Whether US audiences echo the largely lacklustre critic response to Rebel Wilson’s new TV show, Super Fun Night, will remain to be seen, with the series set to premiere in the US tonight.
Created by Wilson, Super Fun Night follows Kimmie (Wilson) and her two equally socially inept best friends who spend weekends at home with each other in preference to venturing out. But when Kimmie lands a promotion at work and starts tentatively pursuing activities outside the homestead (taking her two friends along with her for the ride), the safety net of Friday ‘super fun night’ starts to disintegrate.
Critics, though generally appreciative of Wilson, haven’t been too enthused about the show thus far, with many claiming Wilson has gone too far with the fat jokes.
Writes Alessandra Stanley of The New York Times: “Ms. Wilson is an original who has proved that she can be very funny, and a premiere episode is rarely the best indicator of how a show will develop. But the first glimpse of “Super Fun Night” is disappointing. Spanx are no longer novel or funny, not when even Oprah Winfrey makes jokes about the brand. Any comedy with three Spanx jokes in one episode is not super fun.”
David Hinkley from The Daily News gave the show two stars out of five, saying “Super Fun Night isn’t the worst night ever. It’s just a long way from “super” and too many times it’s not all that much fun.”
But Robert Bianco of US Today says the show just needs a little time to figure out its direction, pointing out the decision to cancel the pilot and launch the series with the second episode are indicative of a show just finding its feet. His much more positive review reads: “Watch Rebel Wilson. True, her performance and the ABC sitcom she's created for herself are still very much works in progress — as witness the decision to scrap the pilot and jump right in with the show's second episode. Seams and cracks are too often visible as the series struggles to figure out how best to showcase its exuberant young Australian star, best known for Pitch Perfect and Bridesmaids.
“But make no mistake: Wilson is well worth showcasing. In a medium too often content to let the bland lead the bland, she's a fearless, brakes-free, bracingly original comedian who layers wildly inappropriate behaviour over an essentially sweet core.
“She's special, and if her show is not yet as special as it needs to be, there are at least promising signs that it could be on its way.”
Super Fun Night will premiere on ABC (American Broadcasting Company) on Wednesday at 9:30pm EDT.
Watch the trailer here: