TV Eye

ABC's new workplace comedy, Better Off Ted, follows the antics of a research and development team.

Because of the hard times, it's no surprise that escapist TV is making an appearance in the recent slate of premieres. Another comedy from ABC is not exactly turning its back on the way of the world, but it's having a high time skewering it. The new comedy Better Off Ted pokes fun at corporate greed and amorality, and I like it. I like it a lot. Now if I sound mildly defensive, it's only because the series is so silly and the situations so outlandish that something tells me I shouldn't like it as much as I do. But internal second-guessing critic begone! Better Off Ted made me laugh, pure and simple. And believe me, after a steady diet of dire predictions about the economy, shrinking retirement funds, and friends losing their jobs, this bit of silliness suits me just fine.

Jay Harrington (Desperate Housewives) plays Ted (just Ted, no last name), an executive in charge of research and development at a conglomerate called Veridian Dynamics. R&D comes up with products that run the gamut from weird and useless to ethically questionable. Ted is a good guy, a single father trying to raise his little girl at home while trying to keep the gravy train from veering too far off the track at work. In fact, daughter Rose (Isabella Acres) is often the one who reminds her dad to consult his moral compass when his boss, Veronica (Arrested Development's Portia de Rossi), who largely operates without one, leads him down some very strange rabbit holes (as in when she wants to cryogenically freeze an employee just to see if she can).

As a workplace comedy, Better Off Ted is less subtle than something like The Office. Instead, it gleefully veers toward the absurd, in the tradition of My Name Is Earl or Arrested Development. Like Mad Men, the workplace drama set during the 1960s, Ted has a smart (though modern) look to it, complemented by a swanky soundtrack. In short, Better Off Ted is like Mad Men on helium.

Unlike all the referenced series, Better Off Ted has a smaller core cast, which could be a detriment. It seems that so many more kooky situations could be concocted with a few more passing characters in the mix. Still, the assembled cast is engaging, and all seem to be having a great time. Joining Harrington and the hilarious de Rossi – who has perfected the ice-princess routine – is Andrea Anders (Joey) as one of Ted's employees. She and Ted are attracted to each other but can't decide if it's a good idea to get involved. Anders deserves props for bringing a lot of charm to an otherwise run-of-the-mill, nice-girl role. The lab rats Phil and Lem (Jonathan Slavin and Malcolm Barrett) are particularly funny playing geeks with no social skills and even less backbone (Veronica convinces Phil that it would be an honor to see if his eyes would explode at minus 20 degrees Celsius when she selects him to be frozen and set aside like a box of fish sticks).

While it's promoted as a satire, I'm not sure that label sticks very well. Missing is the shadow of authentic concern for the real corporate ills the show's press says the series takes on. Still, it is great fun and a perfectly harmless way to while away a half-hour.

Better Off Ted premieres March 18, 7:30pm, on ABC.

Also premiering this week: Modern Toss. This partially animated adult sketch comedy is short-attention-span theatre defined. Based on the British-born comic strip and website, this series features recurring characters that are in themselves funny: sign-maker Mr. Tourette; bickering astronauts in outer space; a pair of celebrity-obsessed flies who share their off-kilter observations in a sketch called "Fly Talk" (my favorite); Mr. Sneezeman (another favorite), a nose on legs who seems to be allergic to everything; and the Gnat Burglar, who is simply too gross to describe. Interestingly, I found myself thinking I would prefer watching this show on a smaller screen, like a phone. It would certainly keep my interest if I were stuck in an airport for a couple of hours. Watching on the larger screen, not so much. Except maybe with beer. Lots of beer.

Modern Toss premieres March 17, 10pm, on IFC.