Sitcoms always have potential to be successful—many have been religiously followed by fans for years, like Friends, Full House and The Big Bang Theory. These shows are rich with appealing qualities, such as likeable characters, envy-worthy relationships, gripping storylines and unexpected humor.
Partners is a sitcom about a straight man and a gay man who are best friends and business partners.
The show follows the intertwining lives of Joe (David Krumholtz) and Louis (Michael Urie), two men who are very different in personality, but connected by their longtime friendship.
They work together as architects and give each other advice regarding their love lives. Joe is recently engaged to his girlfriend Ali (Sophia Bush) and Louis is living with his boyfriend, a male nurse and ex-Mennonite, Wyatt (Brandon Routh).
Louis comes off as self-involved and attention-seeking, while Joe seems to be pessimistic and boring; they’re not the type of characters TV viewers want to be spending a half hour with each week.
These slightly unpleasant personalities create an unappealing friendship dynamic. Since they are so different, there is a glaring lack of connection between the two.
Partners was created by David Kohan and Max Mutchnick, the creators of Will and Grace, a sitcom that received praise in its day.
Many expected that Partners would be able to compare to the past work of Kohan and Mutchnick. Clearly, Will and Grace is a tough act to follow, and Partners is not able to keep up.
While Partners does not promise to be a long-running series, it’s not entirely painful to sit through.There are a few redeeming characters, such as Wyatt, and the sassy assistant to Joe and Louis, named RoRo (Tracy Vilar). Their quirky personalities add to the humor of the show.
It is still somewhat funny and cute, and may be enjoyed by those who are in search of light-hearted comedies about life, love and friendship—or those who are looking for something to watch after their weekly dose of How I Met Your Mother.