Cool News
Herc Says OUTSOURCED Is
NBC’s Worst Sitcom In Years!!
I am – Hercules!!
Sunday and Monday had the season’s three best new shows, and now perhaps the three worst debut Thursday night.
“Outsourced,” from screenwriter George Wing (“50 First Dates”) and writer-producer Robert Borden, who created “The Brian BenBen Show” and co-created“The George Lopez Show,” is out and out sitcom hackery and a throwback to when NBC had no qualms about putting garbage like “Four Kings” and “20 Good Years” on its airwaves.
It’s about a South Asia call center established to field calls for an American novelty company that sells stuff like fake vomit.
I’ve seen news reports on these overseas call centers and I suspect a funny, interesting show – one that that better adhered to that reality – could be forged from this premise. “Outsourced” dumbs down its characters until they descend into sitcom behavior unrecognizable as human.
Kindly watch “The Office” tonight and switch off right after so “Parks and Recreation” can take over the “Outsourced” slot sooner rather than later.
HitFix says:
I'm not sure where to begin in expressing my dismay … what's most upsetting is that NBC decided to bench "Parks and Recreation" not only the best comedy on that network, but on all of television last year - in favor of this cheap, lazy, unfunny mess. …
The Washington Post says:
… "Outsourced" is NBC's "Aren't brown people funny?" addition to its Thursday night comedy lineup and it is not the global recession-era humor catharsis I'd hoped for. …
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:
… labors for laughs and conjures few. … it feels like one of those mid-1990s hammock shows, series such as "The Single Guy" or "Union Square" that landed between NBC shows viewers really wanted to see, such as "Friends" and "Seinfeld." Disposable sitcoms didn't stand a chance then, and they definitely won't last in an even more competitive television landscape now.
The San Francsico Chronicle says:
… Um, have you read a paper in the past year or so? Jokes about the economy - probably too soon. And did you get the memo about making fun of other cultures to the point where you bump up against the racism thing? Apparently not. India is a big country. Laughing at their cows and curry - it makes you look as if you've never traveled. (Additional note: Making fun of people is easy and cheap. Write that down.) …
TV Squad says:
… The show treats this central culture clash with a great deal of tentativeness, a quality that never makes for good comedy, yet despite its scaredy-cat caution, 'Outsourced' still manages to be vaguely insulting and condescending. Many, many shows have mined quality humor from fish-out-of-water scenarios. 'Outsourced' is not one of them. …
The Boston Herald says:
… a depressing sitcom … My favorite character in the series is an unnamed extra, a man wearing a turban who never says anything but seems to find offense at everything Todd does and bolts from the room. That’s a smart man. There’s no laugh track here, which is either a blessing or proof that an automated tape can commit suicide. …
The Boston Globe says:
… too unambitious in scope, and too broad in tone, to satirize the recession or unemployment or anything that counts as relevant. …
The New York Times says:
… The fact that it’s neither embarrassing nor deeply offensive — once it gets rolling, the show is actually quite charming — is a credit to the cast and the writers. …
The Los Angeles Times says:
… It is no closer to reality than any of its Thursday night neighbors (Ken Kwapis, of "The Office" and other good things, developed it and directed the pilot), but it has a top-flight cast, characters who show you who they are rather than telling you, smart writing, sure rhythms and a cheerful attitude.…
USA Today says:
… Despite its Indian setting, Outsourced is in essence an American office comedy, and the office is filled with typical sitcom employees. Those include an over-ambitious assistant manager (Rizwan Manji); a naive would-be playboy stuck with the name "Manmeet" (Sacha Dhawan); a socially inept guy who talks too much (Parvesh Cheena); a shy girl who talks too softly (Anisha Nagarajan); and a lovely woman (Rebecca Hazlewood) who smiles a lot at Todd.…
The Hollywood Reporter says:
… Insensitive during this generation's Hard Times? Possibly. An excuse to mock Indian people and culture? Could be. Downright angering? Sure, for many. A spectacular risk for NBC, especially in the plum post-"Office" slot? Absolutely. But for those with the grit to get past, or over, the premise and watch without prejudice, "Outsourced" is a chance to grin in the face of modern economic realities while having fun with the U.S.-India culture crash.
Variety says:
… Once you get past the awkward recessionary premise -- outsourcing and layoffs? Hilarious! -- "Outsourced" is a fairly standard, occasionally sweet NBC comedy …
9:30 p.m. Thursday. NBC.
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Readers Talkback
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What are the other two? I assume "Shit My Dad Says" is one of them...
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Just curious.
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Right alongside "Shit My Dad Says." I wonder if Herc is right on this.
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itv made a show called "bombay calling" and it was horendous<p>at least that show didnt attempt to bring humor to the evil that is outsourcing
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it was about two American guys who go to work in an Indian call center as regular workers and learn about Indian culture and become over time localized. Rather than hey lets laugh at the brown guy doing a southern accent.
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Previews and write-ups for "Outsourced" have been running seemingly for ages and not once have I seen any reference to the movie it's obviously based upon, also called "Outsourced". It was a cute, small movie that, based on what I've heard and seen about the show, handled the subject matter much better. I'd even recommend it.
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Sept. 23, 2010, 4:07 p.m. CST
Can't believe this took the place of Adam Carolla's pilot.
by Bungion Boy
Not sure if that was as good as Carolla has said, but it had to be infinitely better than this. I'm not easily offended, but even I'm a little put off by this premise.
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I liked the premise and the initial commercials. Too bad it's been getting lousy reviews.
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Interesting.
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I've seen it and like it. But as as a dumbed down sitcom? No thank you.
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But to play devil's advocate, Parks WAS terrible in its first season too.
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In the movie version, the woman he falls in love with is NOT white, and in this she is. For a network whose new slogan is "Colorful," and even seem to be using that to ESPECIALLY market this show, it's crazy that such a drastic whitewashing was still done.
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No? Lucky you!
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No one.
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Sept. 23, 2010, 5:36 p.m. CST
This is a complete rip-off of my sitcom OUTSAUCED
by CHRISTIAN_BALE_TRASHED_MY_LIGHTS
An American gets shipped over to his ketchup company's factory in Mexico. Comic gold.<p>Sadly it wasn't picked up by NBC for some reason.
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I can't even imagine how someone could come up with an idea like this in a major recession. Did some NBC exec actually think that a bunch of laid off workers would chose to escape their depressing existence by watching a comedy about the people those jobs were outsourced too?? Really??? Are you shitting me???? And it's more than one guy, a bunch of people actually agreed to approve this. Every dumbass I've ever known is a genius compared to your average Hollywood type. Yet they're rolling in money while everyone else is barely hanging on. It just makes my head hurt.
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Indeed.
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but I stopped reading after you said Kings was garbage. It was one of the best shows on the air last year, it is near a crime that it was canned so early and at all.
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lol we will do your jobs for pennies and live in mud huts <P> How is spreading poverty funny? <P> Oh right...the race card still has some pull with the retarded <P> The Bad News Bears are a bunch of disease riddled parasites who think women are property and will bullshit you till their last breath for your last penny. <P> If I had to rank countries in order of best to let it go India would be at the bottom just above China and Mexico.
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Sept. 23, 2010, 7:50 p.m. CST
f it, give mcfarlane a show why not, give meh Parks & Rec now, b
by strykebr
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and actually worked there for a few months teaching the new replacements how to do the job - a grim, depressing situation...but what tremendous people there. Really. I hate the outsourcing notion but there's material there.
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But other than that, the stench coming off this show is easily in the Hobo power double-digits. (The person above who made a point about Adam Carolla's pilot will appreciate that one.)
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"FOUR Kings." Sitcom starring Seth Green.
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Is the fact it was made in the first place? I mean, come on, we are struggling to keep jobs in our country and away from India, and I've had many friends lose their jobs in the last 10 years, but now they make a fucking show I'm supposed to laugh at about jobs being outsourced to India? I still think it will be cancelled in 3-5 episodes. I said this months ago when I heard about this "genius" of an idea. Hey, genius, if you are reading this, you better hope someone who has lost their job in this recession to some Indian dude being outsourced or insourced for that matter, doesn't turn your face into tenderized meat.
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It was rather weak, but I thought it made fun of Americans just as much. "Look at all of the useless crap that stupid, American rednecks buy!" I chuckled a time or two. Bring back Parks and Rec!
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I agree that it made fun of Americans equally. This show already had Deidrich Bader. Bring in Mike Judge and help it realize it's potential.
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I haven't watched them all but, this was was at least 2 mild chuckles better than the crapfest Mike and Molly. Within 5 seconds that show gave us a sassy Jamaican waiter with a made for shitty sitcoms accent making lame fat jokes and it didn't get much better. I predict cancellation for both.
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Raising Hope and Running Wilde (Wednesdays on FOX) were both very good. Really funny stuff. Outsourced is painfully bad.
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Sept. 24, 2010, 12:17 a.m. CST
Ironic NBC opted to replace Aziz Anzari with unfunny brown peopl
by Tigger Tales
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At least the deer singing Sweet Home Alabama was funny and it has Deidrich Bader. I'll give it another episode before it's removed from the DVR schedule.
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Forget this TV show, see the movie!!!
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I was a bit intoxicated and didn't see that until I had already posted it. My apologies.
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I thought Amy Poehler got pregnant and thats why the show has been moved off the schedule until January.
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that could come from a Comcast/NBC merger is the removal of the idiots in the current regime. But that's not enough to offset the damage it will do to the industry at large.
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Sept. 24, 2010, 8:59 a.m. CST
Yes, I agree, Outsourced the movie was realy good!
by HelveticaConspiracy
Please go watch it, instead of this ugly looking 'sitcom'. I hope the filmmakers behind the movie made a bankroll from this garbage so they can make another movie. Then, I hope they cancel this steaming pile of 'manmeet'. ugh.
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I have no idea what all this fuss is about. Have we become so politically correct or just timid that we can't laugh at something that is undeniably true? And all the Indian actors here are doing a great job - very funny and very SPECIFIC, so they don't generalize the whole of Indian culture. I especially like the cute shy girl who can't speak up, with those big eyes of hers - she was funny right off the bat. Jesus, everybody relax and get upset about something that matters. Like what complete lying assholes Republicans are. Now THAT'S disturbing.
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Granted, my expectations were quite low. Some funny bits. Not appointment TV by any means, but a show I'll watch now and again (maybe catch them On Demand when everything else goes on hiatus).<p>Of course, it probably seemed a lot better than it was because I watched it right after seeing the truly awful "Shit My Dad Says". Has there ever been a more appropriately titled show?
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NBC green-lights new sitcom about the hilarious goings on at a plantation during slavery in the Antebellum South.
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It's not.
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NBC has disappointed me many times in recent years, but Outsourced was no such disappointment. I found it pretty funny. Personally I think everyone dumping on it is doing so because they're comparing it too heavily to the Office, and even then failing to realize that it's not the same show and that even the Office isn't up everyone's alley. Give this show a chance.
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what a load of crap this is !!! Talk about it being a orginal comedy !! Did the pproducers fail to see that this is so similar to the failed series in the uk called 'mumbai calling' and that they ripped the heart out of the film called 'outsourced' which was a gentle cute comedy not this piece of garbage that was aired !!!
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