On paper Running Wilde, for many sitcom fans, was one of the more anticipated shows of last season. It reunited the Arrested Development duo of star Will Arnett and writer-producer Mitchell Hurwitz, and threw in the likeable Keri Russell of Felicity fame for good measure. The premise is thus: rich playboy Steve Wilde, son of an evil oil tycoon, lures his childhood sweetheart, environmentalist do-gooder Emmy Kadubic, back into his life by trying to change his selfish ways. She brings along her precocious daughter Puddle (Stefania Owen), who narrates the entire series in an impossibly earnest way.
That’s the problem with Running Wilde…or should I say was the problem: despite the DVD cover proclaiming this as season one of the series, it’s also the only season, as it was cancelled by Fox already. The series is just too damn earnest and cutesy to the point of being outright corny, which is not what people expected from Gob Bluth and company. It bears more of a resemblance to something on Disney or ABC Family than to the darkly sharp wit audiences were hoping for. Arnett is essentially playing Gob again, and utilizing the same gift for making vain despicability somewhat endearing, only with material that isn’t as biting and hilarious. Russell, while photogenic and energetic as always, is just so overwhelmingly obsessed with doing good and bettering the world that she comes off as too self-righteous most of the time. While this is one of the points of the series—watch as Steve surprisingly betters her as she tries to better him herself! —it is often quite grating. Every man on the show, including Steve, wants her badly, and apart from her obvious physical attractiveness, it’s hard to see why. Owen is much more likeable as Puddle, who perfectly combines Emmy’s good qualities with the natural selfishness of a preteen girl and thus is a perfect bridge between the two more extreme adult characters.
The main trio is supplemented by supporting characters that for me were the best parts of the show’s thirteen-episode run. British comedian Peter Serafinowicz, best known in the states for his turn as angry roommate Pete in Shaun of the Dead (and as the voice of Darth Maul), plays Steve’s rival, neighbor, and sort-of best friend, Fa’ad. The first episode features a hilarious sight gag involving his giant physique and a miniature horse, all the more accentuated by his dry delivery of the dialogue in his strikingly deep voice. If only the series were chock full of more of these moments. The few there are pretty much do all involve Serafinowicz. His weird affection for Steve combined with his obsessive need to show how much more money he has make every appearance of his laugh out loud funny. I hope he can find a better American show to utilize his talents. Also great are the two actors who play employees (and in many ways, father figures) to Steve. Mel Rodriguez plays the sympathetic Migo, whose entire family has worked for the Wildes since he was a boy, and Robert Michael Morris is the flamboyant and put-upon Mr. Lunt. Both are hilarious and like Serafinowicz deserve to put their ample comedic abilities to use on more successful programs.
Of course, one can’t forget the cameos by other Arrested alums. David Cross features in multiple episodes as Emmy’s crazy eco-terrorist boyfriend Andy, and Jeffrey Tambor shows up in the season finale as Steve’s dad, in a role that is as much of a photocopy of George Bluth as Steve Jr. is of Gob. Still, it’s nice to see members of the cast on the same screen again, even if the project is vastly inferior.
Even though Running Wilde wasn’t a great series by any means, I do wish that it had been given somewhat more of a chance to grow and improve due to the talent involved. The ensemble cast meshes together well and has good chemistry, especially the bromantic kind (yes, you read that right, bromantic). Plus, we all know Mitchell Hurwitz can put out brilliant comedy. This just wasn’t one of them.
DVD Bonus Features
There are no DVD special features apart from ads for other Lionsgate-produced programs, such as Mad Men. Perhaps the show wasn’t in production long enough to put any featurettes together.
"Running Wilde: Season One" is on sale August 30, 2011 and is not rated. Comedy, Television. Directed by John Fortenberry, Scott Ellis, Troy Miller. Written by Mitchell Hurwitz, Will Arnett, James Vallely. Starring Keri Russell, Stefania Owen, Will Arnett.
