Hit and miss: ‘Exes,’ ‘Daughter’

By Rick Bentley

McClatchy Newspapers

You might think it’s casting that makes a TV show a hit. A big name does have a certain draw when it comes to the initial episode of a new series. After that first date interest is gone, the success or failure falls squarely on the writers’ shoulders.

Think of it this way: Jerry Seinfeld has the acting skills of a walnut. That didn’t stop him from starring in one of the best comedies of all time, because the writing was so phenomenal.

Two new comedies launching Wednesday night illustrate both sides of this principle.

Sitcom veterans Kristen Johnston, Donald Faison and Wayne Knight headline the new TV Land series “The Exes,” the story of three divorced men who rent the apartment across from their divorce lawyer (Johnston). The cast should pique the interest of fans of “3rd Rock from the Sun,” “Scrubs” and “Seinfeld.”

All three are excellent comedy performers, but the key is writing that’s crisp and fresh. The actors can concentrate on doing their best work without wasting energy squeezing laughs from a bad script.

This is the formula that made TV Land’s “Hot In Cleveland” such a hit.

On the other hand, there’s the new Fox series “I Hate My Teenage Daughter.”

Jaime Pressly and Katie Finneran play moms who’ve become frustrated with their daughters — played with solid mediocrity by Kristi Lauren and Aisha Dee.

Pressly’s return to television after a brilliant run on “My Name Is Earl” is like a switch from five-star dining to Dumpster diving for scraps. The writing is putrid garbage. Her character on “Earl” was feisty, a little twisted and a lot funny. That’s because of the first-rate writing on the show. The only jokes in “Teenage Daughter” are there by accident.

Finneran’s an accomplished stage actor, but trying to make the writing in this show work is like starting a fire with a marshmallow. It’s never going to happen.

The moms’ efforts to be their daughters’ BFFs fall as flat as the writing. A series of hackneyed scenarios culminates in a low point when moms decide to teach daughters a lesson on a high-school dance floor.

That scene should teach everyone a lesson. Nothing can save a show when the writing is so pathetic.