Midseason Update: Mr. Sunshine.

I believe it may count as damning with faint praise to say that the thing I liked best about ABC's Mr. Sunshine was the theme song and the title sequence.

The S/O watched if first and his pocket review: "Well, I thought it was funnier than that show with the baby that you like." (Translated: "Your tastes are weird and unfathomable and I have no idea what you think.")

So I watched the first episode, and I didn't hate it. But I think it bodes ill for long-term success when the funniest people are the supporting characters (Jorge Garcia, Allison Janney, Nate Torrence) and whenever the main characters start pontificating, I have the urge to go change the laundry.

For example, the most hilarious scene was Allison Janney holding a multicultural child as a human shield while screaming, "Clowns with axes! CLOWNS WITH AXES!" before hurling said child at said clowns and running away hysterically.

The rest of it? Not so much. Matthew Perry plays a self-involved douche, and really, I think we're over our quota for self-involved douches. Andrea Anders is funny, but she's just Linda from Better Off Ted with a name change. (Seriously we lost Better Off Ted for stuff like this? And I must say that even though I work at home and haven't been out in the real world for a while, when did hot pants become acceptable office wear for marketing executives?)

And what's up with Matthew Perry's face? Did he have work done? His face is all smooth and pliable and distracting, definitely heading toward Uncanny Valley territory, like he was wearing an ill-fitting Matthew Perry mask. No? Maybe it's just me.

Anyway, the second episode lost what charm there was in the first episode. (Maybe the lack of Jorge Garcia? Just saying.) It was hackneyed and on the verge of painful in its attempts to be quirky. Looking at the numbers, a pretty good response for the premier translated into a precipitous drop for the second episode, so enjoy Matthew Perry's oddly smooth plastiface while you can, because if viewership keeps heading down it's going to be a quick trip to the dustbin.