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Better Off Ted (1 Viewer)

Shawn Shultzaberger

Supporting Actor
Joined
Dec 2, 2000
Messages
705
We watched Better Off Ted last night. I liked the show but the dialogue seemed to come fast and furious almost like they were trying to set up everything in 30 minutes that could have been done over a couple of shows.
 

Scott-S

Premium
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Joined
Aug 8, 2001
Messages
2,388
Location
The Land of Zion
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Scott
The show is doomed because I actually liked it. :frowning:

I liked the over the top products. This is set in my world which probably makes it funnier to me than others.

Favorite lines from last night:

"We need a mouse that can survive at 190 degrees"
"Computer mouse or live mouse?"
"I'll have to get back to you"
 

Adam Lenhardt

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Joined
Feb 16, 2001
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Albany, NY
Sort of like General Electric meets the company from Dilbert. I liked it a lot more than I thought I would, especially the rapid-fire pace. The only thing I'd change would be to get rid of Ted's home life.
 

pitchman

Screenwriter
Joined
Aug 11, 1998
Messages
1,878
Location
Columbia, MO
Real Name
Gary
Yeah, that didn't really add anything to the mix. Maybe it will work better in future episodes. Overall though, this is funny pilot and I hope ABC sticks by it until it can find an audience. I'm not sure how much it is going to benefit from having Scrubs as a lead-in. I'd be tempted to flip their respective positions and have Better Off Ted lead off the hour at 8:00 p.m.
 

ScottH

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Jan 2, 2001
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Scott Hanson
I watched about the first 10 minutes and decided it wasn't for me. Sort of an unfunny version of 'The Loop'.
 

Nick Martin

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Joined
Mar 18, 2003
Messages
2,690
I was really looking forward to this and enjoyed it.

Portia DeRossi's character was a real treat. Corrupt but very nice about it.
htf_images_smilies_smile.gif
 

RAF

Senior HTF Member
Deceased Member
Joined
Jul 3, 1997
Messages
7,061
I watch a lot of television - probably way too much.

Well, I'm probably in the minority here but I thought the show was absolutely dreadful. It tried to take the theme from several other shows (The Office, Mad Men and Testes come to mind immediately and I'm sure there are many others) and put it together in a format that appeared to me as trying to be cutting edge and trying too hard. To me it was derivative drivel. As I mentioned in another ABC thread, this is the first time I ever remember cancelling my DVR "Season Pass" while watching the premiere episode. The very capable cast (the reason I was enthusiastic about its debut in the first place) deserves a lot better than this.

But what can we expect from ABC? Remember, this is the network that has killed Life on Mars, Eli Stone and Pushing Up Daisies only to substitute this garbage?!?

:thumbsdown: :thumbsdown:

Big time.
 

Joe S

Second Unit
Joined
Oct 20, 2003
Messages
270
I kinda liked the premiere, but have a feeling that it is doomed.
It just didn't feel quite right.

It was nice to see Andrea Anders again, and I noticed that the guy who played Phil (Jonathan Slavin) had been Andy Richter's cubicle-mate on Andy Richter Controls The Universe.
 

gregstaten

Supporting Actor
Joined
Aug 1, 1997
Messages
615
I thought the episode got off to a fantastic start and I was really looking forward to watching the next several episodes. But as it continued I found myself less and less interested in it. The breaking the wall dialog ultimately seemed more contrived than clever and I agree that using his daughter as the "moral voice" felt even more contrived and out of place.

I'm going to give the show another episode before I drop it from the DVR - especially as you really can only tell where a show is going when you see a post-pilot episode where the notes, retoolings, etc have been implemented.

-greg
 

Hanson

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Hanson
Due to its pedigree, I so wanted to like this that I gave it a lot of leeway. In the end, it was just okay (I didn't snort or guffaw even once) but I'll try it again next week. Sometimes it takes shows like this a few episodes to really find itself.

And for the record, I didn't mind the precocious daughter at all. Perhaps because I have one myself.
 

Patrick Mason

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Dec 1, 2005
Messages
154
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Los Angeles, CA
Real Name
Patrick
I absolutely LOVED the first two episodes of this show. I hope it will catch on enough to stick around. The Office has been the only sitcom I've truly enjoyed for the past few years, but this had me laughing out loud very hard throughout. I'm a sucker for that Howard Hawks-style rapid fire dialogue, and the delivery from everyone in the cast is just unbelievable. This is first-rate in my book.
 

Adam Lenhardt

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2001
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Location
Albany, NY
I didn't like the second episode as much as the first, mainly because it recycled way too many jokes from the pilot. That being said, the new stuff was a very funny and I'm loving the Dilbert-esque vibe.
 

Will_B

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Joined
Mar 6, 2001
Messages
4,730
Eagle cry!

I loved it. Didn't know there was a second episode airing so soon, I just saw the premiere episode the other day,
 

EricW

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Joined
Jan 1, 2001
Messages
2,308
i'm kinda liking this show even though it's not very original. as much as i like Portia de Rossi (especially in Arrested Development), i find her acting/character the weakest on the show. it's the most unnatural. hopefully she develops it, or her lines get better.
 

DavidJ

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Joined
Jul 23, 2001
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4,365
Real Name
David
I've really enjoyed the first two episodes of this show and plan to continue watching. I for one hope it sticks.
 

Will_B

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Joined
Mar 6, 2001
Messages
4,730

Her character is supposed to be odd though -- unable to do small talk, amazing at having no sense of morality in business, unparalleled vanity, etc. I think she will indeed grow on us as her character starts to have other known traits.

But these sorts of humor shows are ALWAYS canceled very soon after they start. Andy Richter Controls the Universe was like this too. Pushing Daisies was a bit like this (except Daisies was more of a drama). Networks executives always get scared that this kind of humor isn't what they vaguely remember having watched on tv back when they still watched tv, and they axe them.
 

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