At the end of ABC’s TCA executive panel, president Paul Lee admitted that he had asked a network PR executive beforehand, “Shall I go out in a dress?” That probably would’ve been appropriate given that ABC’s new cross-dressing comedy Work It, which has not even been scheduled yet, emerged as the main attraction at the Q&A session even somewhat overshadowing the official announcement of Desperate Housewives coming to an end. The first mention of the Bosom Buddies-esque multi-camera comedy starring Ben Koldyke and Amaury Nolasco as out-of-work car salesmen who dress as women to get jobs as pharmaceutical reps came when Lee was asked to discuss the network’s new crop of comedies. 
When he got to Work It, the British-born Lee said, “I’m a Brit, it is in my contract that I have to do one cross-dressing show a year; I was brought up on Monty Python. What can I do?” Later on he was asked about a trend of many new shows featuring central characters who are orphans that harkens back to Victorian times and Charles Dickens. Admitting that he didn’t notice an orphan pattern in picking up series, Lee noted, “We don’t sit there and think, ‘Work It! That goes all the way back to Shakespeare!’ “
And appropriately, the last question of the session, attended mainly by TV critics, was again about Work It, and the Shakespeare and Monty Python comparisons. “When you pick up pilots, there are many reasons,” Lee said. “Sometimes you pick up a pilot just because it absolutely makes you cackle with laughter, and that was the case with Work It. I make absolutely no excuses for that show. We didn’t think this room would like it, and I don’t think we have a problem with that.” Here is a promo for the show:
Work it looks like a Piece of Shit.
So what will they do to keep this tired gag going for more than 1 season, or even 1 episode…?
Shakespeare?! Monty Python?! This is a knockoff of Bosom Buddies. Stop trying to dress this up.
Sounds like Lee’s first talk in front of critics with his own slate was a disaster. Dancing With the Stars and Modern Family will keep the network afloat, but Lee will run the rest of the schedule into the ground.
The River, Pan Am and GCB are getting really great reviews from critics. No, I don’t work for any of those shows either, I’m just stating that I’ve read that critics are liking the Pan Am pilot.
Work It looks like a Piece of Crap.
There’s some ‘yeah, buts’ in there. I haven’t seen great reviews of Pan Am. Some critics like it and all question how successful it can be. The River pilot was raved about, true, but the long term potential is still up for debate. The other comedies have also been described as dreck, as for some reason, Lee only picked sitcoms where men are whining about their place in the world.
Lame.
I’ve seen the pilot; Work It is fucking hilarious–and heartfelt. I am happy to shit on other shows on the network — Once Upon A Time is TERRIBLE — but Work It is a winner.
Specifics? The stroke of genius of the show is that the non-cross dressing women they work with are just as funny as the guys in drag. Maybe better even. That’s where the show will surprise people. But P Lee is correct–the show will never be a critical hit. It’s big bawdy fun with an ensemble full of charisma. Ten times funnier than THE NEW GIRL.
Yes. Fucking hilarious and heartfelt. Finally!
Can we just be honest and say that Paul Lee has really horrible taste. I’ve seen and read WORK IT. If that made him laugh, he shouldn’t be in charge of a network. Seriously.
I think Work it is the typical so bad it’s good show. So ridiculous and stupid that somehow you have to laugh. Obviously not for smugs who feel intelligent.
So it’s basically ABC’s version of Two and a Half Men.
Meets Bosom Buddies.
I’m happy he gave it to the critics a little. Costal critics judging shows for mainstream audiences doesn’t go hand in hand.
no pun intended, but what would make them think work it has the legs to be a series?
you’re boxed into your concept which is an extremely limited one. doesnt matter how many different ways you tell it, you’re telling one joke.
theres a reason bosom buddies only lasted 35 ep despite tons of talent on board and a much less competitive tv landscape.
didnt they learn fron the Cavemen?
WORK IT is unequivocally the worst show picked up in the past five years. It’s unwatchable. You think it’s a bad skit. It’s borderline offensive how unfunny it is. It’s an insult to the pilots that didn’t go to series.
This a credit that gets you on Modern Family next.
The pilot draft I read was really weak. I’m surprised it’s been able to get this far.
Who is the target audience? Women who think it’s funny to see grown men dressed up as chicks making panty line jokes? Jokes about sharing their wives shoes and foot size? Is the audience college kids? Because they aren’t going to think it’s hip like the Office and Community? Who wants to see this trash? Yeah, dudes in drag have been around for ages, but so has herpes. This looks like a turd dressed up in a pretty pink bow.
Who is the target audience? Women who think it’s funny to see grown men dressed up as chicks making panty line jokes? Jokes about sharing their wives shoes and foot size? Is the audience college kids? Because they aren’t going to think it’s hip like the Office and Community? Who wants to see this trash? Yeah, dudes in drag have been around for ages, but so has herpes. This looks like a turd dressed up in a pretty pink bow.
Who is the target audience? Women who think it’s funny to see grown men dressed up as chicks making panty line jokes? Jokes about sharing their wives shoes and foot size? Is the audience college kids? Because they aren’t going to think it’s hip like the Office and Community? Who wants to see this trash? Yeah, dudes in drag have been around for ages, but so has herpes. This looks like a turd dressed up in a pretty pink bow.
Who is the target audience? Women who think it’s funny to see grown men dressed up as chicks making panty line jokes? Jokes about sharing their wives shoes and foot size? Is the audience college kids? Because they aren’t going to think it’s hip like the Office and Community? Who wants to see this trash? Yeah, dudes in drag have been around for ages, but so has herpes. This looks like a turd dressed up in a pretty pink bow.
The American people are stupid enough to think Republicans care about the middle class. They might find think this show is good.
I grew up in the heart of the Midwest and feel confident in saying NO ONE I’VE EVER MET WOULD ENJOY WORK IT.
It’s insulting when networks make shows and say critics won’t like it but hey the morons in Iowa will. Paul Lee is just really bad at his job. That’s all this is.
I grew up in the Midwest and thought Work It was very funny!
At least Tony Curtis… and Tom Hanks… played up the distaff look enough to pass as women. These idiots look like men dressed as women. The whole feeling of this is closer to a parody of a bad sitcom trailer from the 70s or 80s. Horrific. Their only hope is people slow down enough to watch this accident, suffer amnesia and slow down again the following week.
I had the awkward experience of meeting with the creators of WORK IT for a staff position. First off, nice enough guys. However, I screened the pilot 20 minutes before I met with them and had very little time to compose my thoughts for the obvious question; “So what did you think?” When asked, I started sweating because there wasn’t a thing I found funny or sustainable about the show. I think I complimented the actors. Said they had good chemistry. I couldn’t lie about anything else. The meeting was a blur. I couldn’t blame my agent because the call came in and the meeting was on the fly. I told her after no more shows with guys in drag and I won’t take anymore blind meetings. I wish these guys the best of luck with their show. They’re going to need it.
Sounds like someone who didn’t get hired during staffing season and is a little bitter. I saw the pilot and it is pure laugh out loud fun. Is it going to get “critical acclaim?” No. Is it hilarious? Yes. If people tune in despite the silly bashing, then they will realize that the cast is funny, the writing is good and the overall product is very enjoyable.
By the way – it’s great to get critical acclaim – but if no one watches – then what does it matter. How many shows have been praised by the critics, and are then cancelled after a season or two because no one watches except the critics.
Give work It a chance – you may be surprised…
Is it hilarious? No. Absolutely not. Not even remotely. Will people watch it? Maybe. If they do, will that make it hilarious? No. It’ll make it an unfunny show that people watch. There are already some of those, and this might be another. You’re right that sometimes shows that critics love end up getting cancelled because no one watches them. On the other hand, sometimes shows that critics love end up being big hits. Also, on yet another hand (I have five), there are shows that critics hate, and they end up getting cancelled. And then, there are shows that critics hate that end up being huge hits. And then, there are shows that people hate that end up being big hits. Like Cheers. So, lot of options here. Which is why it’s probably just worth focusing on whether the pilot is funny or not. And it’s not.
My agent said to meet but wouldn’t let me staff unless no other offers. Then it would be a “conversation.” Thankfully I did. Not a show you want to tell your friends you’re working on.
Totally ridiculous. Any friend that works in or anywhere near this industry knows that a job is a job, and you’re lucky to get one, and that all kinds of immensely talented people have worked on absolute shit (the examples here are legion). So there is no way you’d care about telling that friend about working on this show. And any friend who doesn’t work in this industry or anywhere near it would probably think, “Hey, cool, you’re writing for a living, making some money in tv. Good on you.” Unless you’ve got lame, pretentious friends, which you might.
I actually feel badly for the ABC executives who have to smile and bite their tongues when they are well aware how bad this show is.
why would you feel bad for the execs who put this on the air? it’s their fault we are subject to a trailer (no one will watch the show) of this crap.
The script was not unreadable but the show is unwatchable. Everybody looks foolish — the men for thinking this is a good idea, the women for not being intelligent enough to see the obvious. Change the show to Corporal Klinger Goes to Work and it might have a shot.
Dressing in drag is a long-time tradition – from Shakespeare to the Princeton Triangle Show to vaudeville to Tootsie to the Wayans Brothers and Martin Lawrence, and to, of course, Bosom Buddies. But it remains a gimmick. Even Bosom Buddies dropped the drag gimmick after the first season.
Work It doesn’t work and will disappear quickly unless it comes up with more than a cheap gag.
Have execs learned nothing from Tina Fey’s time as head writer on SNL? A funny woman is always more accessible than a man in a dress.
Talk about a wasted opportunity to capitalize on the poor job market.
you mean the period in which SNL was its all time least funny?