The whole endeavor feels half-hearted and half-baked, with a thin concept and a glaring lack of laughs... The one saving grace is the knowledge that everyone involved will go on to more worthwhile projects. The sooner this term ends, the better.
Thankfully, Danson elevates even the more banal gags, and remains good company if nothing else. There's also something vaguely reassuring about having him back Thursdays on NBC.
The characters are all well-drawn and hysterical, but they are by no means the whole show. Like 30 Rock, the air on Mr. Mayor crackles with hilarity. Every throwaway line is subversively funny.
Ms. Hunter and Mr. Danson, who come out of disparate regions of metonymical Hollywood, work well off each other, and with a cast that promises great things.
Mr. Mayor is disappointing -- but disappointments happen. The great surprise of the show, given the talent involved, is the degree to which it's an unpleasant hang.
The cast is good, with the ping-ponging of barbs between Danson and Hunter particularly enjoyable... But there is no cohesion, no clear target, no sense of what exactly this show is aiming for -- yet.
