There is one word to describe “Good Morning, Miami”: predictable. NBC’s new sitcom about a failing local channel’s morning show and the blossoming romance between the show’s cute hairdresser and new big shot producer is just another tired plot maneuver.
The show by the creators of “Will ‘ Grace” seems like the perfect recipe for success: a comfortable plot, attractive stars, seasoned television actors and a prime post-“Will ‘ Grace” time slot.
But the elements that make Miami seem like a sure thing are same elements that make it annoying and boring.
The big shot producer, Jake (Mark Feuerstein), is too cocky to fit in with the rest of the zany morning show employees. Yet he turns to jelly whenever the object of his affection, hairdresser Dylan (recent Boston University graduate Ashley Williams), is in the room. And the story gets even more convoluted when Jake learns that Dylan is seriously involved with the show’s arrogant anchor (Matt Letscher).
While in Miami, Jake goes to his grandma for advice, played by television vet Suzanne Pleshette (who starred in “The Bob Newhart Show” for six years in the 1970s). Another veteran, Jere Burns (“Dear John,” “Something So Right” and, ironically, a one-year stint on Bob Newhart’s “Bob”), steals scenes as panicky station manager Frank. Although they may not be familiar to the audience that Miami is trying to reach, Pleshette and Burns add a little bit of class to an otherwise low-brow sitcom.
Rounding out the cast of characters so colorfully, they make the central romance look even duller, is a self-absorbed Latina co-anchor (Tessie Santiago), a ditzy and lazy assistant (Constance Zimmer) and a meteorologist nun (Brooke Dillman).
Despite a tried and true recipe for sitcom success, including that nun, Miami falls flat. The writing is bland, the jokes are tired; good sitcoms don’t have to resort to nuns yelling “Kiss my ass” for laughs. Sadly, that’s just one of the things Miami has resorted to.
Beyond the bad writing, Miami is lacking in the concept department: Dylan is a hairstylist for the morning show, yet she attends every staff meeting. Dylan and her impending romance with Jake seem out of place. Viewers notice this sort of discontinuity.
Also, it looks like viewers are in for the long haul as they wait for Jake and Dylan to ultimately end up together: by the second episode Dylan was still oblivious to Jake’s feelings, but she copped to her own mushy thoughts in the third episode. The chemistry between Dylan and Jake is less than expected and there is barely any sexual tension between them. Despite their unremarkable banter, Dylan and Jake are going to undoubtedly end up together, making the plot boring and predictable. The characters seem like cardboard cutouts of better characters from better sitcoms.
If Dylan and Jake’s relationship is the core of this new show, what will become of Miami when they finally hook up? Luckily for viewers, the climax of the love affair may mean the finale of this disingenuous, lackluster sitcom. If there are any viewers watching at all, that is.