Free Agents (2011)

Despite its lead characters' fragile makeups, Free Agents is a niftily scripted, bracingly grownup comedy when in the hands of its two leads.

These initial 23 minutes offer a promising mix of rapid banter, smart cultural references, and delightful absurdity.

Free Agents has a strong premise, solid characters, good chemistry and some great one-liners. Like Alex and Helen, it needs to trust its heart.

The British show accepts that this is the story of two very damaged individuals and is willing to confront that damage early and often - sometimes seriously and sometimes in black comic fashion. Whether by choice or NBC fiat, Enbom has placed these same characters into a much lighter style, and the fit doesn't work.

There's not a character you're likely to believe, which is a problem, or one you want to see again, which for a series is a bigger problem.

It's virtually impossible to care about the characters, and not only is the show without a single laugh line, its attempts at humor come off as brittle and nasty.

What's missing here, besides laughs? Chemistry.