Worst Week: The Complete Series

Created by Matt Tarses (Scrubs), this U.S. adaptation of the British sitcom The Worst Week of My Life was originally intended for Fox, which didn't bother picking up the series after its pilot was filmed. CBS snagged the show and ran 16 episodes during the 2008-09 season before pulling the plug. Basically a mild retread of the Ben Stiller film Meet the Parents, the premise finds good guy Sam (Kyle Bornheimer) getting into all sorts of zany accidents anytime he tries to impress the intimidating parents of his pregnant fiancée, Melanie (Erinn Hayes). Whether falling into a giant cake or being locked outside without his clothing, Sam is a one-man demolition derby who is viewed as a buffoon by everyone except Melanie. Unfortunately, Worst Week never truly clicks on any level—the slapstick is contrived, the jokey dialogue is not particularly funny, and Bornheimer has no clue about navigating the increasingly inane situations that embarrass Sam. Kurtwood Smith and Nancy Lenehan try to bring some degree of subtle humor as Sam's baffled and impatient future in-laws, but they seem to exist solely as exasperated onlookers. Ultimately, this ill-fated show is basically one joke played out endlessly, to the point of exhaustion. DVD extras include an audio commentary by Tarses and Bornheimer on the pilot episode. Not recommended. (P. Hall)