DMV

Intermittently charming, only occasionally cringe-worthy, the series serves up characters who can be swiftly defined by traits and quirks. .... But “DMV” has a snappy pace, and Meadows, Dyer and Kearney all pass with flying colors.

While there is nothing particularly negative to say about "DMV," there also isn't a stand-out spark to it, either. The jokes are funny but not hilarious, and the characters are likable but not memorable.

While there doesn’t seem to be anything new about DMV, the cast has potential and the first episode had enough funny moments to give the show a chance.

Its perfect averageness makes it easy to dismiss, but it’s a painless, pleasant half-hour, with a smattering of genuine laughs. And like every such show, it can be expected to ripen with age, if age comes.

“DMV” also recycles too many jokes within the same 20-minute arc. (I’m hesitant to identify them as “callbacks” — a new comedy should be eager to show off new jokes, and the adhesive maxi-pad bit just isn’t funny enough for a running gag.) At least we know Dyer is playing in a familiar sandbox, so it’s safe to assume she’ll start building better castles in time.

As with most work-related premises, there’s undoubtedly a good sitcom lurking at the DMV. .... But the glimmers of invention (the driving testers keep track of the number of days since they were almost killed on a whiteboard) are so meager here that this DMV feels as perfunctory and forgettable as re-registering your car.

Ms. Dyer is a charmer, but the sense one gets from “DMV” is exhaustion .... If a premium cable service offered a “DMV,” which is hardly alone among network-produced tragedies, viewers would cancel their subscriptions.