The Guest Book

Is the show funny? Sort of. It’s certainly charming, in a frequently vulgar sort of way, and well performed by the cast and guest stars.

The channel has been betting big on sitcoms for a while now, and this one is in the same pleasantly, somewhat raunchily mindless vein as “The Detour.” And, like those shows, it grows on you, because it sharpens as it goes along.

Mr. Garcia’s style of humor tends to be sophomoric--sex jokes, overweight stripper sight gags and broad comedy predominates--but this style manages to blend well with the show’s unique format.

Some split-screen episode bookends and some inventive camera placements keep the cottage from getting too familiar. But those occasional touches can’t replace the fact that the show lives and dies on the strength of its episode-to-episode stories.

This series is so disposable it would barely fill up a tall kitchen trash bag. Yet there's still pleasure in watching a seasoned comedienne like Stockard Channing and an old pro like Holmes Osborne try to spin gold out of a creaky tale about devout religious parents attempting to convert their son's atheist girlfriend (Mary Lynn Rajskub).

Despite boasting an impressive guest star roster that includes Stockard Channing, Danny Pudi, Lauren Lapkus, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Michaela Watkins and many other extraordinary comedy talents, the humor and characters don’t feel altogether hospitable.

Each episode is driven by situational comedies that are uneven in story and execution.