Working the Engels

I'm really enjoying Working the Engels. It's really funny and cleverly written, but without being slick and fake like some sitcoms.

The casting is perfect. Andrea Martin is a dynamo; brilliant timing and just the right blend of insanity and understatement. Azura plays flaky in a way that makes her scenes funny yet unexpectedly touching at times. Benjamin plays dumb so letter perfect I would expect him to be the same in person. He has a vulnerability that makes him very endearing, even when he's being a total screwup. And Kacey is the perfect hub; the one sane character, surrounded by craziness. It's reminiscent of Arrested Development with touches of The Munsters, yet also fresh and original.

Some great supporting actors and guests, too. Loved Eugene Levy.

I'm looking forward to the rest of the season.

Just for the record, I do not work for the show or any of its sponsors. Just really a fan!

Andrea Martin shines in this whipsmart comedy. It's a wonderful mix of love and exasperation and reminds me of another favorite, Schitt's Creek.

I'm glad I made the effort to tune into the US premiere of Working the Engels. Before watching the pilot episode, I made the mistake of sitting through the pilot of Welcome to Sweden. I've been to Sweden, and it was much more entertaining than this homage to the Nordic lifestyle. Sitting through that 30 minutes, I laughed once. I debated whether to skip the pilot of Working the Engels thinking that, "If this is what NBC is offering for new programming, I'm better off reading a book." Within the first 2 or 3 minutes of Working the Engels, I laughed several times. This show reminded me of Arrested Development with an even more dysfunctional family. Similar to Arrested Development, Working the Engels has characters that are similar to people from real life. Perhaps I know too many lawyers and people in recovery, but this show did a great job re-framing a dull profession and recovery from addiction in a humorous light. The writers, director, and cast even managed to see the comicality of possible financial ruin, a subject that is very familiar to many Americans post the great recession that started in 2007. There's an old saying, "Years from now will laugh about this," and Working the Engels manages to fulfill that promise. Andrea Martin is a major talent with excellent comic timing, and I've seen her deliver the same zaniness in live theater. The rest of the cast appear to be relatively unknown in the American market, but the ensemble worked very well together. I am glad that the show is going to provide more than the 4-6 episodes that usually make up a summer television series.

Andrea Martin! I don't really have to say much more than that, do I? But I will. I love the premise (the dysfunctional family trying to run a LAW FIRM?!!) and really enjoyed seeing Andrea and Eugene Levy reunited. Funny and heartwarming.

I loved this show. It was clever, quick paced -- and starred Andrea Martin! What more could any TV viewer want? I don't understand the low-ratings on this site. See it for yourself.