“Four Kings”
Tonight at 8:30 on NBC/Ch. 4
* (one star)
MAYBE TV execs should start hanging out at the track more often.
Why? Because despite TV programming wisdom (an oxymoron if there ever was one!), putting a loser in the middle of a pack of winners won’t necessarily turn that loser into a winner. Or even a front-runner.
Take “Four Kings,” NBC’s new sit-not-a-lot-of-com premiering tonight as part of their otherwise terrific lineup beginning at 8 with “Will & Grace,” moving onto “Four Kings,” then “My Name Is Earl” and, finally, “The Office.”
Three of these shows are as good as TV sitcoms get. “Kings” is another story altogether.
From the creators of “Will & Grace,” “Kings” is a self-conscious attempt to reel in the 20- to 30-something male demographic that TV is so desperate to capture. But, unfortunately, it isn’t edgy, especially funny or believable.
The premise begins with the always-hilarious death of the grandmother of Ben (Josh Cooke), one of the “kings.”
Although Grandma was apparently a big part of their lives (it begins with a Woody Allen ripoff scene of the four as young boys with the very Jewish-sounding Gram, who dubs them “kings”), they don’t seem to grieve much over her death. Or at all.
They are, however, thrilled that Ben has inherited her large NYC apartment so that they can all move in together. The other “kings” are Barry (the hilarious and wonderful Seth Green), Bobby (Shane McRae) and Jason (Todd Grinnell).
In tonight’s episode, each guy breaks up with his “significant other” so they can all move in together. Barry tries to break up with Sharon, his single-mom girlfriend (Kathryn Hahn – the best, funniest thing about the whole show), but she hates him anyway and dumps him first.
Ben’s girlfriend (Kiele Sanchez) doesn’t want to share Ben with the three goons, so they break up. Barry, who used to be a fatty and is obsessed with working out, breaks up with his trainer because his gym is on the East Side, and he’s moving to the West Side. Or something.
The gags run to what are supposed to be over-the-top, but are really bottom-feeder gags, like “Never choose a relationship over your buddies. Bros before ‘ho’s!”
In episode two, the “kings” are out to have a sexual “One Night Stand Off,” and advise each other: “If they ask (your last name) they are needy!” Dear God.
Horrifying laugh track aside, believe it or not, by episode three there are actually some genuine laughs with Bobby and (dimwit) Jason’s ongoing game of “Punching each other hard in the chest at totally inappropriate times.”
I, of course, had to sit through two episodes before I got to the good laughs, which may be asking a lot from the rest of you.