Accidentally on Purpose

Jenna Elfman can make this sitcom work if she has a great supporting cast. She plays an older woman about 37 who gets pregnant from a one night stand with a guy that she just met. She expects that he would go away but she was wrong. The father of her baby grew up without a father and doesn't want the same for the baby. Jenna's character has him move in with her platonic. We'll see what happens in the future with this show as it progresses. It's not as bad as it looks but Jenna Elfman is a great comedienne and she could pull this off. Her supporting cast isn't as memorable but they'll grow in time. I thought the show was okay for a pilot episode. It's not as bad as a lot of other sitcoms on the air. I am glad that CBS maintains the traditional sitcom with an audience and a set.

The writing was a bit weak at first, but it's getting much better. As for the actors, Jenna Elfman is an amazing comedic actress. She could read from the phone book or dictionary and make it sound funny. Jon Foster is also pretty darn good, his character is more quiet and laid back than Jenna's, which makes a great contrast. And the chemistry between them is terrific. Honestly, I enjoyed Jenna Elfman's other TV show, "Dharma and Greg," but there just weren't any sparks between her character and the guy who played her husband. But on "Accidentally on Purpose," you can almost feel the heat between Jenna Elfman and Jon Foster. The supporting characters can be a bit cartoon-like but maybe the writers will figure out what works for them. There is really some funny stuff going on here and I hope the show lasts. I don't want to see it replaced in the spring by yet another season of "Rules of Engagement." Please, NO!!

Billie (Jenna Elfman) is a 30something professional movie critic. Her co-worker Olivia (Ashley Jensen) is her best friend. She wanted more commitment causing her boss and boyfriend James (Grant Show) to dump her. While she's out drinking with Olivia and her safely-married sister Abby (Lennon Parham), she meets 20something Zack (Jon Foster) and his slacker friend Davis (Nicolas Wright). Billie and Zack have an one-night stand. She gets pregnant and he insists on being involved. He moves in.

Everybody is funny, likable, and pretty. The situation in this sitcom is a little awkward but still workable. However the writing is just not funny enough no matter how hard the actors try. I guess the sit is OK, but not enough com. Maybe they just need more slapstick. This got canceled after one season. It's probably as much as can be expected.

Oh dear... I've had so high expectations, and after having watched the pilot episode, I was so disappointed.

Not just because Jenna Elfman is not that fresh, bright, brilliant actress I fell in love with instantly after one episode of "Dharma And Greg"... but because the show brings absolutely nothing new, nothing fresh, nothing original.

Too bad, because this could be funny actually, if we would see it for the first time... But after about five hundred repetitions of the same situation, same joke, same phrases, seen hundreds of times in different sitcoms and movies in the past 10 or 20 years... it's just dull, boring and annoying.

Jenna Elfman - of course - is immensely charming and cute and still beautiful, but it's simply not enough. It's actually almost painful to watch her trying her best to save this sinking boat of a script, and she's not doing a bad job with it either, but she is simply unable to carry the show on her shoulders. The rest of the cast is not even worth mentioning, including Doug Savant, unfortunately.

All in all, less than mediocre script, unimaginative execution overall, very disappointing. I'm surprised if this show is going to live to see the end of the '09-'10 season.

A cute romantic sitcom, whose main asset was sweet and sexy Jenna Elfman. It was canceled after the first season and, although I liked it, I can't say it was unexpected.

7/10