Whitney: TV Review

Whitney Cummings' greatest mistake here might have been letting NBC make her show a multi-camera affair, filled with (another) excessively generous live audience.our editor recommends'Whitney': 10 Things to understand about the NBC ComedyFall TV Dying Pool: Will 'Charlie's Angels,' 'Whitney' or 'How to become a Gentleman' Be Axed First? Cumming's stock in trade is sass that traffics in wise banter and low-brow crowd-pleasing. Meaning a few of the lines she authored for Whitney work yet others appear all-too-easy. It's difficult to inform just how much NBC really trusts Cummings (who also co-produced 2 Broke Women on CBS). She's a new also it appears like the reins continue to be on. For instance, the pilot really includes a clever scene that follows on the idea that Whitney and her live-in boyfriend Alex (Chris D'Elia) have become sexually stagnant over their years together. So she buys a slutty nurse costume to surprise him after which, while vamping, causes it to be very real by requesting his insurance card and asking him to complete forms. The scene works right until Alex does an average sitcom pratfall taking his pants off and knocks themself out. Ugh. PHOTOS: NBC's Year Television Shows Many of the success of Whitney may hinge on whether people discover her likeable or otherwise. But you will find fundamental issues holding back the show too -- past the multi-camera fakeness from it all. First, the premise appears to become that Whitney and Alex aren't married and they are happy this way. Yes, and? Apparently there's no and. Add in stock figures (happy new enthusiasts the bitter divorcee the super horny single guy) that attempt to play up Whitney and Alex's shocking dismissal of convention (ahem), plus you've got rapport reveal that's hung around the "we're not married" nail. Maybe that's why they require that audience cackling without anyone's knowledge? Hopefully, future episodes will improve. Whitney Cummings NBC Whitney