Thanks to Ole Sørensen for the heads up on this review of TBS LOST Spoof show, "Wrecked".
It’s not a bad idea to pay homage to one of the greatest TV dramas of all time by re-envisioning it as a half-hour comedy. That’s the thinking behind “Wrecked,” a new half-hour that tries to be the sitcom version of “Lost.” But that ABC drama had what the new TBS program lacks — engaging characters and more than a few laughs.
While “Lost” was more concerned with depicting the adventures, as well as the moral and personal setbacks, of the survivors of a plane crash on (and off) the remote island near which their plane went down, there were usually very funny one-liners and witty observations mixed into every script. And almost every one of those jokes was delivered by a character that fans came to care about.
That kind of audience engagement is unlikely to accompany “Wrecked,” which also follows a group of survivors whose plane goes down in the Pacific. No rescue appears to be in the offing for the band of travelers who set up camp near a beach and very quickly begin to squabble over food, resources and who gets to make the decisions. There are specific call-outs to “Lost,” in the form of a square-jawed hero who serves as a leader (a la Jack), men and women who pretend to be something they’re not (a la Sawyer), and a couple who begin to squabble the minute they get over the shock of the crash (not unlike Sun and Jin).
The problem isn’t that “Wrecked” is so obvious about the ways in which it attempts to pay tribute. Its downfall lies in the fact that very little of what transpires is funny. Goofing on “Lost’s” sillier aspects could have been part of “Wrecked’s” charm, but it needs its own reasons to exist, and none were discernible after watching four episodes.
While “Lost” was more concerned with depicting the adventures, as well as the moral and personal setbacks, of the survivors of a plane crash on (and off) the remote island near which their plane went down, there were usually very funny one-liners and witty observations mixed into every script. And almost every one of those jokes was delivered by a character that fans came to care about.
That kind of audience engagement is unlikely to accompany “Wrecked,” which also follows a group of survivors whose plane goes down in the Pacific. No rescue appears to be in the offing for the band of travelers who set up camp near a beach and very quickly begin to squabble over food, resources and who gets to make the decisions. There are specific call-outs to “Lost,” in the form of a square-jawed hero who serves as a leader (a la Jack), men and women who pretend to be something they’re not (a la Sawyer), and a couple who begin to squabble the minute they get over the shock of the crash (not unlike Sun and Jin).
The problem isn’t that “Wrecked” is so obvious about the ways in which it attempts to pay tribute. Its downfall lies in the fact that very little of what transpires is funny. Goofing on “Lost’s” sillier aspects could have been part of “Wrecked’s” charm, but it needs its own reasons to exist, and none were discernible after watching four episodes.
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