TV Line: ABC Family's Young & Hungry: Will You Come Back for Seconds?
"In the real world, sleeping with your prospective boss an hour after he proposes to his girlfriend would be a terrible idea. But in TV world, that kind of drunken misstep might just secure the job of your dreams.
That’s essentially the gist of ABC Family’s new comedy Young & Hungry, which premiered Wednesday. Hannah Montana‘s Emily Osment plays Gabi Diamond, a down-on-her-luck food blogger with no job, no money and no clue. So when an opportunity to work as a private chef for tech millionaire Josh Kaminski ($#*! My Dad Says‘ Jonathan Sadowski) arises, she dives right in…to his bed.
You see, Josh initially proposes to his socialite girlfriend, but when she turns him down, he starts commiserating (and more) with Gabi, who cooks the proposal dinner as part of her job application. And because it would apparently be illegal to not hire someone you just slept with — or so Josh says — Gabi gets the job and all is well.
Gabi’s biggest obstacle — aside from her apparent lack of boundaries — comes in the form of Josh’s personal assistant/publicist Elliot (Entourage‘s Rex Lee). Like a sassy guard dog in a bow-tie, Elliot is determined to undermine our young heroine at every turn, mostly because he’s bitter that Josh didn’t hire “hot” celebrity chef Michael Voltaggio. I’m hoping Elliot’s ‘tude will pass over time because, honestly, his disdain for Gabi doesn’t come off quite as funny as it probably should. In fact, it kind of takes a toll on the show’s overall tone.
Fortunately, for every Elliot, there’s a Yolanda (Let’s Stay Together's Kym Whitley), who serves as Gabi’s kitchen-side guardian angel. Actually, that might be a bit of a stretch; she doesn’t actually do anything to help Gabi in her pursuits, but at least she’s always there to lend a high-five when needed."
Mystery Girls (Eh...)
LA Times Review: ABC Family's 'Young & Hungry,''Mystery Girls' are a mixed bag
"Ditsy blonds and the gay men who love/hate them are getting a double-bill revival on ABC Family, which debuts two new comedies Wednesday with mixed to awful results.
Mixed would be "Young & Hungry," a more than occasionally funny show in which Gabi (Emily Osment), an appealing but financially challenged food blogger, becomes personal chef to Josh (Jonathan Sadowski), an appealing but romantically challenged tech-ionaire.
Executive produced by Ashley Tisdale, "Young & Hungry" feels much more Disney Channel than ABC Family. And that's not just because Osment is late of "Hannah Montana."
Osment is an accomplished physical and verbal comedian who is always fun to watch, particularly in a group, and this group is very much up to her standards. Josh's housekeeper, Yolanda (Kym Whitley), clearly graduated with top honors from Miss Pettigrew's School of Domestic Staff and One-Liners, and personal assistant Elliot is played by Rex Lee in a manner even more High Queen than his role on "Entourage." If that's possible.
Still, while there may be sex, Gabi, with her blond hair, can-do attitude and sunny outlook, is very much a Disney heroine who sticks out a bit in ABC Family's darker universe.
As does the jury-rigged setup: Foodie meets tech millionaire in a battle to determine which is trendier! The players are talented if a bit hamstrung by their roles (does every personal assistant now have to be a gay man who squeals?). Perhaps once it settles down from the inevitably overwrought pilot, "Young & Hungry" will give Osment the successful starring role she deserves.
Not so "Mystery Girls," which seems to believe that the reunion of "Beverly Hills, 90210" stars Tori Spelling and Jennie Garth is (a) something huge numbers of the populace has been waiting for and (b) all you really need to launch a television show.
It will surprise no one to learn that Spelling (who had to do something now that her ghastly reality series is over) and Garth also executive produce "Mystery Girls," in which two former stars of a '90s hit show of the same name come together to form an actual detective agency.
In a slightly sunnier version of "art" imitating life, Holly (Spelling) is the ditzier of the two, still living off her long-ago fame via various reality television shows while Charlie (Garth) is dying of boredom in the suburbs. When a young man (Miguel Pinzon) so old-school gay he can only sing the word "fabulous" witnesses a murder, he vows he will only talk to the subjects of his "obsesh," i.e., the Mystery Girls, who are then forced to reunite.
Unfortunately, creator Shepard Boucher ("Men at Work") seems confined by the limitations of his stars, who are clearly not interested in actually exploring the real vagaries of fame. So we have a hollow, laugh-enhanced comedy in which the biggest draw is Tori Spelling proving she will do anything to remain on television. But we knew that already."
Wednesdays
Young and Hungry - 8/7c and 9/10c
Mystery Girls - 8:30/7:30c and 9:30/10:30c
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I'll give episode 2 a go on 'Young and Hungry', 'Mystery Girls' - nope.