On Monday, January 26th, TNT expands its stable of original programming with the premiere of the Warner Horizon production, Trust Me. Starring TV vets Tom Cavanagh and Eric McCormack as best friends and creative partners at fictional Chicago ad agency Rothman Greene & Mohr, Trust Me is a light drama¹ about modern advertising.

Here’s the thing: I want to like this show and I’m going to give it four or five or even six episodes to grow on me. Creators Hunt Baldwin and John Coveny have a combined 20 years of experience in the Chicago ad world, and they and co-EPs Greer Shephard and Michael M. Robin have proven they know how to put together a tight drama on a cable budget with The Closer. But…

I’m tired of Tom Cavanagh’s schtick.

I’m tired of Eric McCormack’s schtick.

And Monica Potter…she just…I think she buys her botox in bulk.

Cavanagh plays Connor, “a single, impulsive copywriter with the attention span of a teenager.” Wow. Really stretching there. Playing against type. Impulsive? Childish? Fast-talking and too full of his own charm? That’s what it says on Tom Cavanagh’s business cards. It’s a shame, because he is quick witted and puckish, but with ready access to pathos. Those watery eyes, always on the verge of tears help a lot, but it’s so much more than that. His guest appearances as Dan Dorian on Scrubs have always been rich with emotion, as he slips easily back and forth between obnoxious joker and broken soul. I want someone to write him a role that rich, that varied and lived in.

McCormack’s art director, Mason, “is a responsible, workaholic family man with a beautiful wife, Erin (Sarah Clarke), two children and an undying loyalty to the brands he helps sell.” In other words: Straight-Will. I’m exaggerating. A little.

Too whiny, too obstinate, too uptight, too Will.

Again, this is a shame, as Eric McCormack has superb comic timing, leading man looks, and a willingness to look ridiculous. Those latter two traits are rarely seen together, so it’s a shame when the material doesn’t reach up to his talent level. He’s not asked to do much here that he hasn’t done before – like Cavanagh – so too easily slips into a worn groove.

Long-time friends and partners, the relationship dynamic changes early in the pilot when Mason is promoted to creative director, becoming Connor’s boss. In a highly politicized office, the move creates tension not just between the friends, but between Mason and the other creative teams in their group. It’s a bit of an odd choice, from my perspective never having worked in advertising, that an art director and not a copywriter should get the nod. It’s also a bit of an odd choice from my perspective as a writer.

Mason is no Don Draper. He’s no Darren Stevens.² And as an art director, he won’t be giving any moving speeches about slide projectors or Hula hoops. I’m sure the creators decided that Cavanagh’s rapidfire patter was better suited to the role of copywriter, but I suspect later on they’ll wish they’d chosen the other road.

Don’t get me wrong. I was entertained by the two episodes I’ve seen and will keep watching, assuming my Tivo can squeeze another show in on my overcrowded Monday nights. Cavanagh and McCormack are funny and have good chemistry even if I wish they were given more to do, and the supporting cast in the agency – Griffin Dunne, Mike Damus, and Geoffrey Arend – are fun to watch. Unfortunately, Sarah Clarke is stuck at home as Mason’s wife and is therefore separated from the proceedings. She can’t wiggle her nose and I don’t expect her to be gunning down anyone’s pigeons any time soon, but I hope they find a meaty story for her anyway.

Really only Monica Potter and her oddly inexpressive face are a true drag on the show. She’s another emotionally stunted, socially inept blond on a TNT drama. At this point I have to assume there’s one exec who keeps giving the same note to every show on the net: “can you make her more awkward?” Maybe there are successful women like that in advertising, but I don’t buy it from Potter’s performance. She’s a caricature.

I don’t think we’ll be reviewing Trust Me on a regular basis unless it really grows on me, but please feel free to come back to this post and give us your thoughts on the show.

R.A. Porter is an aspiring television writer who currently toils away in the software mines. He can be found at Sketch War, his personal blog, Tumblr, and stalked on Twitter.

1. I won’t call it a “crama”, no matter what DMc says. [↩]
2. He’s not even the second Darren Stevens. [↩]

Tags: tnt, warner horizon

posted by R.A. Porter in → Reviews