Pilot

Season 1, Episode 1, Aired

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7.4
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Billie, a newspaper film critic, just went through an ugly breakup with her boss, who still wishes to mend their relationship. After a fling with a much younger guy, Billie ends up pregnant and decides that she really wants to keep the baby -- and the guy she hooked up with.moreless
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Fan Episode Reviews (6)

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  • Good introduction.

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By dmarex, Aug 26, 2010
    First of all, Jenna Elfman is an amazing actress to have in any series, and once again she delivers great in her performances. The plot of the series seemed interesting to me at the time I first heard of it, so I decided to check it out and I wasn't disappointed.

    I may have thought at times that the pilot was moving too fast, but overall it was satisfying, and I can't wait to see how the couple adapt to their lives. I loved the interaction between Jenna Elfman and Jon Foster (there's definitely chemistry there), and I see a lot of potential in Lennon Parham (playing Billie's sister Abby who seems to be a bit dimwitted), plus Ashley Jensen did amazing as Olivia (and I loved her in Ugly Betty). Not so sure on Grant Show's purpose, but they'll get there, I'm sure.

    Overall, the pilot was great and now the ratings will decide how this goes further.moreless

  • Series Premiere

    8.5
    "Great"
    By TvFreak7, Apr 10, 2010
    I was really excited for this show. The plot has been done many time before but people fall for it everytime because its just very interesting and entertaining. I thought the writing was good. And the acting was good. Jenna Elfman did a great job. Jon Foster was also good too. I found this such a great show. I thought it was really funny for a pilot episode and it has great potential for future episodes.

    We meet Billie (Jenna Elfman), a 30 something women who just broke up with her boss and goes to a bar with her friends and meets Zach (Jon Foster), they sleep together and Billie ends up pregnant. Good Pilot.moreless

  • Not bad.

    8.5
    "Great"
    By sylviasd, Apr 10, 2010
    I wasn't sure about watching Accidentally on Purpose but now I'm glad I did.

    Sure it doesn't revolutionize the sitcom genre but the show has some promises.

    First, a brilliant cast. Jenna Elfman and Ashley Jensen together? Awesome!
    Not to mention the actress playing Abby. She's hilarious at playing the dumb one.

    Then, some very good lines. The fake laughs are a little over the top but some dialogues are very good, not to mention some scenes.

    All in all, it's quite a good moment and I'll definitely keep watching. The only thing I'm not sure about is its length potential. Billie is pregnant but what's next? We'll have the full season to observe the pregnancy stage but once the baby is here, the writers will have to rack their brains in order to keep it somewhat original.moreless

  • How did the pilot do?

    6.5
    "Fair"
    By thefanof, Sep 23, 2009
    CBS presents its lineup of comedy. The biggest powerhouse of sitcoms on television (cable or broadcast) matched only by NBC's Thursday lineup. Everybody has been talking about the returns of Chuck Lorre's two smashes The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men and been wondering what will happen next on the overrated and childish How I Met Your Mother, but few have been talking about the group's one new show, Accidentally on Purpose.

    The show has very, very similar sets to HIMYM, with there being a bar and an apartment, both of which look distinctly similar to the Carter Bays/Craig Thomas program. But I at least got a few laughs from this show, something I cannot say about the other.

    Jenna Elfman, best known for her role on Dharma & Greg (guess which one she was) portrays a quirky, good-intentioned, but unlucky and clumsy woman of 37 years hoping to find a spark in her dull life. She is clearly channeling the late sitcom legend Lucille Balle with her performance, with a little bit of Christina Applegate and Teri Hatcher's Susan Mayer character thrown in there as well. On paper that should be a good equation, but as a viewer I can't help but think "been there, done that, seen that" in regards to Billie. Viewers of I Love Lucy (who are probably 50-70 by now) will love this character, but as a male college student, yeah she's funny, but is this a character I will grow to love over five seasons?

    Ashley Jensen, a veteran of television with roles on Ugly Betty and Extras, provides the most laughs as Billie's British friend, who trades her phone number for a drink at every chance. Think Andrea on Samantha Who?, Nina on Just Shoot Me, Edie on Desperate Housewives...you get the idea. Jensen won a BAFTA for her role on Extras, and she provides a solid source of comedy here, but there are so only so many jokes this character can make before things grow old.

    The male characters are all relatable, but making Grand Theft Auto jokes is not exactly ground breaking comedy. They could grow more in-depth as the series progresses, but I suppose right now it is best to keep them two-dimensional as the focus of the show is on Billie and her "boy toy" not the three others.

    Final Verdict: This show does show some promise, and for a pilot it was solid, but things could also go downhill fast from here. Guess we'll have to keep watching and see what happens.moreless

  • Not too bad for a series premiere.. and yet ANOTHER sitcom.

    8.2
    "Great"
    By JaCkKbAuEr2424, Sep 22, 2009
    Despite how much this show feels like the TV version of Knocked Up, it actually had a few legitimate funny moments in it. Now if it could only get rid of the lame cliche moments that have been used by a billion sitcoms before it, it might have an actual chance of getting picked up for a full season.. I just don't expect it to be recognized for its acting or writing merits any time soon. But there may still be time for that yet..

    The show is basically about a woman (Bille) who, after temporarily leaving her boyfriend because he doesn't want to get married (think of going on a break like Ross and Rachel), has a one night stand with a guy much younger than her. She soon finds she's pregnant, and to complicate things, her old boyfriend wants to be back in her life and take things more seriously.

    The show's premise has been done in movies and other TV shows before, and it's not like this show does anything different, but some of the lines and moments leave me wondering if they can maybe be a bit more creative with future storylines. The line about Zach smelling like a skittle made me laugh, and Billie's attempt to distract Zach's roommates by saying the hooker wasn't dead on Grand Theft Auto was also pretty funny.

    However, this show has an uphill battle. If it doesn't want to be left by the wayside, it needs to definitely up the amount of laughs and originality.moreless
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