[Drama Review] 'Producer' - Episodes 1 & 2

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PRODUCER - EPISODES 1 & 2

'Producer' is a drama that is filmed, initially, in mockumentary style, following the staff at a TV network while they go about their days, some of them brand new, others seasoned professionals.

'Producer,' as a show, has some flaws, and these stand out glaringly as the show goes through its 1:15 running time. Part of its problems come from the fact that the producers of the show didn't know what they were doing. Their idea man quit halfway through, and it shows. The irony that the show had production issues is not lost on me. The drama loses focus a lot, and there are often long periods of time between the funny moments. Chuckles are few and offer little to invigorate the show. By the time they come, the gags often fall flat. Proponents compare it to 'The Office' and 'Modern Family' with its dry humor, except that in itself presents a problem to this reviewer: I like 'Modern Family' and am thoroughly bored by 'The Office.'

So, we have newbie producer-director (PD) Baek Seung Chan, who's there because a girl he's always had a crush on works there.

Yes, this is his expression most of the time. :)

A veteran PD, Ra Joon Mo, who has a penchant for propping up lame variety shows.

Tak Ye Jin, another seasoned PD who always has something to say and isn't shy about saying it.

IU as Cindy, an actress who always goes against the grain. Yeah, that's her in the middle:

Kim Tae Ho, Chief Producer. Everyone keeps mistaking him for the Kim Tae Ho, the producer of 'Infinity Challenge.' He seems oblivious to the problems this causes.

One of the few bright spots in the drama is Kim Soo Hyun's performance as Seung Chan. He seems to have one facial expression most of the time, an inscrutable naive innocence that says, "I'm taking it all in and too new to all this to have a reaction." His performance is awesome because it's understated. IU is hilarious, too, as the rebellious celebrity.

I think one of the problems is the show can't decide what it wants to be. Not quite a mockumentary and not quite a drama, there are some genuinely funny moments, but they're not developed adroitly enough to make me laugh. When the boss lady Ye Jin opens her car door, it damages Sueng Chan's car. When she tries to get ahold of the wronged party, Seung Chan's phone rings during the orientation, which causes her to get angry because he's new and supposed to be paying attention. She can't get any answer so she dials again, and once more berates him for his phone calls. This happens several times and sounds actually funnier than it is. There's a sequence in the second episode where a sunbae shows Seung Chan how to butter up the toner lady in order get a cartridge. The extremes that you have to go to just to get her to do her job could be hilarious, but they seemed, well, extreme.

I have to admit that it picked up a lot in the second episode, so I will avoid any premature conclusions about the show before it finds its footing. It shows promise. I've done the same with a few U.S. series as well. Can I do any less for this show?

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