“Bent,” from writer-producer Tad Quill (“Spin City,” “Scrubs”), is a sitcom about a type-A single lawyer-mom (Amanda Peet) who falls for her handsome stoner contractor (David Walton).
The good news is it has no laughtrack and features hot actresses (“Even Stevens” fixture Margo Harshman plays Peet’s hornier sister) and funny men – among them JB Smoove (Leon Black on “Curb Your Enthusiasm”), Jesse Plemons (Landry Clarke on “Friday Night Lights”) and Jeffrey Tambor (Hank Kingsley on “The Larry Sanders Show”). The bad news is the show itself is not real funny. Or interesting. Or original.
NBC is burning off all six “Bent” episodes over the next three weeks, placing it in the path of ratings titans “American Idol,” “Modern Family” and “Criminal Minds.”
... It is snappy, and funny enough when it needs to be. It is acutely aware of all the will-they/won't-they clichés and enjoys letting Pete, Alex and Ben be aware of them, too. And it has absolutely terrific chemistry between Walton and Peet, the kind that can't be manufactured — even though I've seen many, many unfortunate series try. It's not perfect, but it's also not particularly bent.…
... Sometimes it’s best not to think too hard and just embrace the idiocy. If you’re able to bring that mind-set to “Bent,” a screwy comedy NBC introduces on Wednesday night, you’ll have a pretty good time. …
... it is all very well done. If the characters are not particularly original, neither do they come off as artificial. The dialogue is 75% banter, but it is crisp and tart, and the actors make even the ripostes you can predict sound spontaneous. …
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:
... not a terrible show but it's not particularly good either. … light on an abundance of laughs, surprises and original ideas.
... misses its mark — but not by much and not in any objectionable way.…
... You’d have more fun watching somebody put up drywall. …
... Pick whatever form of mild praise you prefer, and odds are it will apply ...
… traffics in rat-a-tat banter that's increasingly common in sitcoms, but rarely this well executed. …
9 p.m. Wednesday. NBC.
