Sorry I don’t have any answers for the OP besides what’s already been said. Just another example, from She Spies, a TV show that’s either cancelled or nearly cancelled, which is quite sad, IMHO. Anyway…
The three she spies are living in their nice big house, and one of them comes downstairs, saying “Hey guys, now that we’ve all been pardoned from our prison sentences because the government realized that it took great skill for each of us to commit our various crimes, and we’re part of a secret clandestine government organization whose purpose is to rid the world of evildoers, what do you want for breakfast?” or something like that. A few minutes later, Jack (he’s like Basil in Austin Powers – the guy who tells the spies what’s going on and everything) comes down and says, “Okay, so now that you’re all here in the undercover headquarters of this secret clandestine government organization, whose purpose–” and he’s cut off by one of them saying quietly, “Jack, it’s okay. We got all that out already.”
From the first season, when they played everything for laughs (as they should, given the hokey premise). I think it was a mistake to turn all serious. If the show does earn a third season, it will be because it’s not exactly a priority to bring quality to the time slot following “Saturday Night Live” … plus the hot chicks, of course.
