| Chris Quinn: ‘Body Shop' overheats quickly |
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| Wednesday, 18 July 2007 | ||
There are shows that started off slow but once they hit their groove, it was sheer bliss, such as “Seinfeld,” “B.J. and the Bear” and “Cops.” Of course, you have those shows whose only purpose is to suck: “Captain Planet and the Planeteers,” “Full House,” “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” and “Blue Collar TV.” Then there are the underappreciated shows that are so unique, quirky and great they burn themselves up in their own amazing fire and are gone almost as soon as they air, like “Greg the Bunny,” “Get a Life” or “Stella.” And you have the shows that make you embarrassed to be sentient. “American Idol” and “Dancing with the Stars” are perfect examples of: “Just shove the pencil in my eye and leave. Thank you.” One often-overlooked group, I am sad to say, is right where the newest show from Comedy Central falls. The show: “American Body Shop,” Sundays at 9:30 p.m. The category: Tries too hard and sucks because of it. Sad but true, this new show presents a mocking view of popular yet moronic reality shows like “King of Cars,” “American Hot Rod,” “Pimp the Car.” Or is it “Pimp My Fender?” Pimp something, whatever, point is, the show fails at showing the inherent humor in a genre like grease-monkey reality by overdoing the gags. And that's never a good thing. Or so I am told. “American Body Shop” phones it in and ends up strangling its own jokes. The new series comes off looking dimwitted and cheap. Kind of like a writer who always puts himself into his own work. And should you ever come across such a writer, show your displeasure by chunking pieces of watermelon at him while shouting, “Dance, Tubby!” As for the TV show, it needs to torque something, replace a funny belt, change the idea oil and tune it up. And those cutsie-assy, lazy analogies pretty much sum up the attempt at humor in “American Body Shop.” The characters are so heavy with stereotype that they keep veering off to the side during their scenes. The program is a lot like another fairly recent, dull comedy, “Halfway Home,” in that the jokes are easy and the character depth is comparable to rice cakes. I don't mean to bag so hard on Comedy Central. I laugh my rear off with every episode of “Lil Bush,” “Reno 911!” and “The Sarah Silverman Program.” But you can't expect a bleeding heart Dime to line up Johnny, Cowgirl and Cowboy for the running of the Bullet every time you are dealt a hand. Sometimes the flop is you. And that is a whole different genre of TV show, and I am out of room. |
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