Bent

Despite a talented cast -- rounded out by the incomparable Jeffrey Tambor as Pete's unemployed-actor father -- Bent falls flat in both the "romantic" and the "comedy" departments. Alex and Pete spend so much time dancing around and denying their interest in each other that they exhaust themselves before they can actually act on their instincts. Things aren't much better on the comedy front, either, where Bent relies too much on the characters' opposing personalities for laughs and rarely employs the show's arguably funnier aspects, including the antics of Pete's rag-tag contractor crew and Pete's dad's desperate attempts to jump start his career and reel in the ladies.

There's an upside to the lack of fire in this slow-paced show, especially if you're looking for something new for your teens. Compared to many primetime options, Bent tends to be lighter on physical content, language, and drinking, none of which play a major role in the characters' motivations. Sure, there are casual remarks about "getting laid" and references to condoms, etc., but the physical interactions are fairly low-key, and there's no nudity. What's more, despite the fact that Pete's gambling problem is often spun for laughs, the show deserves some credit for working a serious issue like this into the plot and making it a possible discussion point for families who tune in.