Mr. Sunshine freshens things up

It’s difficult to tell if Matthew Perry just happens to land roles where the characters all resemble each other, or if there’s something else going on. After the short-lived Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, he’s back to primetime television, once more the sardonic underdog, virtually Chandler Bing in disguise. Maybe he actually is Chandler – we never really learned what he did at the office, now did we? Whether it’s future-Chandler or not, he now goes by Ben Donovan and he’s the titular character in ABC’s new comedy Mr. Sunshine. As is natural with Perry – and comes as no surprise – he doesn’t live up to the moniker.

Now, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Perry’s a natural comedian and his self-deprecating, socially awkward brand of humor works for him. He’s convincing enough as the Operations Manager of San Diego’s Sunshine Center stadium, even if he doesn’t seem too comfortable in a position of power. What that power is, we’re never quite sure, because the plot doesn’t really center on it. Instead, we’re introduced to the Sunshine Center employees, a motley crew of eccentric secondary characters whom the cynical Ben has no way of avoiding throughout the day as he prepares for their next event, a circus performance.

Allison Janney is perfectly neurotic as his drug addled, neurotic and mildly racist boss, Crystal Cohen. With perfect comedic timing and priceless physical humor, she crawls on the floor of her office in search of “a little white pill with Spanish written on it,” only to realize that she has in fact already swallowed it. Following Crystal is her estranged lump of a son, Roman (Nate Torrence), the quaintly moronic and entirely useless lover of boats and mafia movies.

After sending Roman to the kitchen to test his fry cook skills, Ben must face Alice (Andrea Anders), his casual girlfriend who thinks they “need to talk.” Unfortunately, Perry and Anders make a wholly unconvincing couple. They lack chemistry and let’s face it, she’s too hot for him. Alice seems to realize this by the end of the episode when she chooses Alonso (James Lesure), Ben’s best friend and coworker, over him.

While the supporting cast gives Perry plenty of opportunity to use his wide array of facial expressions (from dismayed to horrified) it’s hard to say where this plot-less circus (no pun intended) is likely to go. There looks to be some character growth in the cards for Ben, who’s labeled himself an island with no need for close personal relationships. Hopefully Perry’s shtick of one-liners, erratic physical comedy and sad puppy eyes can sustain this mid-season replacement series further than just, well, midseason.