"Gary Unmarried" Fails to Deliver

When the writers of “Gary Unmarried” (7:30 p.m. Sept. 24, WBBM-Ch. 2) brainstorm material for jokes, one wonders if they consider something other than sex. It appears they don’t.

The show revolves around Gary Brooks (Jay Mohr, “Jerry Maguire”), a painting contractor who has just recently called it quits after 15 years of marriage with Allison Brooks (Paula Marshall). They share custody of two children—Louise (Kathryn Newton), an 11-year-old who frequently outsmarts her dad and has posters of Al Gore and Gandhi covering her bedroom walls, and Tom (Ryan Malgarini), a socially awkward 14-year-old who is, you guessed it, nervous around girls.

Eager to start over, Gary meets a new love interest, Vanessa (Jaime King). But he neglects to tell her about his ex-wife. And his two children. While this premise has comedic potential, the humor takes an unexpected turn for the worse. After sleeping with Gary, someone she barely knows, Vanessa thinks it makes her a slut. Gary quickly corrects her, saying “No, no; it makes you a whore.” This sort of unnecessarily dirty humor is haphazardly inserted into nearly every scene of “Gary Unmarried,” and it spoils what could otherwise be an enjoyable show.

Unfortunately, the writers have difficulty moving beyond sex to get a laugh. Even during a heart-to-heart talk about girls between Gary and his son, Tom innocently asks, “What if she expects me to, you know, tap it?”

However, Gary and his son do have some redeeming moments together. Tom says of a girl he likes “She smells good.” Gary quips, “They all do. That’s how they get you.”

Gary’s supposed appeal is how little he knows about his children, his childish behavior and what’s in his fridge (two beers and ranch dressing). But a guy who doesn’t know a lot about his son or daughter rarely, if ever, comes across as funny. This is no exception.

Veteran actor Ed Begley Jr. plays Dr. Walter Krandall, Gary and Allison’s former marriage counselor and the author of “Rules for the Perfect Divorce.” Begley Jr. offers some relief from the constant barrage sex-laced dialogue. And let’s just say he plays an interesting role in Allison and Gary’s post-divorce plans.

CBS has delivered other smart, humorous shows like “How I Met Your Mother” and “Two and a Half Men,” so viewers ought to expect better from its new comedies—especially one that’s directed by James Burrows, who was behind megahits like “Will & Grace” and “Friends.”

But the show’s creator and series’ executive producer, Ed Yeager, has yet to achieve similar success. Yeager’s producing credits include “Grace Under Fire,” “Suddenly Susan” and other short-lived sitcoms. He also co-wrote the screenplay for the wholly unsuccessful “The Comebacks,” which attempted to parody every sports cliché known to man.

Longtime comic Mohr appears awkward in a sitcom role. His talents are not completely wasted, but they’re not used well, either.

Beyond the cheap laughs that are few and far between, “Gary Unmarried” has very little substance. It’s not quite “Gary Unwatchable,” but “Gary Underdeveloped” is more like it.