(Credit: Spike TV)
Is it when everyone realizes that the waning blue collar backbone of America doesn’t look like Larry the Cable Guy? Or when all industrial jobs are outsourced to robots and foreign countries? Or when the network that brought us “Carpocalypse” attempts to parlay the fad into its first scripted series?
Let us hope that Spike’s “Factory” sounds the death knell for blue collar comedy’s stint on TV, because that style of pandering, predictable, lazy attempt at humor is lost on us—especially here. The misadventures of these four friends will leave you longing for the simpler days of “The Jeff Foxworthy Show.” That Haley Joel Osment sure was a handful!
Who's that? Predictable stereotypes alert! Gary (Mitch Rouse) is the leader and ladies' man of the group; Smitty (David Pasquesi) is Gary’s sarcastic sidekick who harbors an unnatural lust for his ex-wife’s stepfather's sister's daughter; Chase (Michael Coleman) is the sweet, quiet butt of their jokes; and Gus (Jay Leggett) makes up their manipulative, morbidly obese fourth, also transported straight from a decade where any member of this motley crew would have seemed remotely surprising.
Buzzed about: Sometimes when cable networks make a foray into scripted programming, they come up with gems like “Mad Men” and “Monk.” Sometimes… they don’t.
The "ooh" factor: The ladies of “Factory” sure are interesting to watch, if only for the fact that they aren’t much of a realistic fit for the series. (How do they afford such nice clothes as wives of hourly employees?) Their boozy commentary from the sidelines is a welcome respite from their husbands’ and boyfriends’ predictable antics. Sadly, their screen time is lacking.
The "eh" factor: Improv is rarely funny, even in deft hands. There is not a Larry David or Steve Carell among this troupe, so the writers might look into hammering out a more coherent script.
The verdict: There are elements at work in “Factory” that could be funny, but everyone involved seems hell-bent on not letting that ever happen. Each moment watching this show is a rigorous test of will. We fail.
"Factory" premieres Sunday, June 29, at 10pm on Spike TV.
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