realising that this show *actually* incredibly funny and intelligent; the responses to situations were so creative. The plot progressions were interesting, mature and quirky-- things only a week ago I would have died before associating with teen sitcoms.

This was the most original show of it's kind, and actually accessible to common youths. This is why I was appalled to see it get a pathetic 4.5 on this site-- oh my god, are you all insane? THAT 70'S SHOW HAS 8.4. That's EIGHT POINT FOUR. There is no way its stupid, bland humor can compare to the wit and intelligence of Life on a Stick. (Just for perspective, The Matrix has a rating of 8.6!) I know I couldn't write with the creativity and freshness of LoaS, and that's why I like it- it's a new experience.

The show was amazing, but it is more what it represented that had me so excited. A slap in the face to the commercial media that every day underestimates its audiences with the unintelligible crap it spews forth.

I can't believe it was axed. Cheap formulas. Unprovoking. Unchanging. Stagnation. I weep for our youth.

OK, OK...here's my claim to fame. I would like to coin a new phrase to describe this show's delivery style. It has a bizarre and perhaps refreshing way of using one-liners or zingers as a way of displaying or developing a story or scene by the sole use of one-liners or "zingers".

The "action" is developed almost exclusively by setting up an endless array of punchlines into one long, connected line. The characters reveal their sardonic personalities by minimalist snippets.

You might think it is one-liner heaven or hell. It's a matter of opinion. The whole feeling is surreal, post-modern and a panoply of pastiches and almost stifling to experience.

After 30 minutes, one comes away with the feeling that we've just seen 10 hours of one-liners in virtual time.

Not sure if it will work with most people because one might become weary because of it continually peaking.

You decide....if this "Zing-Com" is worth the time.

One could say that the show has "doomed" written all over it after already having an abruptly changed time slot for the season premiere. In the ads for the upcoming show, you saw unfunny little bits of working in fast food (a hot dog stand... who'da thought?), but the show surprisingly didn't have as many scenes in the food joint as the title suggests.

This kid lives with his parents after graduating High School, and his parents are leaning towards kicking him out. Sound familiar? Yeah, a bunch of shows have done this before a long time ago. Nevertheless, the re-married couple agree to have him stay in the house as long as he "hangs out" with his step-sister. Sounds like a deal to me. Wasn't this supposed to take place at a Hotdog stand? He has a buddy too... and you can guess how he is. Yup, the kid probably has less brains than the hot dogs he serves, and it's not funny at all. Think "Bill & Ted" after 12 years of Special Education curriculum. Mixed in with the Apu of Fast Food management and a love-interest and you've got yourself a TELEVISION SHOW! Rock on! Other than that.. between the 4-minute commercial breaks, we're left with about 18 minutes of laugh-tracks and all-around "meh" television. This will leave you wishing American Idol Result Night was an hour long again. This show MIGHT have worked in the early-/mid-90's, but not today in the land of giant elimination/reality shows and teeth-gritting dramas. Even among those genres, I've always wondered if a genuine 30-minute sitcom could still stand tall. I was wrong.

I love this show. Amy Yasbeck and Matthew Glave turn in solid performances as the parents, Rachelle LaFevre is a decent female lead, Charlie Finn is a funny sidekick, Maz Jobrani is a hilarious supporting actor as Mr Hut, and Zachary Knighton and Paige Thompson are brilliant stepsiblings.

The lines are brilliant, and Laz (Knighton) and Molly (Thompson) are easy to care about. This is a funny, sympathetic show that shows what a not-quite-adult comedy should be like. People compliment That 70s Show and Saved By The Bell as the apogee of that genre, but, especially for a show only having had one season, this blows them away.

If the humour is graduate meta humour, so be it, I loved this show. Very, very, VERY impressive.

This sitcom is a fairly obvious joke about sitcoms. Very graduate school meta humor. And so, so lame.

You've got the precocious little boy. The doofus dad. The sexy mom. The angsty teen. The doofus young male and his dumb friend. The pretty girlfriend. All of them firing out quips in the midst of pure zaniness. Gosh darn it, if only the FONZ could grab his water skis and put us out of our misery, it would be PERFECT here in Sitcom Land! The worst part is all of these people could do at least slightly better. Except Amy. Amy Yasbeck is a charmer, and a thousand times smarter and better than her material. She delivers her "lines" very professionally, without a hint of justifiable, teeth grinding fury over an agent with worse judgment than the captain of the Titanic.