Running Wilde: Season One

In an interview he gave to The A.V. Club, Mitch Hurwitz was very honest about how Fox was treating his show “Running Wilde." Hurwitz is adored for creating “Arrested Development," arguably the funniest show ever made for American TV. When he returned to the network that cancelled his show in the past, he seemed to have a numb approach to it all. He received notes telling him to make it nothing like his previous masterpiece.

The final result is a neutered and boring mess. The cast is great, including Will Arnett and Keri Russell as the leads. He’s a rich spoiled man who is still in love with his high school sweetheart who got away. She’s now a hippie who travels the world to help charities with her daughter, Puddle. They all decide to live together in his mansion. Will hilarity ensue? Will it?

Turns out it doesn’t. They tried to make such a simple show that nothing happens in any episode. The typical shot of the show is two characters standing in the middle of the room talking about the plot. At one point, a character thinks he or she knows what is going on, but someone is lying. By the end, the truth is revealed and nobody moves forward.

The plots are very dull, and each one teases at something more fun. Rob Corddry plays a former party friend of theirs who has gone sober. Characters don’t believe he’s on the wagon so they keep trying to get him to drink. It’s so close for them to push the line or do something interesting and then everyone apologizes before it becomes funny.

They bring in some of the funniest people alive like Jeffrey Tambor and David Cross, who may just be there to further remind everyone this isn’t “Arrested Development." Everyone just seems bored as they stand around saying the easiest punchlines revealing their shallow hypocrisies. The only one having fun is Peter Serafinowicz (“Look Around You," "Spaced," "Shaun of the Dead”). Despite being a tan Brit, he plays Fa’ad, a ridiculous Middle Eastern billionaire. The way he twists every word into a silly declaration makes him endlessly watchable. He should be more famous in America because he has incredible range.

Even Fox sees this as a boring product. The DVD uses Photoshopped production photos for the DVD. There aren’t any bonus features. There aren’t any quotes of praise. They don’t even say what episodes are on which disc. Actually, it doesn’t even say how many episodes there are. (13).

One of the only things the box says is “From the team behind ‘Arrested Development'." This is why people are so frustrated by Fox.

Season/Series: 1.5 Yaps Bonus: N/A