Each week, I take a look back at a pilot from the 2010-11 season, first reviewed on my blog during that season. This week, I am looking at FOX's short-lived sitcom Traffic Light!
The Details:
Premiered: February 8, 2011 on FOX
Starring: David Denman, Nelson Franklin, Kris Marshall, Liza Lapira, Aya Cash
Based on: the Israeli TV show "Ramzor," Developed by: Chris Koch
What I Thought Then:
"There's nothing new about this buddy/romantic comedy but yet it feels refreshing."
"Unlike the similarly themed Perfect Couples, these characters seem like real people."
"The traffic light analogy thrown in at the end of the episode seemed a bit forced and serious for a show that had been very lighthearted up to that point."
"The most important thing in a pilot is the characters and Traffic Light seems on the right path in that department."
What Others Said:
"On paper, it sounds like another sitcom dedicated to the tired idea that relationships are forced on men like collars on dogs, the leashes held by annoying, fun-killing women. And yet I enjoyed the show more watching it than I find I am describing it." - James Poniewozik, Time Magazine
"The formula may be hokey, but Traffic Light's execution of it is charming, and funny in a way that doesn't seem to be trying too hard, thanks to some happy casting and scripts that appear to have been written with real people in mind." - Ellen Gray, Philadelphia Daily News
"A not un-pleasing comedy that takes time and commitment to grow on you. How long? I started to like it three or four episodes in. Seems like an awfully long time, no?" - Verne Gay, Newsday
"With funnier material, [the actors] could really make this thing work." - Linda Stasi, New York Post
"Traffic Light is the kind of sitcom that revs from zero to zero with laughter." - Mark A. Perigard, Boston Herald
What I Think Now:
Traffic Light is the definition of a perfectly fine, perfectly forgettable sitcom. TV history is littered with shows like this - ones that ran a half season and were not some epic disaster like Work It nor some hidden gem that couldn't find an audience like Terriers (to name shows from around the same era as Traffic Light). It was just a standard network sitcom that probably very few who even watched it remember. I thought the cast was fine - nothing special. I've never quite gotten the appeal of Nelson Franklin in anything he's been in. David Denman is good as an everyman recurring role in a show like The Office but doesn't work as well in a leading role. He doesn't have enough pizazz to be a lead. I thought the plot was serviceable though somewhat boring (I know the show is called Traffic Light but there were a few too many scenes in the car). The biggest problem was I didn't laugh - or even come close to it - once. It wasn't unfunny or incredibly stupid - it didn't make me mad or frustrated. It was just so blah.
What Happened to the Show:
Back in 2011 and the years surrounding that year, FOX would launch many shows around January/February when they could use American Idol and the NFL playoffs as a major launching pad. In 2011, they also had the Super Bowl and used then-phenom Glee as the lead-out. Glee aired Tuesdays at 8pm and led into Raising Hope and Running Wilde in the Fall of 2010. When Running Wilde failed, they decided to try a new sitcom - Traffic Light and it premiered two days after the Super Bowl. Amidst several other similarly themed sitcoms that premiered that spring (Perfect Couples, Mad Love, Happy Endings), it was met with a collective shrug (63 on Metacritic) and premiered to weak numbers. There was more interest but ultimately more disappointment in Running Wilde. Traffic Light felt like a show that was a dime a dozen, which it was. It was cancelled in May but did air its full 13 episode season. I was surprised to read how positive my initial review was. I must have watched a few more episodes given that review but I have no memory of the rest of the series.
Final Episode: May 31, 2011
Episode Count: 13
Where to Watch: Available for purchase on Prime Video
I'm excited to be contributing to The TV Ratings Guide! You can read my regular work at Benjamonster's TV!
