Parents' Guide to God's Favorite Idiot

This series seems to aspire to be something in between a workplace comedy and a supernatural romp, and it has its moments, yet as much as we love the actors not every comic premise succeeds. The credits say "written by Ben Falcone," but one wonders how much the series is written, because it often feels more like a set of improvs on which the camera was allowed to run too long. Melissa McCarthy is always sheer comedy gold, and here, as always, is priceless when allowed to riff. She and (real-life husband) Falcone also have fun comic chemistry, but scenes stretch on too long, and gags are repeated to the point where they become a little painful: We're told repeatedly that Amily takes outlandish drug-and-alcohol combinations, an idea that's only weakly funny if at all, and yet we're expected to laugh at each new combination. Adderall and margaritas? Tequilas and Tylenol PMs? Are we supposed to be laughing that this vibrant woman seems to have a substance abuse problem?

One wishes that Falcone and McCarthy were cast in something, well, better written, with jokes that are sharper, so that we could enjoy their evident delight at working together and the chops each have, which are not inconsequential. In a wonderful scene in God's Favorite Idiot's pilot, Falcone's Clark asks Amily out on a date. He stammers, but manages to get out that he thinks she's lovely, and bold. Even though she's tasked with playing a silly character, who in this scene is wearing wildly mismatched plaid pants, polka-dot shirt, and what appears to be a man's hand-painted vintage silk tie, Amily's reaction to his assertions is heart-warmingly genuine. Someone cast these two in a well-scripted rom-com, where we can enjoy their warmth and chemistry without cringing at the unfunny jokes.