• SumoMe

ABC's "Man Up!" features three video-gaming friends who need to... man up. Photo: ABC

The 2011 pilot season offers a third option for male viewers. Along the same lines as “Last Man Standing,” and “How to be a Gentleman,” ABC produced a show about three man-children who have various problems: one can’t get over an old love, one can’t find a way to teach his son how to become a man, and one can’t escape his ex-wife. The show begins with the trio playing some sort of video game together, and trying to talk about their problems while capturing the flag.

At one point, one of the men meets his ex-wife’s fit, well-spoken, considerate, new boyfriend, who he views as a threat. The well-rounded man serves as a point of contention for the three in general, and he sort of inspires them to “man up” towards the end of the show… I guess?

I didn’t really understand the point of the show. ABC’s huge hit “Modern Family” is wonderfully done, and I think that the network wanted to reproduce that show but geared more towards modern men. While some men might enjoy the show, I found the main characters boring, one-dimensional, and overall forgettable.

Overall, I think this show comes in second of the three man-oriented pilots. “Last Man Standing” is by far the most tolerable, and “How to be a Gentleman” comes in convincing last place. I doubt “Man Up!” will last much longer than a season; to do so would require more character development, a purpose or general plot to the show, and some more memorable jokes.