ABC sure has found its niche in the whole suburban dramedy genre. It started with Desperate Housewives; a show that I’ve feverishly loved since its inception, and continued this year with Suburgatory. The latter is my favorite new comedy of the year and a really brilliant little concoction that I’ve adored since the pilot.
Today, ABC’s third foray arrives in the form of Good Christian Bitches (and at one point Good Christian Belles for like a week). With a now “ambiguous” GCB as its title, it arrives with a lot of pressure as a potential successor for this year’s departing Housewives. Did it succeed?
While nowhere near as good as Wisteria Lane’s pilot, GCB’s pilot is an interesting enough hour that brings life to a vibrant and amusing world. However, I really don’t see the premise lasting for many years let alone one season. It just inherently feels like a one-joke show to me. We get it; the women are sluts AND Christians at the same time. That’s one shtick that’s going to get old fast.
Nevertheless, I’m here to judge the pilot. And as an opening, GCB did not bore me and undeniably amused me. It was fast-paced, packed with witty one-liners, and rounded out by a bunch of charming performances (notably Kristen Chenowith & Mark Delkin).
Ultimately, an entertaining and promising pilot, but the writers are going to have to put quite a bit of effort into keeping the premise fresh and captivating for the long haul. I for one am definitely intrigued to see if they’re up for the challenge.
Nad Rating
B
Agreed about GCB, especially about the long-term vibe. There wasn't any real hook there, and I certainly can't see where it's going to go from here. There were no real story arcs set up, which was strange. I was really looking forward to it, too. But it didn't really deliver.