Not-So-Pleasantly Plump Actress

I watched the first episode of the new Showtime comedy series Fat Actress today (thank you On Demand). There was a lot of hype surrounding this show. It's part of Kirstie Alley's big return to the spotlight, along with that Jenny Craig ad campaign of hers. After watching it, I have to say that it doesn't live up to the hype. The show is really a (no pun intended) big example of a wasted opportunity.

The show does have its funny moments. The scene with Alley's Look Who's Talking co-star John Travolta is among them. Also, Mark Curry (of Hangin' With Mr. Cooper fame) is funny in a very brief role as an NBC network executive who is attracted to Alley because of her "big ass." However, a lot of this show falls flat. Much of the blame falls on Kirstie. I have to give her credit for being pretty fearless. Many actresses wouldn't dare take the risks she does in this show. The problem, however, is that she is more whiny and annoying than funny. The opening scenes of the show should have been laugh-out-loud funny. Kirstie gets on the scale, sees her weight and begins to cry and whine as she crawls on the floor of her bathroom. There is a funny sequence during this scene with her agent regarding Jenny Craig, but the rest of it is sad and pathetic without being funny.

Ultimately, there was a lot of potential here that wasn't lived up to. It's not a really bad show by any means, but it's not very good either. It's really uneven. I'm going to give it another episode or two, since some shows get better as they go along (like the cancelled animated series Father Of The Pride). However, if this first episode is the best they can do then Kirstie Alley should think twice about that comeback of hers.