Not Suitable for Work

An amiable, sweet-tempered romantic ensemble comedy with a heftier than usual emphasis on professional ambition.

“Not Suitable for Work” may stretch thin across nine episodes but its nimble pace, quick-enough wits and aspirational aesthetic add just enough sparkle to what could have otherwise been a dull ride through early adulthood.

"Not Suitable for Work" is not, at least in its first few episodes, the second coming of "Friends," but it is a worthy and amusing attempt to capture a less-cynical view of Generation Z

It’s not exactly relatable or grounded, nor is it particularly hilarious, but Not Suitable For Work’s few bright spots and its impressive pedigree suggest that with a tighter focus, it could turn into the comfort hangout sitcom it desperately wants but doesn’t yet know how to be.

Everyone is stretched too thin — both main characters and supporting work colleagues — to have any of the depth needed for an audience to be endeared to them. The best storylines of the season are without a doubt the ones that have the core five interacting more.

Stretches for both satire and straightforward cuddliness. Abby’s adventures in the universe of styling tend to be the strongest bits of the series because Avantika is a gifted comedic actor. .... Elsewhere, the show loses its grasp on what exactly it wants to say about these dweebs, if much at all.

Could Not Suitable For Work get better once the writers figure out who these characters are? Sure. But the show is starting from such an annoyingly unfunny place that it may take the entire season for that to happen, and by then most viewers will have checked out.

Unfortunately, “Not Suitable for Work,” like creator Mindy Kaling’s previous sitcom offerings, offers too many cliches to result in anything other than mediocrity.

“Not Suitable for Work” is a bland take on a well-trodden setup. The glimmers of a more biting, memorable take on young people juggling jobs and love in New York City throughout the nine-episode season end up being just that: glimmers.

A generous interpretation of all this would be that Kaling— who’d been on a hot streak with Never Have I Ever, The Sex Lives of College Girls, and Running Point—is saying every generation has to make its own mistakes, no matter the institutional guardrails. That may well be true. But it doesn’t mean TV scripts should sound as oblivious as the green characters that populate them.

Kaling’s scripts try hard but rarely shine, let alone dazzle as the Friends’ dialogue almost unfailingly did.