Ben and Kate: Series Premiere

It seems Fox is lining up two shows back to back on Tuesday nights that are oddly similar. “Odd” has proven to be the secret to success: Jess on New Girl, who’s oddly adorable and now Ben on Ben and Kate who’s oddly charming. They’re both fish-out-of-water adults whom we love to watch make mistakes because somehow they continue to make us laugh.

I was leery of Ben and Kate, mostly because the concept sounded slightly dull. But as the episode progressed, I found myself chuckling more and more. The characters are simply too ridiculous to resist.

Dakota Johnson plays the sweetly neurotic Kate Fox, who’s trying to re-enter the dating world one after being off the market for years. She’s been so focused on being a mom that she has no idea how to be sexy again. She tells her best friend BJ (Lucy Punch), “I don’t know what to do with my body.” We see immediately that the people she goes to for advice maybe aren’t the best sources. BJ replies (in the most hilarious bit of the episode), “Draw attention to your mouth constantly. Stop looking at my mouth. Here comes the straw, here comes three straws. Fluid, subtle, seamless.”

Her other means of support are provided, to his best ability, by her brother Ben (Nat Faxon). He’s come back into town after his ex-girlfriend, whom he calls, “Mrs. Ben Fox” contacts him. Turns out she’s not as smitten with his as he’d hoped.

Then there’s Ben’s quirky best friend Tommy, played by newcomer Echo Kellum. He’s in love with Kate and provides an interesting spice of hipster/chic to the cast of some-what suburban characters.

Like New Girl, this show will rely solely upon the ability of its cast. The premise is nothing revelatory. But, like most successful sitcoms, it is relatable. It’s been a while since we’ve seen some sibling storylines. Ben and Kate already prove to be complex. Ben is always asking her for a favor, “I need to sell your car. How’s your Portuguese? Do you have a bear trap?” And as Kate puts it, “He’s an idiot.” But, of course, she adores him. He may be a mess, but he has a heart. It may sound cheesy, but who cares when it’s hilarious.

Nat Faxon, who won a Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay Oscar last year for The Descendants, has a clear heavy hand in the show’s writing, and thank God because I find it hard not to quote every single one of his bits from the episode. His comedy is on-point. And Ben seems to be smarter than he looks. But his character will only find longevity if he can prove to be more than just a goofy-frat-douche-adult.

Dakota Johnson was a bit of a casting shocker back during pilot season. The daughter of Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson, my eyes rolled in disapproval, but she’s actually extremely charming. Her comedic timing is nowhere near her co-stars, but she’s relatable and sincere. And then Lucy Punch may prove to be the most entertaining of them all. Sexy and funny? I’m sold.

Networks find a formula that works for them and they stick with it. Showtime has its male anti-hero, CW with its juicy teen drama and AMC with sinful period pieces. The answer to Fox’s equation this fall season seems to be the quirky kid/adult. And, hey, I’m on board with that. I’ll root for Mindy, Jess or Ben any day; probably cause they’re so hysterically relatable.