Work It (TV series)

{{Infobox television

| image = Work it promo pic.jpg

| caption =

| genre = Sitcom

| creator = Andrew Reich
Ted Cohen

| developer =

| writer =

| director =

| creative_director =

| presenter =

| starring = Ben Koldyke
Amaury Nolasco
Beth Lacke
John Caparulo
Rebecca Mader
Rochelle Aytes
Kate Reinders
Kirstin Eggers
Hannah Sullivan

| voices =

| narrated =

| theme_music_composer =

| opentheme =

| endtheme =

| composer = Stephen Robert Phillips
Tim Paruszkiewicz

| country = United States

| language = English

| num_seasons = 1

| num_episodes = 13 (11 unaired in the U.S.)

| executive_producer = Andrew Reich
Ted Cohen

| producer =

| editor =

| location =

| cinematography =

| camera = Multi-camera

| runtime = 30 minutes

| company = Summer School Productions
Bonanza Productions
Warner Bros. Television

| channel = ABC

| first_aired = {{Start date|2012|1|3}}

| last_aired = {{End date|2013|11|6}}

| related =

}}

Work It is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from January 3 to January 10, 2012.{{Cite magazine|url=http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/05/17/abc-fall-schedule/|title=ABC unveils 2011-12 fall schedule|date=May 17, 2011|last=Hibberd|first=James|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|accessdate=June 7, 2013|archive-date=May 15, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515075433/http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/05/17/abc-fall-schedule/|url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/11/18/abc-mid-season-premieres-gcb-takes-pan-am-slot-man-up-canceled-the-river-to-tuesday-missing-on-thursday/111220/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111120173323/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/11/18/abc-mid-season-premieres-gcb-takes-pan-am-slot-man-up-canceled-the-river-to-tuesday-missing-on-thursday/111220/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 20, 2011 |title=ABC Mid-Season Premieres: 'GCB', 'The River,' 'Missing,' "Work It,' 'Shark Tank,' 'Wipeout,' 'Celebrity Wife Swap,' 'Dancing With The Stars' |last=Gorman |first=Bill |date= November 18, 2011 |publisher=TV by the Numbers |accessdate=November 29, 2011}} Set in St. Louis, the series is about two men who must dress as women in order to keep a job in a bad economy.

The series had received overwhelmingly negative reviews.{{Cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/tv/work-it/season-1 |title=Work It - Season 1 Reviews, Ratings, Credits and More at Metacritic |website=Metacritic |access-date=2012-01-04 |archive-date=2012-01-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108101416/http://www.metacritic.com/tv/work-it/season-1 |url-status=live }} The series premiere was watched by an American audience of 6.16 million.{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/01/05/tuesday-final-ratings-biggest-loser-unforgettable-adjusted-up-ncis-celebrity-wife-swap-adjusted-down/115419/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108174334/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/01/05/tuesday-final-ratings-biggest-loser-unforgettable-adjusted-up-ncis-celebrity-wife-swap-adjusted-down/115419/|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 8, 2012|title=Tuesday Final Ratings: 'Biggest Loser,' 'Unforgettable' Adjusted Up; 'NCIS,' 'Celebrity Wife Swap' Adjusted Down|last=Gorman|first=Bill|work=TV by the Numbers|date=January 5, 2012|accessdate=January 5, 2012}} Ratings dropped to 4.9 million viewers in the second episode, and the series was cancelled by ABC on January 13, 2012, after two episodes aired, following another attempt at a "man-cession" comedy called Man Up!, which failed earlier in the season.{{cite web|url=http://www.hitfix.com/articles/abc-yanks-work-it-after-two-airings|title=ABC yanks 'Work It' after two airings|last=Fienberg|first=Daniel|work=HitFix.com|date=January 14, 2012|accessdate=January 14, 2012|archive-date=September 9, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120909035329/http://www.hitfix.com/articles/abc-yanks-work-it-after-two-airings|url-status=live}}

Cast

Ben Koldyke as Lee Standish
Amaury Nolasco as Angel Ortiz
Beth Lacke as Connie Standish
John Caparulo as Brian
Rebecca Mader as Grace Hudson
Rochelle Aytes as Vanessa Warner
Kate Reinders as Kelly
Kirstin Eggers as Kristin
Hannah Sullivan as Kat Standish

In the unaired pilot, Kacie Lynch played the role of Kat before she was replaced by Hannah Sullivan.

Episodes

{{Episode table |background=#FF6600 |overall= |title= |director= |writer= |airdate= |prodcode= |viewers= |country=U.S. |episodes=

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=1

|Title=Pilot

|DirectedBy=Beth McCarthy-Miller

|WrittenBy=Ted Cohen & Andrew Reich

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2012|01|03}}

|ProdCode=296805

|Aux4=6.16

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=F60

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=2

|Title=Shake Your Money Maker

|DirectedBy=Gary Halvorson

|WrittenBy=Ted Cohen & Andrew Reich

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2012|01|10}}

|ProdCode=2J6452

|Aux4=4.90

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=F60

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=3

|Title=Girl Fight

|DirectedBy=Jeff Melman

|WrittenBy=Lindsey Shockley

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2013|08|28}}

|ProdCode=2J6457

|Aux4=N/A

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=F60

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=4

|Title=Field of Schemes

|DirectedBy=Shelley Jensen

|WrittenBy=Mark Cullen & Robb Cullen

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2013|09|04}}

|ProdCode=2J6463

|Aux4=N/A

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=F60

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=5

|Title=Close Shave

|DirectedBy=Gary Halvorson

|WrittenBy=Mark Cullen & Robb Cullen

|ProdCode=2J6453

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2013|09|11}}

|Aux4=N/A

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=6

|Title=Space Invaders

|DirectedBy=Gary Halvorson

|WrittenBy=Joe Lawson

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2013|09|18}}

|ProdCode=2J6454

|Aux4=N/A

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=7

|Title=Breast Awareness Week

|DirectedBy=Shelley Jensen

|WrittenBy=Claudia Lonow

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2013|09|25}}

|ProdCode=2J6455

|Aux4=N/A

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=8

|Title=Immaculate Deception

|DirectedBy=Jeff Melman

|WrittenBy=Brian Keith Etheridge

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2013|10|02}}

|ProdCode=2J6456

|Aux4=N/A

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=9

|Title=Surprise Package

|DirectedBy=Beth McCarthy-Miller

|WrittenBy=Ted Cohen & Andrew Reich

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2013|10|09}}

|ProdCode=2J6458

|Aux4=N/A

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=10

|Title=Hunger Games

|DirectedBy=Andrew D. Weyman

|WrittenBy=Eric Goldberg & Peter Tibbals

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2013|10|16}}

|ProdCode=2J6459

|Aux4=N/A

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=11

|Title=Cinderella Story

|DirectedBy=Andrew D. Weyman

|WrittenBy=Joe Lawson

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2013|10|23}}

|ProdCode=2J6460

|Aux4=N/A

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=12

|Title=Masquerade Balls

|DirectedBy=Shelley Jensen

|WrittenBy=Claudia Lonow

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2013|10|30}}

|ProdCode=2J6461

|Aux4=N/A

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=13

|Title=My So-Called Mid-Life Crisis

|DirectedBy=Shelley Jensen

|WrittenBy=Steve Gabriel

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2013|11|06}}

|ProdCode=2J6462

|Aux4=N/A

}}

Reception

=Critical reception=

Reception for the series was very negative; it was largely panned by critics and viewers alike. Metacritic gave it a score of 19/100 (overwhelming dislike) based on 22 reviews. Matt Fowler of IGN gave the pilot episode a score of "0",{{cite web|title=WORK IT: "PILOT" REVIEW|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/01/03/work-it-pilot-review|work=IGN|date=January 3, 2012|author=Fowler, Matt|accessdate=June 7, 2013|archive-date=September 5, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130905053654/http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/01/03/work-it-pilot-review|url-status=live}} a rating which IGN had not used since Olympic Hockey '98 (according to Fowler). Robert Bianco of USA Today also did not give it an enthusiastic review, calling it "witless, tasteless, poorly acted, abominably written, clumsily directed, hideously lit and badly costumed". He gave it a grade of one star out of four.{{cite web|title=Cross-dressing humor falls flat in 'Work It'|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/television/reviews/story/2012-01-02/bianco-work-it-preview-abc/52340600/1|work=USA Today|date=January 1, 2012|author=Bianco, Robert|accessdate=June 7, 2013|archive-date=December 8, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208165049/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/television/reviews/story/2012-01-02/bianco-work-it-preview-abc/52340600/1|url-status=live}} The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reviewer compared the show unfavorably to Bosom Buddies, which had a similar premise.{{cite web | title=Stupid 'Work It' is lame 'Bosom Buddies' remake | url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12001/1198171-67.stm | publisher=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | last=Owen | first=Rob | date=January 1, 2012 | accessdate=January 5, 2012 | archive-date=January 9, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120109145604/http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12001/1198171-67.stm | url-status=live }} Emily VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club gave the pilot an F grade, stating, "Let's just get this out of the way first: Work It is awful. The grade should indicate that. But it's fascinatingly awful, in that way where you wonder how the hell something like this got on TV in the year 2012."{{cite web|title=Work It|work=The A.V. Club|author=VanDerWerff, Emily|url=https://www.avclub.com/work-it-1798170988|date=January 3, 2012|access-date= July 27, 2019}} Alan Pergament, formerly of The Buffalo News, expressed surprise that the show even made it to air, stating "I do recall I couldn't get those 22 minutes of my life back. It was so unfunny and forced that I suspected it would never air."Pergament, Alan (January 3, 2012). [http://stilltalkintv.com/2012/01/shows-to-look-forward-to-in-the-new-year/ Shows to look forward to in the new year] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121235055/http://stilltalkintv.com/2012/01/shows-to-look-forward-to-in-the-new-year/ |date=2012-01-21 }}. Retrieved January 6, 2012.

=Controversy=

LGBTQ advocacy groups expressed concerns about Work It, saying that it trivializes the obstacles faced by transgender people in the workplace. Groups that expressed concern include Human Rights Campaign, the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center's Transgender Economic Empowerment Program and the Transgender Law Center.{{Cite web|url=http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/12/16/Is_Sitcom_Work_It_Insulting_to_Trans_People/|title=Is Sitcom Work It Insulting to Trans People?|date=December 16, 2011|work=The Advocate|last=Kinser|first=Jeremy|accessdate=June 7, 2013|archive-date=January 9, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120109043633/http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/12/16/Is_Sitcom_Work_It_Insulting_to_Trans_People/|url-status=live}} The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation released a statement that, while acknowledging that the series pilot "does not explicitly address transgender people", still concluded that "[d]uring a period in which the transgender community now routinely finds itself in the cultural crosshairs, the timing couldn’t be worse for a show based on the notion that men dressed as women is inherently funny."{{Cite web|url=http://www.glaad.org/blog/why-abcs-new-sitcom-work-it-hurts-transgender-community|title=Why ABC's New Sitcom Work It Hurts the Transgender Community|date=December 16, 2011|work=GLAAD.org|last=Kane|first=Matt|accessdate=June 7, 2013|archive-date=May 20, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130520104117/http://www.glaad.org/blog/why-abcs-new-sitcom-work-it-hurts-transgender-community|url-status=live}} Frequently cited is the print advertisement for the series, which features two men dressed as women standing at men's room urinals.

The pilot was criticized and protests took place at the network offices for a line of dialogue delivered by Amaury Nolasco's character Angel, who claimed that as a Puerto Rican he would "be great at selling drugs".

{{cite web |url=http://latinorebels.com/2012/01/05/abcs-puerto-rican-drug-dealer-joke-fiasco-spreads-through-social-media-and-community/ |title= ABC's Puerto Rican Drug Dealer "Joke" Fiasco Spreads Through Social Media and Community|first=José|last=Martí |date=January 5, 2012 |publisher=Latino Rebels |accessdate=January 8, 2012}}{{cite web |url=http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/entertainment/2012/01/05/puerto-ricans-to-abc-are-not-drug-dealers/ |title=Puerto Ricans to ABC: We are Not Drug Dealers! |first=Erica Y. |last=Lopez |date=January 5, 2012 |publisher=Fox News Latino |accessdate=January 8, 2012 |archive-date=January 10, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120110100732/http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/entertainment/2012/01/05/puerto-ricans-to-abc-are-not-drug-dealers/ |url-status=live }}

=Ratings=

The pilot episode scored a 2.0 adults 18-49 rating and 6.160 million viewers. The second and last episode saw a 25% drop in the adults 18-49 demo, scoring only a 1.5.{{Cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/01/11/tuesday-final-ratings-last-man-standing-work-it-ncis-la-unforgettable-parenthood-adjusted-down/116192/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120113200437/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/01/11/tuesday-final-ratings-last-man-standing-work-it-ncis-la-unforgettable-parenthood-adjusted-down/116192/|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 13, 2012|title=Tuesday Final Ratings: 'Last Man Standing,' 'Work It,' 'NCIS: LA,' 'Unforgettable,' 'Parenthood' Adjusted Down|date=January 11, 2012|last=Seidman|first=Robert|work=TV by the Numbers|accessdate=June 7, 2013}}

class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%; text-align:center; width: 96%; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"
Episode number Production number ! Title ! Original airing ! Rating ! Share ! Rating/share (18–49) ! U.S. viewers (in millions) ! Rank per week ! Note
1 1-01	Pilot	January 3, 2012	3.8{{cite web\|url=http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2012/01/tv-ratings-work-it-has-mediocre-premiere-for-abc-cbs-coasts-to-tuesday-win.html\|title=TV ratings: 'Work It' has mediocre premiere for ABC, CBS coasts to Tuesday win\|last=Porter\|first=Rick\|work=Zap2it\|date=January 4, 2012\|access-date=January 14, 2012\|archive-date=January 12, 2012\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112141200/http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2012/01/tv-ratings-work-it-has-mediocre-premiere-for-abc-cbs-coasts-to-tuesday-win.html\|url-status=dead}}	6	2.0/5	6.160	TBA
2 1-02	Shake Your Money Maker	January 10, 2012	3.2{{cite web\|url=http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2012/01/tv-ratings-cbs-and-ncis-win-tuesday-work-it-down.html\|title=TV ratings: CBS and 'NCIS" win Tuesday; 'Work It' down\|last=Bentley\|first=Jean\|work=Zap2it\|date=January 11, 2012\|access-date=January 14, 2012\|archive-date=February 21, 2012\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120221192350/http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2012/01/tv-ratings-cbs-and-ncis-win-tuesday-work-it-down.html\|url-status=dead}}	5	1.5/4	4.90	TBA

class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%; text-align:center; width: 96%; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"

Episode number
Production number

! Title

! Original airing

! Rating

! Share

! Rating/share
(18–49)

! U.S. viewers (in millions)

! Rank per week

! Note

1
1-01

Pilot

January 3, 2012

3.8{{cite web|url=http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2012/01/tv-ratings-work-it-has-mediocre-premiere-for-abc-cbs-coasts-to-tuesday-win.html|title=TV ratings: 'Work It' has mediocre premiere for ABC, CBS coasts to Tuesday win|last=Porter|first=Rick|work=Zap2it|date=January 4, 2012|access-date=January 14, 2012|archive-date=January 12, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112141200/http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2012/01/tv-ratings-work-it-has-mediocre-premiere-for-abc-cbs-coasts-to-tuesday-win.html|url-status=dead}}

2.0/5

6.160

TBA

2
1-02

Shake Your Money Maker

January 10, 2012

3.2{{cite web|url=http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2012/01/tv-ratings-cbs-and-ncis-win-tuesday-work-it-down.html|title=TV ratings: CBS and 'NCIS" win Tuesday; 'Work It' down|last=Bentley|first=Jean|work=Zap2it|date=January 11, 2012|access-date=January 14, 2012|archive-date=February 21, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120221192350/http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2012/01/tv-ratings-cbs-and-ncis-win-tuesday-work-it-down.html|url-status=dead}}

1.5/4

4.90

TBA