I am – Hercules!!


Masterminded by “Kids in the Hall” player Bruce McCulloch, “Carpoolers” is a sitcom about four guys who commute to work together. It stars Jerry O’Connell (“Crossing Jordan”), Jerry Minor (“Life With Louie”), Fred Goss (“Sons & Daughters”), Tim Peper (“Guiding Light”), Allison Munn (“What I Like About You”) and Faith Ford (“Hope & Faith”). It is the least funny, most annoying sitcom of the fall season. Even the viewers who complain most adamently that reality shows are crowding scripted fare off the air may run screaming into the arms of “Kid Nation” after sampling this misery.

USA Today gives it one star (out of four) and says:

Is ABC trying to kill the sitcom? … The show is so painfully witless and dull, your daily commute may begin to seem entertaining in comparison.…

The New York Times says:

… it is hard to see how “Carpoolers,” a new comedy created by Bruce McCulloch, might have made it onto the air. The show, which begins tonight on ABC, deploys a single camera, a format that seeks to elevate sitcoms to the sensibility of film. (“Malcolm in the Middle,” for example, used it too.) But here it feels self-aggrandizing. “Carpoolers” cannot maintain the cool distance that its visual style implies. …

The Los Angeles Times says:

… A low-rent "Big Shots," "Carpoolers" doesn't have enough edge to be offensive. It just isn't funny. Which is a problem, you know, for a comedy. …

The Washington Post says:

… has a certain loopy cuteness to it, but the show lacks a beating heart, some strong central figure to care about and root for. … it's nothing to vilify, but not really TiVo-worthy either.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:

… a trip to skip. …

The Boston Herald says:

… destined for the breakdown lane. …

Boston Now says:

… opens with a great scene - taking a familiar joke and pushing it even further - but alas it's all downhill from there. …

Variety says:

… shockingly dull and unfunny … as unlikable as the guys are in "Big Shots," "Carpoolers" takes it one step further with a team of dullards commuting to a random office in L.A. This sitcom is a Sigalert in progress. …

The Hollywood Reporter says:

… the equivalent of a breakdown in the HOV lane. … The best thing in the show's favor is its single-camera style and a cast that knows its way around a punchline, though these are few and far between. In general, stories are contrived and exaggerated, and they fail to deliver even a mild comedy payoff. … "Carpoolers," a clunker of a comedy, is stalled in the fast lane. …

8:30 p.m. Tuesday. ABC.

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