This year, FOX chose to premiere its new TV shows earlier than the other major networks, in part due to its need to make up the most ground against its competitors. Most new offerings won't stand a chance against big-time shows like "Lost" and "Heroes." FOX's new sitcom, "Do Not Disturb," falls into this category of "almosts," unable to keep up with not only the other sitcoms, but also the plethora of "dramadies" that have become so popular, or at least prevalent, in recent years.
The pilot episode is entitled "Work Sex" and sets the tone for what will most likely be the recurring motif of the show: relationships and hook-ups between employees at a hotel. The action focuses mainly on the hotel's general manager, Neal (played by Jerry O'Connell). O'Connell is the big name behind the show, but his mediocre acting proves yet again that television makes people famous, not the other way around — think Jennifer Aniston on "Friends" or George Clooney on "ER."
Neal has a serious problem with romancing and bedding his employees, and his Human Resources director Rhonda (Niecy Nash) decides that his all-play, no-work attitude must be put to a stop. She holds a "sex in the workplace" seminar for all hotel employees and shames Neal into avoiding going too far with the cute desk girl, Tasha (Taylor Cole). Rhonda feels pretty pleased with herself, until the sexy security guy coerces her into getting down and dirty behind the desk. When Neal discovers her secret, the two hash it out about the importance of retaining professionalism in the workplace.
The attempts at subplots rely heavily on the supporting cast of other employees including Nicole (Molly Stanton), a model working at the hotel while her career is on a downturn, Larry (Jesse Tyler Ferguson), a gay man who has lost his sexual energy after being in a committed relationship for five years, Gus (Dave Franco), a cute bellboy whose character doesn't really have a point yet, and Molly (Jolene Purdy), a plus-size model with a lot of bubbling personality. Their subplots have not truly developed since the characters are being introduced in the pilot, but as of yet none of them possess any originality or flair.
For the most part, the action of the show focuses on O'Connell's character, but his limited acting range and lack of comedic timing cannot support a 30-minute sitcom. In other words, he is no Steve Carell. To be fair, O'Connell does have many successful TV credits under his belt, such as "My Secret Identity," "Sliders" and "Crossing Jordan," which leads one to believe that it is the structure of the show and not necessarily O'Connell that facilitates this banal, unfunny half hour.
All in all, the format of "The Office" in a swanky hotel does not work. The acting is mediocre at best — even with O'Connell falling flat on his face. The writing ranges from bad to atrocious, making use of clichés, including but not limited to the gay guy hitting shamelessly on anything that walks and the pretty model girl being a dumb, self-involved harlot. The show even tries to bring back the dead-and-buried laugh track.
In the 30 minutes that the show ran, there were probably only about two lines that were laugh-worthy, and both came from the character of Gus. To give all of the funny lines to a side character that has no real position in the show's trajectory does not make for a successful sitcom. If the show wants to keep up with power shows, such as "The Office," it needs to establish some kind of originality in the characters and plot development. Or maybe director Jason Bateman should just come around to the other side of the camera once or twice to appease the thousands of disillusioned "Arrested Development" fans.
