TV Land is the sitcom version of AMC’s drama driven line-up. These two cable networks are dominating great television, allowing no other station a competing chance of superiority. “The Exes”, like the previous premiers on TV Land, is a slow sleeper that has its strong moments of dialogue. We felt the same way about “Retired at 35”, “Happily Divorced” even “Hot in Cleveland” that took one or two episodes to work the kinks out before the rolling laughter began.
Having been big fans of “3rd Rock from the Sun” it was a no-brainer that Kristen Johnston (Holly Brooks) would be a smash right out of the gate. Her character Holly is a divorce attorney who uses the separation catastrophes of her clients to avoid dealing with her own commitment issues. By indulging herself less than delicately into their day to day struggles, there is little time for her to contemplate her own future.
Wayne Knight (Haskell Bing) plays a divorcee who would prefer never having to leave the sanctity of the apartment. His ever present dry sense of life in the real world spills over into his world inside the apartment. Change is something he is familiar with but would prefer only to happen to someone else. Wayne often plays characters that get the short end of the stick and audiences love his portrayal but TV Land gave Knight an opportunity to mix his type cast routine with a bit of a strong outer shelled character. On “Hot in Cleveland” as Rick, he was able to give the viewers an added bonus of sexuality. His pursuit of Melanie (Valerie Bertinelli ) was a timeless sex in a bottle act form few can pull off. He did it with humor that abounded and kept the audience rolling in the isles. He tones that down a bit to spit fire sarcasm at every turn on “The Exes.”
Donald Faison (Phil Chase) has to stretch little for his role as Chase. The twist is that he has to downplay the excitement of the humor. His time on NBC’s “Scrubs” as Dr. Chris Turk allowed him little occasion to be visually quirky because the jokes were more an underlying statement. On “The Exes”, his comedy has strength on the visual side, and in addition, his delivery timing is superior.
Rounding out the cast is David Alan Basche (Stuart Gardner), a new addition to the single divorcee apartment that is occupied by Haskell and Phil. Initially, Phil was apprehensive about Stuart moving in to the bachelor pad, but after a wing-man incident the two begin to bond. Basche is a complete natural as Stuart, giving great performances in every scene. Although his character is new to the group, he will inevitably be the glue that holds the group together over time.
Kelly Stables (Eden) has a long resume of recurring roles and smaller movie parts but she shines in “The Exes.” Her character will be peppered throughout the show but do not let that fool anyone. Eden will no doubt be expanded as the series continues with her ever present good looks along with the capability to steal the scene.
TV Land is building a reputation of being the ones to beat in sitcomland. With an exception of very few, “Mike & Molly”, “The Big Bang Theory”, “2 Broke Girls”, “Whitney”, “Cougar Town”, “The Middle” and “Raising Hope” that have survived our outstanding list of network television’s best, TV Land is still the giant among sitcom leaders. The slow growth of developing great sitcoms will keep them on the cutting edge of true comedy. Rushing to release new shows often is what makes for the lack of funny on TV these days. Good job, TV Land!
