A remake of a 1998 ABC dramedy from Rob Thomas (“Veronica Mars”), “Cupid” is about a disbelieving psychoanalyst and her patient, a strange fellow who believes himself to be the matchmaking ancient god of love.
Who couldn’t wonder how they were going to find a replacement for “Entourage” star Jeremy Piven, who played the title role in the 1998 version? Bobby Cannavale does a better job than expected, though it’s hard to shake memories of Piven’s faster, brainier energy.
Less successful perhaps is the recast of the Paula Marshall part with Sarah Paulson (“Studio 60”), who may or may not have snagged the role because she too has “Paul” in her name. The sexy, charming Marshall’s frustration with Cupid was fun to watch; Paulson comes off too brittle and disdainful.
The first story is a lot softer than I’d expect from Thomas, who gave “Mars’” quippy outcast high-school heroine a backstory that included drugs, rape and the best friend’s murder. Not that any of those things belong here, but it’d be nice if the series’ first hour felt a little weightier.
If I’m disappointed, know I’m still season-passing the series on my DVR in deference to its creator/showrunner, whose past efforts demand attention be paid.
… It's nobody's fault that Cannavale and Paulson so far lack the chemistry a show like this needs. The problem with this version of Cupid (it's actually a remake of a 1998 ABC dramedy) isn't the actors, but its strained Touched by a Love Boat concept …
… leaves you with a crucial decision, but it's not the one the show sets up, which is whether you choose to believe Cannavale's Trevor Pierce is crazy or Cupid. No, it's whether Cannavale's high-energy star turn strikes you as cuter than the proverbial button, or as so out-of-all-bounds annoying that you'd rather cut off your head than watch him mug and prattle for even one more second. Fortunately for those who value their time, the choice becomes obvious early on. …
… I prefer "Cupid 1.0" -- bits of which you may find floating around the Web, if you're interested -- but given that many of you will not remember it at all, I won't spend too much time praising the former at the expense of the latter, which begins tonight, also on ABC, upgraded from the original's Saturday-night Siberia to a prime slot after "Dancing With the Stars." I will say, however, that it isn't as good as Thomas' other current show, "Party Down," on Starz, which is calculated to work only on its own terms, while the new "Cupid" is intended to succeed, in a mass way, where its predecessor failed. (Nor is it as good as his "Veronica Mars.") That is the great luxury of lower commercial expectations.…
… The problem is, though this good-natured show doesn't lack for energy, “Cupid” is a little bland and formulaic. … Still, the slenderness of “Cupid’s” premise and characters might not matter if there were more sparks of love-hate chemistry in the mix. Alas, this is a romantic comedy without an abundance of sparky romance, at least between the show’s lead characters. …
… "Cupid" manages to be charming and funny even while pouring on the wishful romance angle (that being one of ABC's programming strengths). Whatever ABC saw that it didn't like certainly isn't visible in the pilot. … Despite concerns that the actor comparison would be unflattering, Cannavale makes the role his own - less manic, less crazily righteous, but more embraceable and shaded. …
… It's impossible not to compare the two casts or to find the new version a pale imitation whose characters don't feel fresh in the slightest, because, well, they're not. It doesn't help that in the new "Cupid" the actors playing the rechristened Trevor Pierce (Bobby Cannavale) and Dr. Claire McCrae (Sarah Paulson) are no match for their predecessors. …
… a depressing shadow of the underappreciated original. … Piven left room for doubt: He might have been Cupid; he might have been certifiable. Cannavale’s Cupid is simply overcaffeinated. He blathers nonstop. To demonstrate enthusiasm - which is his approach to everything - he throws his arms in the air. He does it so often, he’s going to hurt himself. He and Paulson share no chemistry. Advice for the lovelorn: Give up. This “Cupid” shoots duds.
… Part of me wants to tell you that ABC's new "Cupid" is breezy, romantic fun. Part of me wants to encourage you to stop thinking so much and enjoy Bobby Cannavale's mania as a man who believes he's Cupid and who leads a ward of psychiatric patients through a joyous "All You Need Is Love." Part of me wants to forbid myself the use of the word that rhymes with "Cupid" and begins with "st." …
… this arrow doesn't quite hit the bull's-eye. Bobby Cannavale does make for a cuddly Cupid (a.k.a. Trevor), who walks a line between being charming and a galoot, while Sara Paulson's Dr. Claire McCrae skulks around throwing water on his ambitions to match up 100 couples. We know she's prickly because of her pursed lips, and we're supposed to sympathize with her sense and sensibility, but she's rather rigid and two-dimensional. … The balance is off, but there is still a sweetness to the show that makes it worth checking out.
