Improvised TV Show Finds Home at TBS
10 Items or Less Offers Unique Take on the Traditional Sitcom
This Monday, TBS premiered their first original comedy series, 10 Items or Less. The show is not only the first of the network's new program lineup, but also a unique foray in the world of cable television – a completely unscripted sitcom.
The show employs the same method as HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm. Each episode is carefully outlined by the writers, with a detailed description of each scene. No dialogue, unless absolutely necessary, is written, leaving the actors to completely improvise every line.
10 Items takes improvisation, and cheapness, to a whole new level by filming in a real-life grocery store – while it's still open. As a result, the background action is made up entirely of real customers doing their shopping. Sometimes, customers inadvertently enter into scenes and are sometimes even incorporated into the episode.
The show was created by improv comedy actor John Lehr, who also plays the central character, Leslie Pool. The series focuses on Pool, who recently took over as manager of the Green & Grains grocery store after the death of his father. He presides over a host of quirky but lovable low-life employees: Yolanda (Roberta Valderrama), the sassy Latina; Carl (Robert Clendenin), the unintelligent, overage stockboy; Buck (Greg Davis Jr.), the bagger with aspirations; Ingrid (Kirsten Gronfield), the eccentric and subdued customer service agent; Richard (Christopher Liam Moore), the effeminate cashier; and Todd (Chris Payne Gilbert), the good-looking redneck butcher.
10 Items or Less is different from any other show on TV. While Curb Your Enthusiasm is created in a similar style, Curb's pace is much slower, using long scenes to allow improvisation to develop. 10 Items instead maintains the traditionally fast pace of network sitcoms, allowing only a few seconds for jokes to materialize. Unfortunately, it's hard to act natural when each scenes only last 30 seconds. This, compounded by the fact that the actors, many of whom are fresh from the stage, are still acting like they're on stage at the Improv, makes the show feel unnatural and awkward. But this may change as the show continues to develop.
The second episode of 10 Items or Less airs this Monday at 11pm on TBS.
