Wednesday, October 15, 2008

The All-For-Nots

http://www.hulu.com/the-all-for-nots

Episodes:
24 episodes, about 10 minutes each
Clips: None
Grade: B

Last week I promised reader Will that I would give this popular short-format comedy mockumentary another shot.

If you don't already know, each 10 minute episode deals with the titular band, which is made up of young wanna-be rock stars and their manager. The style is reminiscent of NBC's The Office.

So I watched the first episode, and I have to say, I thought it was pretty rough. The characters seemed over the top, or at least the actors played them that way. This is especially true of the band manager, who seems to have a wacky "Stifler/Norton/Kramer/Barney Stinson" vibe going on.

But it wasn't terrible.

So then I watched the most recent episode, number 24. I thought that with two dozen outings, the show would have had a chance to polish up a bit. But I was disappointed. There was no discernible difference in quality between the first and the last shows. The writing and acting were both still a little shaky and over the top. And wouldn't you know it, that wacky band manager bet all of the band's money on a single coin toss in Vegas.

In all fairness, the Office is pretty over-the-top, but we overlook it because we love the characters so much. If I put in the time, I might come to love these characters too. But I just didn't see that hook to draw me in.

I will say that the music of the band, which is much-discussed on Hulu's review boards, was pretty fun to listen to.
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