TV REVIEW: ABC's "Better Off Ted"

Office-place comedies are usually knee-deep in quirk and relatable moments that have you thinking, "Oh my god, exactly! I can't believe other people think this way too." It's the equivalent of bitching at the water cooler for 20 mintues and relieving the stress that's piling up on your shoulders.

This office-place comedy is about a guy named Ted whose basic job is to make the impossible happen. He works at a company that essentially invents things, and if his boss, the tight ass Veronica (Portia de Rossi from "Arrested Development"), asks him to genetically engineer beef, then his response has to be positive.

I guess people who are known for being yes-men would understand that relationship. There are also some who could relate to the idea of having a boss who asks for the impossible nearly every single time they see them. There might even be people who relate to Linda (Andrea Anders from "The Class" and "Joey") who resorts to stealing creamer in order to make up for how much she hates her life-sucking job. Heck, there are probably even co-workers tweeting each other mid-episode about how much their relationship resembles Lem (Jay Harrington from "Private Practice") and Phil's (Jonathan Slavin), the quintessential example of a work marriage.

But the fact is: none of these characters are that funny. Linda's pretty funny, Veronica drags a few dry laughs out of you, and even Ted can make you crack a smile. But there's something so rigid about the series that it has you waiting on the edge of your seat for that big laugh you hope is coming...but secretly know isn't.

Update: The third episode was actually funnier. But we'll see...