Traffic Light

Netflix had a busy weekend adding quite a few interesting looking TV shows, as well as a slew of new movies (The most recent Academy Award Winner for Best Animated Picture, Rango, probably the highlight.) On the TV front, however, several classics, as well as some recent shows, that never found much of an audience. Since there's no way I could ever review all of the new TV shows that Netflix adds, let me just let you know what was recently added:

Adam 12, 1968, 7 seasons, half hour Drama

The Chicago Code, 2011, 1 season, Drama

Come Fly With Me, 2010, 1 Season, Sitcom

Friends with Benefits 2010, 1 season, Sitcom

Leave it to Beaver, 1957, 6 seasons, Sitcom (Honestly, if you don't know what Leave it to Beaver is, then thank goodness it's on Netflix)

Light's Out, 2011, 1 season, Drama

Magnum P.I., 1980, seasons 1,2 & 5 available, Drama (Tom Selleck at his finest)

McMillan & Wife, 1971, 6 seasons, Drama

Quincy, M.E., 1976, 8 Seasons, Drama

Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings, 2009, 1 season, Anime

Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, 1973, 1 season, Children

Traffic Light, 2011 1 season , Sitcom

     Today I decided to review Traffic Light, a recent network sitcom, that only managed to air half a season worth of episodes. It is perhaps most memorable for attempting to make Pam from the Office's ex-fiance Roy (David Denman) a sympathetic character.

     The show deals with three college friends Ethan, Adam and Mike, who still spend much of their free time together, and the three stages of life they are in. Mike has a wife and baby, Adam just moved in with his girlfriend, and Ethan is happily unattached. Most of the sitcom seems to revolve around these differences. The show attempts to make each of the three life styles seem perfect for the occupier, but as a result seems to be contorting itself a little much to have a coherent voice. 

     As a bit of entertainment, I was never particularly amused, but I was distracted for 22 minutes, which I suppose is all I could have expected. The dialogue is quick and witty, and happens often during conference calls when the three friends are sitting at traffic lights. The show doesn't rely on these moments too often, thank goodness, but it's best writing seems to be reserved for them, which is too bad, because having to cut three times just to see all of the characters in a conversation, takes away a lot of the energy that the wit could have generated.

   The Pilot episode focused on how Adam moving in with his girlfriend has changed the dynamics of the group. It relies on pretty simple cliches, such as the friends wanting to go get a beer at the bar, but Adam feeling conflicted because he doesn't want to disappoint his girlfriend at home. The climax of the episode, if you will isAdam getting Mike to dress up as a demonic clown wrestler for his boss' child's bah mitzvah, and getting caught by his wife, whose name I can't remember if that tells you anything about the importance of the characters.. I expect similarly unimaginative looks at these stages of life in future episodes.
    In complete fairness the show was funny, and I laughed out loud four times, which may not be Seinfeld funny, but Seinfeld's not on Netflix. I'll take it.

In Conclusion: Back of the queue