TV Review: ‘Perfect Couples’ is Adequate But Far From Perfect

BrianTT — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 13:33:22 -0500

CHICAGO – Since practically the beginning of TV, sitcoms about the trials of being in a couple are a dime a dozen. Today it takes innovative, highly intelligent writing to make the mundane, everyday challenges of being in a relationship seem exciting and—most importantly—watchable, week after week.

Television Rating: 3.0/5.0

NBC’s midseason pilot “Perfect Couples” is not innovative, nor is it highly intelligent. Still, though the format of the new show is nothing new, there are genuinely funny moments throughout this first episode.

While the hot-and-cold tempestuousness of couple Vance (David Waltoon) and Amy (Mary Elizabeth Ellis) is grating; buttoned-up self-help book devotees Rex (Hayes MacArthur) and Leigh (Olivia Munn) are sometimes deliciously funny; and “perfect” couple Dave (Kyle Bornheimer) and Julia (Christine Woods) are vanilla but likable. Yes, “Perfect Couples” features a sexy couple, a type-A couple and a “normal” couple, and the presentation of these relationship sitcom archetypes are trite at best.

Perfect Couples
Photo credit: NBC

Despite these formulae, or maybe because of them, the funniest scenes are those that happen among the men only. The larger-than-life Vance is pompously self-obsessed and melodramatic, and the scene in which he accuses Dave of abandoning him during a particularly messy fight with girlfriend Amy, and then caps off his displeasure by playing Dave a “Dave Betrayed Me” playlist on his iPod, is surprisingly funny.

Even if “Perfect Couples” isn’t reinventing the wheel in formula, writing or characters, it’s reasonably entertaining. Nevertheless, with all the shows that exist about couples, it’s doubtful that anything that’s “reasonably entertaining” will be enough to keep audiences coming back week after week.

The pilot of “Perfect Couples” airs Thursday, Jan. 20 at 7:30 CST on NBC. It was created by Jon Pollack and Scott Silveri, and it stars Olivia Munn, Hayes MacArthur, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, David Walton, Christine Woods and Kyle Bornheimer.

By EMILY RIEMER
TV Critic
HollywoodChicago.com
emily@hollywoodchicago.com

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 40 Chicago Passes to ‘Life as We Know It’ With Katherine Heigl

HollywoodChicago.com — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 15:47:30 -0400

CHICAGO – In our latest romantic comedy edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 40 admit-two passes up for grabs to the advance Chicago screening of the new film “Life as We Know It” with Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel!

The film also stars Christina Hendricks, Josh Lucas, Alexis Clagett, Brynn Clagett, Brooke Clagett, Hayes MacArthur, Sarah Burns, Jessica St. Clair, Brooke Liddell, Kiley Liddell, Rob Huebel and Melissa McCarthy from director Greg Berlanti and writers Ian Deitchman and Kristin Rusk Robinson.

To win your free pass to the advance Chicago screening of “Life as We Know It” courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just answer our question below. That’s it! This screening is on Monday, Oct. 4, 2010 at 7 p.m. in downtown Chicago. Directions to enter this Hookup and immediately win can be found beneath the graphic below.

The movie poster for “Life as We Know It” with Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel.
Image credit: Warner Bros.

Here is the plot description for “Life as We Know It”:

In the comedy “Life as We Know It,” Holly Berenson (Katherine Heigl) is an up-and-coming caterer and Eric Messer (Josh Duhamel) is a promising network sports director.

After a disastrous first date, the only thing they have in common is their dislike for each other and their love for their goddaughter, Sophie. But when they suddenly become all Sophie has in the world, Holly and Messer are forced to put their differences aside. Juggling career ambitions and competing social calendars, they’ll have to find some common ground while living under one roof.

“Life as We Know It” is directed by Greg Berlanti (TV’s “Brothers & Sisters” and “Everwood”) from a screenplay by first-time feature writers Ian Deitchman and Kristin Rusk Robinson. The film stars Katherine Heigl (“The Ugly Truth,” “27 Dresses”), Josh Duhamel (the “Transformers” films), Josh Lucas (“Sweet Home Alabama”), Christina Hendricks (TV’s “Mad Men”) and Hayes MacArthur (“The Game Plan”).

Warner Bros. Pictures presents in association with Village Roadshow Pictures a Gold Circle Films/Josephson Entertainment production. The film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film has been rated “PG-13” for sexual material, language and some drug content.

The movie trailer for “Life as We Know It” can be watched now below.

To secure your free tickets now, make sure you’re logged into your HollywoodChicago.com account. If you don’t yet have one, you can quickly register here. Having an account with a valid e-mail address is required. Then, simply add a new comment in the form below. In your comment, include an answer to this question:

If you were faced with the situation like the two main characters in “Life as We Know It,” would you raise the child together or bolt?

Like all Hookups here, this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup is simple: Just submit your comment below and we will award 40 admit-two tickets randomly via e-mail for our “Life as We Know It” Hookup. Winners need to arrive early as seats are consumed on a first-come, first-served basis. Good luck!

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief/Publisher
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com