USA TODAY International Edition
It’s easy for you to love Bayer in new show
No one writes better material for Vanessa Bayer than Vanessa Bayer.
You’d think that’s an obvious statement, but not every actor or comedian who tries writing their own TV show succeeds. The “Saturday Night Live” alumna has distilled her unique energy and 100- watt smile into a perfect creation in “I Love That for You” ( Sunday, 8: 30 EDT/ PDT, and streaming Friday; ★★★ ½ out of four), a new Showtime comedy she co- created with former “SNL” writer Jeremy Beiler.
Earnest, playful and hilarious with a bit of cringe, “Love That” is Bayer’s coming out as a leading actress. She’s always had the ability to anchor a show; she just needed to write the perfect script for herself.
In “Love That,” Bayer plays Joanna Gold, an earnest, loud, excitable childhood cancer survivor mirroring some of Bayer’s own qualities, too. Joanna gets her dream job hosting a show on the QVC- like shopping channel SVN, run by a media mogul ( Jenifer Lewis), but when she makes a mistake that gets her fired, she panics and tells one little lie to save her job: She pretends her cancer is back. Patty sees a cash cow from the sympathy viewership, SVN star Jackie ( Molly Shannon) sees a young woman who needs nurturing, and the rest of network sees someone to pity. Joanna gets almost everything she’s ever wanted, but her charade hangs over her head.
“Love That” has the high- key energy of Bayer’s best “SNL” sketches and characters, such as “Jacob the Bar Mitzvah Boy” or Miley Cyrus. She’s so naturally chipper that it’s hard to believe the actress isn’t an actual home- shopping host.
It’s fair to say that if her sketches weren’t for you on “SNL,” then a 30- minute comedy won’t be, either. But those partial to Bayer’s brash brand of humor will see the culmination of her character work in Joanna, a woman you just know loves a good Hallmark movie and a cup of tea. Joanna is someone who desperately wants to be popular and assertive, but is hindered by her own nerves and social awkwardness. Her attempts at flirting are a bit mortifying, but her smile almost never ceases.
Bayer is a joy to watch, and she’s complemented by a strong supporting cast, especially Shannon and Lewis. Shannon is at her girliest and giggliest, a home- shopping superstar used to performing happiness 24/ 7 and confronted with the less- than- happy realities of a divorce. Lewis lives up to her legendary acting career as a network president with no time for anything but work ( even her one- night stands are efficient). The cast is also filled out with an appealing crew at SVN, including Darcy ( Matt Rogers, the show’s breakout), Patty’s right hand, who is stuck as an overworked assistant with ambition for bigger and better things.
Considering the protagonist is pretending to have cancer, in the wrong hands, “Love That” could be off- putting and exploitative. But Bayer and her writers handle that storyline well. The actress is a cancer survivor herself, and draws on much of her own life for the character. If Joanna were less earnest and likable, it would be hard to forgive her lie. But Bayer has awkward, silly charm.
It’s hard not to love this show for her.