Better Off Ted

Veridian Dynamics is a large corporation that invents, tests and markets everything from deadly pumpkins to beef that tastes like despair. Ted works there as a manager. He's a good and sane man in a heartless--and often insane--corporate environment. The comedy in this series comes from seeing just how insane work at Veridian can be and the hoops Ted jumps through to keep the insanity in check.

Each episode begins with a commercial for Veridian Dynamics, parodies of commercials put out by real world corporations. These commercials are so biting--and funny--one wonders who would dare advertise on a show like this. Portia De Rodsi steals the show as Ted's boss, Veronica, who embodies all that is beautiful, perfect, devious and heartless at Veridian. Veronica is the kind of woman who likes having Ted's young daughter around, because her presence makes it easier for Veronica to fire people.

The show never lets you get too comfortable, and that's a good thing. It is brilliant, hysterically funny and original, so much so that it's a wonder it hasn't been taken off the air . . . yet. Catch it while you can.

As most of the other reviews bring out, this series was a victim of the network's itchy hatchet fingers. A lot of us didn't become aware of it until well after its cancellation-and it was like discovering hidden treasure. The first season is especially good-it has the quick wit and irreverence of "Arrested Development" in the guise of a standard workplace comedy. The writing in the second season shows signs of getting lazy by adding too many sex jokes in unnecessary places, but the gifted cast makes up for it-often taking the otherwise-clever dialogue and situations through the 4th wall very naturally. It's not easy to pull off this kind of comedy, but it's so seamless that it becomes perfectly normal in Veridian Dynamics' button-down business world. A perfect cast, in a comedy that should have run longer. It deserves a place of honor in TV history.

I just saw the pilot for this show and want to write about how I liked it. Mainly because I feel shows aren't given time to find an audience and maybe me voicing my like of the show will give it a chance.

The show reminded me a bit of the movie Brazil, except a sit com. The music, the setting -- especially the part about making chairs uncomfortable with workers in order to increase productivity --, a few of the characters, though I doubt this show would even touch the dark comedy of Brazil. What I am saying is that it has that sort of bleaker comedy spirit.

It's smart too. Jokes are pretty rapid fire and I think it will do good playing after Scrubs because I feel Scrubs fans would stick around to watch this. Originally I thought maybe this was a spin off from Scrubs with the character Ted...no really I did. Andrea Anders was in the short lived spin off from Friends, Joey, so maybe I have that on the brain.

I was hooked from the whole, "can you make a mouse that can stand 195 degree temps?" to the pumpkin weapons, so I hope this show is given a chance to get an audience. I'll watch it whenever it's on. It's got a lot more going for it than your typical sit coms.

This is now a decade old and nothing I can remember in that time came close except maybe The Office. Ahem...these two shows are both finding gold with satire over the white collar corporate mentality and the workplace that results from such.

Well corporate greed and hubris does create a fertile field to plow it seems as so much of the exaggerated comedy here springs from a solid kernel of truth whether it be in the ethos of the company or the psyche of the character. It might even be a bit on the creepy/scary side that to find these points to spring from it really doesn't take much intelligence or imagination.

The bottom line is this show absolutely has a wickedly sharp take on lampooning the foibles of the corporate empty vessel and the workplace that springs forth. It has both characters you love to hate and characters you love simply because you connect with their take on all of the soulless greed. Some things really glue it together such as the device of Ted narrating the story and the use of no inane laugh tracks using instead sharp scene editing with a spritely brass anchored background soundtrack. This brilliant comedy and because it pokes an eye at some of the real things surrounding work life it truly can connect with viewers like me. I think this show is a great mirror of corporate insensitivity, ambition, and greed.

Portia de Rossi is even better in this show, and I was surprised to find none of the same writer/directors from A.D. listed in the credits. The Veridian Dinamics 'commercials' are fantastic. Throughout the show I had to try not to laugh too loud, so as not to distract my co-workers.;) Funniest show I've seen in a long time. I have to agree with one of the other posts that the comedy is targeted and intelligent, which is hard to find these days. I am continually disappointed in most comedy shows, but every once in a while a gem like this comes along.

PLEASE don't cancel this, ABC! Long live the Octochicken...