TV Review: 'The Ex List'

October 02, 04:06 PM

CBS' new Friday drama The Ex List lost its ace-in-the-hole last month when original showrunner Diane Ruggiero exited the series due to "creative differences."

Ruggiero, a veteran of Veronica Mars, was perhaps the breakout star of July's Television Critics Association press tour, telling embarrassing jokes and candid anecdotes and basically giving the impression that no matter how you felt about the original pilot, this was a sort of talent you want to watch.

And I really disliked the pilot for The Ex List, but despite that animus, I was prepared to give the show a few more episodes just for Ruggiero. Now? I can save the time.

To be fair, The Ex List is a love-it/hate-it show and much of that gut reaction depends on how you respond to the core premise, which came from an original Israeli format.

For me, there are few TV/movie subsets that turn me off more swiftly than the "Beautiful woman who appears to have everything -- great friends, solid job, perfect hair -- and yet spends every waking hour whining about her inability to find the man she so clearly needs to validate her entire existence" genre.

That's certainly the case with Bella Bloom (Elizabeth Reaser), she of the amusing friends (Amir Talai, Adam Rothenberg, Alexandra Breckenridge), energetic and supportive sister (Rachel Boston), successful floral shop and not-unfulfilling sex life. You'd never think to pity her, except that she hasn't got a ring and that apparently makes her worthy of utmost sympathy. When a fortune teller advises Bella if she doesn't find true love in the next calendar year that she'll never get married, things go from not-at-all-bad to worse for our heroine. Then the bombshell: That perfect man is somebody from Bella's past, forcing her to go back through what seems to be a long list of boyfriends, conquests and casual flirtations.

For the purposes of the first episode, that past boyfriend is an ultra-sensitive rocker played by Eric Balfour, whose sense of humor has rarely been utilized on an intentional level. The Hawaii, Six Feet Under and Veritas: The Quest veteran is surprisingly hilarious, which doesn't bode well given that he's just a guest star, forcing viewers into Balfour withdrawal.

The series' urgency comes from that one-year deadline, though the producers of How I Met Your Mother can tell you how frustrating it is to drag out the "Is this week's guest star The One?" conceit and that comedy doesn't come with an artificial deadline.

Although my editor instructs me that I'm wrong to feel like The Ex List is aggressively emasculating, it will doubtlessly play better for female viewers. It's a PG-13 rated episode of Sex and the City, in which the characters are all as self-obsessed as empathy will allow and as foul-mouthed as network standards will allow. That means a mixture of "Woe is me" mewling and catty jokes about pubic hair, the sort of thing that the producers figure will appeal to women who find themselves at home at 9 p.m. on Friday nights. However clever the writing occasionally may be -- and I don't question Ruggiero's gift for dialogue -- most men will have little interest in an hour-long lesson on how difficult they are to find, train and domesticate.

Why would men watch, then? Other than as part of a pact involving sexual favors or BBQ, the best answer would be "Because it's a show full of attractive women," a bribe that presupposes that while some network television shows are overburdened with dowdy ugly women, The Ex List is a show in which good looks are valuable. And it's about darned time!

Reaser, so fine on Grey's Anatomy and especially good in the little-seen indie feature Sweet Land, is a pleasant enough lead, though she's more comfortable with drama than comedy. As promised, Breckenridge is aesthetically pleasing, while Boston brings such infectious glee to her role that I kind of wished she were the star of the show. The men of The Ex List aren't even vaguely memorable.

The Ex List moves into a Friday night timeslot where CBS has had some difficulties, with dwindling returns for Close to Home and then Moonlight. Both of those two cancelled shows had better shots at cross-gender appeal and nestled between Ghost Whisperer and Numb3rs, The Ex List won't be able to sustain on female viewers alone. This is a show that needed a break and Ruggiero's departure may have already negated its best shot at success.

in The Ex List , TV Reviews

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Comments (27)

Comments

I have no intention of watching this sludge. CBS should not have canceled Moonlight. CBS is the Ex List.

Sam | Oct 3, 2008 9:32:33 AM | #

I too have NO desire to watch this show.

I did not care for Ms. Reaser when she was on Grey's.

Just my 2 cents ;)

MommaCat | Oct 3, 2008 12:06:06 PM | #

This looks like a terrible show. How do you stretch out a premise this thin over 100+ episodes? A new conquest every week? Who is she, the female Charlie Sheen?

Here's a better idea for this show: She's a low class, high school drop-out, drug addicted streetwalker who gets off the crackpipe, goes back to school, and becomes determined to make a better life for herself. A psychic tells her that her true love is a former john, so every episode, she crashes into various blue-blood establishments, trying to find a husband.

At least this could be kind of entertaining.....

Reggie | Oct 3, 2008 1:12:17 PM | #

yeah i didn't even like her on GREY'S. if you read any fan board, anyone could've seen that she wasn't particularly popular with the fans who mostly just wanted her written off the show! if i were her, i'd stick to specialized indie roles and try to grow out from there.

bring back MOONLIGHT!!!

dolly | Oct 3, 2008 3:08:46 PM | #

Oh god, this is crap. Pure crap. Like, if there was a Crap God and he demanded the purest of all craps, I could give him this show, and he would be appeased.
And I'm doubly irked that she has my 8mth old baby's name. Bella is a name that I gave my baby b/c she was born in Italy. Not born into substandard dramedies.

Jeanine | Oct 3, 2008 6:31:00 PM | #

Why are you all so bitter about this show? You should be compassionate for people who are single and trying to find love.

Allison | Oct 3, 2008 7:04:34 PM | #

Way better than Moonlight. Moonlight should have been axed after the first episode.

Dak | Oct 3, 2008 7:22:31 PM | #

Bring back Moonlight!

Nefarie | Oct 4, 2008 3:48:11 PM | #

I had no interest in watching this show, especially after CBS cancelled "Moonlight". After reading this review, I'm glad I didn't bother.

VIR | Oct 4, 2008 8:33:37 PM | #

Reaser was wonderful in the lovely "Sweet Land," but she has no chance, as would no actress, to survive the smutty material in "The Ex List." It's so tacky it made me squirm. The retinue of L.A. clones is a bore. I hope Reaser has another, better, opportunity soon.

Carol | Oct 5, 2008 4:20:06 AM | #

CBS Friday Night slide downhill started when they dumped Joan of Arcadia for the stupid Ghost Whisperer. Equally stupid was Moonlight a Vampire-secretly-in-love mess that got worse each week. The only winner they've had for 3 years is Numb3rs

ELPDave | Oct 5, 2008 12:46:44 PM | #

If you actually watch the pilot instead of basing your like of the show on this article, you might actually like it. I watched and was surprised at how much I liked the show. I'm not a fan of Elizabeth Reaser from her Grey's role, so that was an obstacle, but I still enjoyed the hour. It seems like the wrong person reviewed this show, there was no way he was going to like it at all. Give it a shot, you'll be surprised.

Jasmine | Oct 5, 2008 10:05:13 PM | #

Oh Lord, this is a bunch of crap. If she couldn't figure out that Eric Balfour is not the one after his first bout of mid-intercourse crying, then God help her. I certainly can't watch 20 more episodes of that hyped-up overly-uncomfortable nonsense. It would help the storyline if she was not that attractive and had been abused by her father; It would also help explain why she fell for that load of crap from a fortune teller in the first place.

Bret | Oct 6, 2008 12:42:44 PM | #

PEOPLE!!!!!! Like you could do better!?! This show was suprisingly funny and a complete joy. I think if you are just reading this review (written by a man) and not even watching the show than shut up and stop being followers. I thought this show is something fresh and fun on a night where TV is usually boring. If you actually watched the show and commented, than you are entitled to your opinion, just as I am. With that said, I hope this show continues on!! We must remember that this is TV, is anything ever REAL on TV? Even when it says it is real???

Shelley | Oct 7, 2008 8:34:17 AM | #

I'm sorry, but the bad review has nothing to do with the fact that it was reviewed by a man! I'm a 34 yr old female, and this show is an embarrassment. No self-respecting woman in her 30's (or her friends) would ever behave this way. Let me just ask the females this - have you EVER shown your privates to a female friend? I'm betting no.

Smilty | Oct 8, 2008 1:04:19 PM | #

I was surprised by how much I LOVED this show. I wasn't expecting much and found it Truly delightful!!! One of the best Pilots of the season!! Do you self a favor and check it out...at least once.

Monica | Oct 10, 2008 9:57:27 AM | #

Compassion for single women trying to find love involves steering them away from this show.

And let's see...which network holds the record for the most showrunners leaving due to "creative differences"? That would be CBS. For a network supposedly after female viewers, one wonders how they arrived at the conclusion that a desperate female lead would be more appealing than a sexy male vampire. With all the hype about vampires these days, CBS (and Nina Tassler) really dropped the ball with Moonlight.

It's not too late. Drop the Ex List drivel and bring back Moonlight. At least it was entertaining to watch.

Jen | Oct 12, 2008 9:10:39 AM | #

Bring back Joan of Arcadia and Close to Home...all much better shows in my opinion.

Heather Peterson | Oct 13, 2008 4:11:05 PM | #

One word for this show "cancel", the show stinks, and so does CBS who continues to insult "once loyal viewers" by taking what was really good, and replacing it with "trash"! Shame on you, Nina Tassler you should have thought twice before she messed with loyal fans! Fyi your ratings are going d o w n as in down!

Chetski64 | Oct 14, 2008 4:18:46 PM | #

This show sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!

jane | Oct 17, 2008 3:36:30 PM | #

The Ex List is the lowest rated CBS show. The crime drama repeats that air on Sat nights have higher ratings than the Ex List.

everwood | Oct 20, 2008 2:51:16 PM | #

Lighten up! I did not think I would like this show but really have started to like it.

And to Smitty.... hmmm "No self-respecting woman in her 30's (or her friends) would ever behave this way"... it is a show SERIOUSLY! You are complaining on a web site, get a frigin lifE. What is worse watching a silly comedy or finding a place to bitch about it on. I think you are lonley lady.
And as for your question of "Let me just ask the females this - have you EVER shown your privates to a female friend? I'm betting no." YOU LOST THE BET, SORRY!

Toni | Oct 26, 2008 11:13:38 AM | #

I watched the pilot and found it excruciating. Really, are pubic hair jokes still considered funny enough to be a running gag for an hour long show? I gave the show a rest and tried to watch another episode last week. It was unwatchable, dude.

Wendy | Oct 27, 2008 6:18:20 PM | #

maybe if they added gratuitous nudity.

jim | Oct 28, 2008 11:30:56 AM | #

I feel a sense of relief and justification for CBS's cancellation of the EX-LIST and sad that CBS Entertainment Nina Tassler did not listen to the "Moonlight Fan Base" but they did not listen to the "Jericho" fan base either (twice)...so shame on CBS for giving us "Moonlight" and taking it off the air way too soon before it had a chance to go further. So many good storylines I know that could have been developed. The stars were committed to the show and know still are. We will miss them. Moonlight Fans can look to pre-ordering the "Moonlight" TV series-so there is that to look forward to and maybe a possible movie.

CBS has egg on it's face for this one-they will probably fill the empty time slots with the Ghost Whisperer or Numbers which is what they always do or reruns of CSI-Miami or Las Vegas or New York. I no longer watch any shows on CBS on Friday-all FOX NEWS now...they have my vote always.

Lynn R.

Lynn M. Rogers | Oct 28, 2008 8:44:57 PM | #

Well, since an episode of NCIS (HURRAH!) was on last night instead of Ex-List I assume that TPTB at CBS have cut their losses & hit the cancel button on this train wreck. They made a big mistake by cancelling Moonlight (People's Choice Award) for a show that had a built in expiration date and a weak premise to base weekly episodes on. I'm sorry for those of you who liked the show and those people working on it. I personally found the show idea ridiculous and voted with my remote!

Kimber | Nov 1, 2008 6:01:48 AM | #

I am also glad that The Ex List failed. I didn't watch it in protest to CBS cancelling Moonlight. Shame on CBS for letting all of the Moonlight fans down.I'd like to know what the real reason is for cancelling Moonlight! After winning the Peoples Choice Award and having decent ratings for a Friday night I am very confused and still very upset that it was cancelled. Vampire shows and books are very popular right now and CBS really dropped the ball! I say bring Moonlight back!!!!!!!!

Kerry | Nov 16, 2008 1:58:41 AM | #