ABC has thrown up a big fat bagel with its new comedies this season, and the latest and last one to hit the airwaves, Notes from the Underbelly, probably won't change that.

Though the show offers a handful of well-observed moments in its first two episodes and gets good supporting performances from Rachael Harris and Melanie Paxson, it rarely rises above the level of mildly amusing. That's been an issue with several of ABC's comedies in the past couple of seasons -- they may be quirky and kind of fitfully cute, but they're not, you know, funny.

I'll admit, too, that the subject matter of Notes from the Underbelly, about a young married couple expecting their first child, is not what the network suits call "relatable" to me, an unmarried guy with no kids. Those who have been through that experience may find jokes about breast pumps and epidurals and pregnancy books to be an utter scream. Me? Not so much.

At the center of the show are Andrew (Peter Cambor) and Lauren (Jennifer Westfeldt), a 30ish married couple who become good and neurotic (or more neurotic, maybe) once they find out Lauren is pregnant. Lauren's friend Julie (Paxson), who's also expecting, couldn't be more excited to share the experience with someone, while Cooper (Daily Show alum Harris), a single divorce lawyer, opts to treat the news with her usual withering sarcasm.

One smart thing Notes does is to filter the show through Andrew, who bemusedly observes the changes his wife is going through. He undercuts the potential preciousness of the subject matter sometimes, but of the two, he's probably the more excited parent-to-be, while Lauren bemoans the trips they haven't taken and the clothes she won't get to wear.

Presenting Lauren as ambivalent about motherhood is another good choice, or at least it should be; there would seem to be a fair amount of comedy to be mined there (see, for instance, Felicity Huffman on Desperate Housewives). The problem, though, is that Lauren's ambivalence sometimes slides into petulance, which really cuts back on the funny.

Nor do Westfeldt and Cambor appear to have a whole lot of chemistry. You could argue, I guess, that their characters are so familiar with one another that they've settled into an easy routine. I would counter that it doesn't look like there's a lot of spark there.

I also found myself distracted at times, wondering how he, a landscape architect with a handful of employees, and she, a college counselor at a private school, can afford a house in Santa Monica filled with Pottery Barn-like furniture and a Mini Cooper. There's a long tradition of sitcoms where struggling young adults live in incongruously plush surroundings, but when your second episode deals with all the scrimping and saving you'll have to do for the baby, it's pretty hard to ignore. (At least Friends explained that Monica's apartment was rent-controlled.)

Notes from the Underbelly has been bounced around the ABC schedule several times already, which is not the most ringing endorsement. Though it might get a bit of ratings bump airing after Grey's Anatomy on Thursday, I can't see a lot people following it when it moves to Wednesdays next week.

Comments

The show is too dumb. The wriitng is banal. BOOOORRRRIIIINNG.

| Apr 12, 2007 10:30:15 PM | #

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I thought this show was great! Funny, sexy...not your usual boring sitcom stuff. The actors who play Lauren and Andrew are great...and Rachel Harris is HYSTERICAL.

reader in Miami | Apr 13, 2007 4:38:30 AM | #

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Loved the writing.

lisa | Apr 13, 2007 9:05:04 AM | #

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Loved the writing.

lisa | Apr 13, 2007 9:05:28 AM | #

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This show couldn't come at a better time for me. I'm 21 weeks along and can identify with some of the situations involved. The characters can even match the type of friends I have. From the quick-witted one that doesn't want to get married to the bubbly one that's already pregnant. Even though some of the situations seem a little extreme as far as how it really is (ex: weird cravings such as taco shells filled with pie filling, umm, eww), I can really identify with the main character and her fears about getting pregnant and starting a family. This show doesn't really add comedy to the everyday pregnancy/family life, it just highlights how comical funny pregnancy can be for any woman. My husband even watched the show with me, and we were constantly pointing out stuff that we go through. I can understnd why people thought the show wasn't funny or was slow , but keep in mind it's just the pilot episodes and pregnancy gets funnier from there. This is a show I will catch every week.

Tara | Apr 13, 2007 12:32:37 PM | #

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I followed this show more closely than Grey's the past few weeks, and that's saying something for me. I think it is an attractive show for a younger generation (such as myself). I will continue to watch it if stays on air.

Ashley | Jun 4, 2007 8:08:39 PM | #

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I totally love the show.. I am very sad each week when I go to the tv and it isn't on. When is it going back onair?? My husband and I are currently trying to get pregnant and that is all I can think about. So to watch this show... it is just great. Hope it comes back on soon!

Kristina | Jun 6, 2007 4:00:18 PM | #

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