Mike & Molly

Channel: Nine
Day & time: Wednesday, 8.00 p.m.
Watch full episodes online HERE

As the obesity epidemic takes over all developed countries in the world, it was only a matter of time before we had a sitcom centring on an overweight couple.

Admittedly, when I saw the previews of Mike & Molly, I wasn’t particularly impressed. However, the executive producer is Chuck Lorre - the brain behind two of TV’s most successful recent sitcoms, The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men. So I thought it would pay to keep an open mind about Mike & Molly – a sitcom that is essentially about (and I’ll try to keep this review as ‘PC’ as possible) a relationship between fat people.

I don’t need to be too PC though. It’s okay to call them fat. After all – the show is packed full of what can only be described as ‘fat jokes’. It’s hard to know whether this is liberating, by way of the characters (and actors, no less) being comfortable enough with themselves to accept jokes about their weight; or if it’s demeaning, by way of the audience simply being allowed to laugh, guilt-free, at their problems.

Mike & Molly stars Billy Gardell as Mike Biggs (yes, Biggs), a very hefty police officer who would be lucky to pass his fitness test. Melissa McCarthy plays Molly Flynn, a fourth grade teacher who is more willing to accept her weight. After meeting at an Overeaters Anonymous group, the two strike up a romance. The two stars are definitely the highlight of Mike & Molly. Gardell and McCarthy are excellent and there’s genuine chemistry between them.

Unfortunately, the supporting cast doesn’t stand out quite as much as the two stars of the show – they perform their roles competently, but they’re not outstanding. Reno Wilson plays Mike’s fast-talking partner Carl McMillan. Frequently Mike and Carl encounter a Senegalese waiter called Samuel (Nyambi Nyambi) at their favourite diner. Molly’s trim and not-so-supporting family also make an appearance by way of her mother Joyce (Swoosie Kurtz) and sister Victoria (Katy Mixon).

Not only do Mike and Molly have to deal with the normal relationship issues that any sitcom character would, they also face constant criticism and jokes about their weight. Essentially, as I mentioned before, these take the form of ‘fat jokes’. While they’re sometimes funny, it does tend to get quite tiresome and predictable.

Nonetheless, there are some touching moments in Mike & Molly, as the two lead characters are very likeable. In one episode, after an argument with Molly, Mike (helped by Samuel and Carl) drunkenly climbs a ladder up to her room to apologise – only to fall asleep in the doorway.

Mike & Molly isn’t a bad show – it’s just not a great show. You’ll find yourself laughing every now and then, but not at anything particularly witty or inventive. And of course, you need to ask yourself if you’re actually just laughing at the fat people – or if you’re laughing with them.

Mat Kelly