Guest stars lift quality of humor in new comedy
How much has the life expectancy of a new TV show decreased through the years?
Someone probably has a statistic or two, but, given how slapped together so many broadcast series feel, the anecdotal answer seems to be “a lot.”
“LA to Vegas,” the nicely silly comedy premiering Tuesday on Fox, doesn’t feel slapped together. After you’ve seen three episodes, however, you might find yourself wondering (legitimately) whether the show has legs — or wings — for the long haul.
The show is set largely on an airplane that regularly flies people from Los Angeles to Las Vegas for the weekend.
Jackpot Airlines is about a half-step above a commuter airline, with crew members who are either shopworn or undermotivated.
And who can blame them? Many of their passengers are weekly regulars, including Nichole (Olivia Macklin), who distributes advertising cards for the strip club where she works to fellow travelers; Artem (Peter Stormare), a sleazy gambling addict; and Colin (Ed Weeks), a UCLA professor who visits his 3-year-old son, who lives in Vegas with his mom (guest star Kether Donohue).
The crew includes self-important Captain Dave (Dylan McDermott), co-pilot Alan (Amir Talai), and flight attendants Ronnie (Kim Matula) and Bernard (Nathan Lee Graham).
The three episodes sent to critics are funny, with much of the humor based on unlikely situations on an actual airliner.
In that regard, the show inevitably evokes memories of the film “Airplane!” but manages to create its own identity through decent writing and engaging performances.
Most of the crew members, except for Bernard, dream of better jobs. Alan would like to fly the plane sometime, but Captain Dave won’t let him.
Captain Dave himself yearns for an overseas route so badly that he is more than a little resentful when a wrist injury necessitates that he hand the controls over to a temporary pilot played, of course, by — well, I won’t spoil it.
Ronnie, too, dreams of landing an overseas route, but when she loses an opening to another attendant, she quits on the spot, parks herself in coach with plenty of miniature booze bottles and gets plastered.
The show’s best shot at longevity lies with guest stars who play passengers and temporary crew members.
The main cast is good, but the show’s best moments largely stem from the regulars’ interaction with guest stars such as the gifted Donohue (“You’re the Worst”) and the notto-be-named actor who plays the guest pilot.
“LA to Vegas” might be a short hop, but it’s more enjoyable than a real-life flight in coach.
The show’s best shot at longevity lies with guest stars who play passengers and temporary crew members.