Everyone loves to see a classic comedian like Betty White prove she still has it after all these years. Her stint on Community gave folks a little taste of her ability to still keep up, but for those following her career more closely, they’ve seen her do just that on TV Land’s Hot in Cleveland. Or have they? Though Betty White has shown she’s still on her game, that doesn’t mean that all opportunities to do so are created equal. Was seeing Betty do a tribal dance in The Proposal funny? Sure. How about when she combined a bunch of tools and subdued Joel McHale in Community? Yes, indeed. There she was only playing supporting parts, and if Hot in Cleveland tells us anything, it’s that maybe that’s where she’s best used in this stage of her career. The honeymoon glow of the first season is over, and now it’s becoming apparent that the writers of Hot in Cleveland and its cast are on completely different levels of comedy.
The first season ended with a huge storm and the second season moves on as the new police officer interest of one of the women learns to let certain things slide, otherwise the ladies would probably never leave prison. On the other romantic front, Joy (Frasier’s Jane Leeves) discovers she needs to find a man to marry if she wants to avoid being sent back to the UK. If that means “marrying” someone like Rick (Wayne Knight), then so be it. The rest of the season carries on with similar amounts of deception and shenanigans as the women work hard to get their way in life and in love.
Wendie Malick, Jane Leeves, and Valerie Bertinelli have all managed to stay afloat in a world of comedy that adapts its punch lines to fit emerging trends. It’s essential to stay relevant. Now, we’ve seen Betty White compete in the modern ring of comedy and usually she does alright, but the writers of Hot in Cleveland seem incapable of writing a joke where the setup doesn’t reveal the punch line minutes before it arrives. However, the worst part is that they’re still clearly hung up on seeing Betty White say things that sound odd coming from a woman her age. Yes, it can be funny to hear her talk in prison lingo, but that’s a one-note joke that has already been exhausted as the first season saw essentially the same gag play out as she would use modern slang to the same effect. That wouldn’t be so bad if it didn’t sound like Betty White was delivering the lines phonetically; as if she has no actual idea what the joke is about but has been assured it’s funny.
Hot in Cleveland used up its “old woman says modern slang” card in its first season, and now it’s just beating the concept to death. Either move on, get new writers who can, or end the show.
DVD Bonus Features
In line with the show’s insistence that it’s modern and relevant, portions of the show have been auto-tuned into a running clip. After that, the extras are a bit more normal with behind-the-scenes footage, cast interviews, and featurette of the ladies of Hot in Cleveland visiting the show’s titular city. If you’re so inclined, the pilot episode of The Exes is also included on the disc.
"Hot in Cleveland: Season Two" is on sale November 29, 2011 and is not rated. Comedy. Directed by Andy Cadiff, David Trainer. Written by Suzanne Martin. Starring Betty White, Jane Leeves, Valerie Bertinelli, Wendie Malick.
