Common Sense Media Review
By Kari Croop
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Humor in whipsmart workplace satire is aimed at adults.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
What's the Story?
A once-unscupulous R&D executive (Jay Harrington) grows a conscience when his ethically bankrupt boss (Portia de Rossi) suggests they try crygenically freezing a co-worker "just to see if it's possible" in BETTER OFF TED, a shrewdly packaged workplace dramedy set inside a shifty corporation that tackles questionable projects like weaponizing pumpkins. (Yes, pumpkins.) With moral support from his school-age daughter (Isabella Acres), Ted sets out to do his job better, all the while getting closer to a pretty office mate (Andrea Anders) who steals creamer on the company's dime.
Is It Any Good?
Although the title leaves a lot to be desired, Better Off Ted is a clever satire with a lot going for it, beginning with a well-casted ensemble of quirky characters who serve up loaded lines like "You have the most beautiful skin. I wish there was a way to peel it off your face and attach it to mine" with deadpan precision. Harrington proves ever-watchable with a well-pressed charm that smacks of George Clooney, and fans of Arrested Development who are still licking their wounds from the show's long-ago cancellation will love seeing de Rossi back in the saddle.
Better Off Ted is definitely more of a thinking person's comedy, so it may or may not find an audience among a crowded playing field of broadly comic alternatives. But if it does catch on? We say it will be a welcome addition.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about whether the fictional corporation portrayed in this series could bear any resemblance to an actual company. How do you think actual companies handle ethical dilemmas and the development of new products? What if there were no governmental safeguards in place to police corporate and scientific ethics? Do you think companies would still behave ethically? Families can also discuss satire. What makes this show satirical? How does it compare to other sitcoms set in the workplace?
TV Details
- Premiere date : March 18, 2009
- Cast : Andrea Anders , Jay Harrington , Portia de Rossi
- Network : ABC
- Genre : Comedy
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 20, 2019
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