EVERY man’s fantasy meets “Meet The Parents” in CBS’ dopey new sitcom “Worst Week,” one of the worst new shows of the week.
OK, I couldn’t help myself with that opener, but that doesn’t mean this new show doesn’t seem old hat.
Based on the British series, “Worst Week of My Life,” the show follows the endless pratfalls, clothing mishaps and major disasters that befall magazine editor and schlub Sam (Kyle Bornheimer) whenever he’s around his pregnant fiancé’s parents.
Yup, all that’s missing is Ben Stiller.
Anyway, fiancé Melanie (Erinn Hayes) tells Sam that they have to go visit her WASPy parents to tell them the great good news that a baby is on the way. Sam is, of course, nervous because well, because gosh darn it, every time he’s around her parents, he causes a massive flood, wrecks their priceless art or burns down their house. Don’t you hate when that happens?
Anyway, for reasons that are unclear, Melanie elects to head to the parents house alone for the big dinner, while Sam stops in at a work party. When he tries to help an insanely drunken girl get home safely, she throws up all over him.
Of course, instead of going home to change his clothing, he decides to clean them at the hammered girl’s apartment. Said drunk wakes up, sees naked Sam and throws him out and locks the door. Oh, no!
Somehow, he ends up in this giant plastic diaper thing taking a cab to her parent’s suburban house. Right. Better to show up naked in a diaper than miss a dinner with her dad (Kurtwood Smith), a judge, and her mom (Nancy Lenehan), a stiff. They are horrified.
There is still plenty of urinating (into food!), flood, fire and mistaken death to go, so hold on.
Only a man (or a couple of them) could get paid big bucks in Hollywood to come up with such a lame-o rip-off and perpetuate the fantasy that gorgeous women can’t help but to love out-of-shape guys who do everything wrong.
When Judd Apatow (“Forty Year Old Virgin” etc.) does the slug-and-the-beauty thing, it usually works. When TV does it, it usually doesn’t.
“Worst Week”
Tonight at 9:30 on CBS