The Bullet Sitcom Spectacular – "Up All Night"

The latest episode of NBC’s new new-parent comedy “Up All Night” largely followed the same mold of uncomfortable situations and new-parenting humor as last week’s pilot episode.

Parents Reagan (Christina Applegate), and Chris (Will Arnett) attempt a balancing act between playing the role of “coolest couple” and “responsible parents” by being forced to choose between calling the cops on a neighbor’s party or staying, you guessed it, up all night with a sleepless baby.

While the choice between being either “cool” or “responsible” is one that most anyone can relate to, this week’s show spends more time addressing this dilemma in a manner that was more uncomfortable than funny. The plot is also formulated in a way that ends up feeling more like an extension of last week’s storyline than a new episode.

Most surprising this week was the brief character development of self-centered, and superficial stereotypical celebrity, Ava (Mia Rudolph), whose usual egocentric demeanor gave way for a tender moment featuring Reagan and Chris’ new baby, Amy. Arguably though, this change was necessary if the show hopes to avoid having Rudolph’s character becoming stale and annoying too quickly.

Awkward and unfunny for the majority of its half-hour block, at its worst, “Up All Night” is repetitive and stale. At its best though, the show remains charming and relatable, leading to at least a few chuckles.