TV Doctor Toss-Up: It’s a White Couples Showdown

Dr. Jack has seen two shows premiere over the past month that struck me as very similar. NBC’s “Perfect Couples” and Fox’s “Traffic Light” are essentially about the same thing: white people in relationships. Now of course there are differences.  “TL” is more of a show skewed from the male perspective, and the couples in “PC” are all married or engaged. But for the most part the shows seem pretty similar. So that leaves the question for you, the Dr.’s TV patient masses, of which one to watch. Let’s take it to a showdown!

ROUND 1: CAST LOOKS

If you’re like me, you like watching attractive people. Whether it is porn, sitcoms or only getting my news from Anderson Cooper, I like to watch the beautiful. The cast of “TL” is severely lacking in this category. Sure, the women are probably “work hot” but neither is “TV hot”. Two of the women on “PC” are nothing special either, but Olivia Munn is straight up where it's at. She’s in a special class of hot. Like if all the actresses in Hollywood were put on a college campus, she’d be in the “hot sorority” and hopefully for our sake, it would also be the “slutty sorority”.

And I’m not being sexist, the men of “TL” aren’t cutting it for me either. The main character is just offputting to look at, and the other two are Roy from "The Office" and the sketchy British guy in “Love Actually” who goes to Wisconsin and scores with Elisha Cuthbert and January Jones. A few episodes ago on “PC”, there was a sequence of all the guys with their shirts off and let’s just say Dr. Jack’s Nurse wasn’t complaining.

ROUND 2: STORYLINES

There have only been two episodes that have aired of “TL” so far, but both have been kind of all about deceiving your wife/girlfriend. I get that the show is more geared towards men, and I also understand gentle lying to a significant other is an age old sitcom go to device. However, these guys just spend all of their time coming up with misleading stories for their ladies, and they’re not even clever.

“PC” has at least been able to mix in plots about the characters dealing with getting older. They’ve also examined, and done it in funnier ways than “TL” does anything, more serious issues like money squabbles. It’s just a more developed show in terms of different topics that are covered.

ROUND 3: ROLE of the FEMALE CAST

The two chicks on “TL” virtually do jack shit. I’m sorry to be crass when discussing ladies, but dammit have some self respect. There’s a bulldog and the show too, and I kid you not, he’s just as integral as these two women. They do virtually nothing except pretty much be part of the scenery for the guys on the show to interact with.

The women of “PC” however, actually are given funny things to do. Especially our girl Olivia, whose performance in the episode with the man cave was one of the best moments of the show so far. The Waitress from “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” plays another one of the female characters and is enjoyable as well. Her character is kind of crazy, she is a woman after all, but it’s the entertaining kind of crazy that makes you laugh and glad she’s not your girlfriend.

Well if you haven’t figured it out by now, I can’t stand “TL” and only watched it because CW told me I had to. I am rewarding all three rounds to “Perfect Couples” as this was a KO before the gloves even went on! The Dr. Jack recommendation of which to watch goes to “Perfect Couples” on NBC, Thursdays at 8:30pm. Sadly, neither show is doing well in the ratings and look to both be heading towards cancellation, so you might want to hurry.

-Dr. Jack Shephard