I tend to not watch television merely for escapism or to be "entertained" unlike, I guess, most people writing in about this show. I thought it was fantastic. That the show did make viewers uncomfortable seemed to be what the producers were going for and they really made it work. Was the writing spectacular? Not always (IMO, similarly to The Sopranos, despite everyone's constant whining that it was the best show ever), but the performances were spot on and thats more than you can ask for many television shows.

I should probably mention that I work in entertainment so probably have a different appreciation for television than others. The cheap tricks employed in so much of TV today really is not as exciting as a great performance that allows the audience to really understand the character as a richly layered individual.

Thaf would be true if this show developed any of the characters as "richly layered individuals." Most of the male characters were essentially stock: the young guy who doesn't want to commit; the husband that wants to avoid talking or acknowledging any problem; the husband that resents sex as mere baby making.Conversely, the female characters were unrealistically heroic and esentially stock long-suffering females. We are supposed to sympathize with the succesful career woman who cannot have a baby on demand? Would you be sympathetic of the guy who expects his wife to f*** him on demand because that's what he needs her to be? The sexless marriage: Any woman who doesn't want to have sex with her husband and values the relationship despite the lack of physical intimacy is usually a sympathetic character. Surely her husband is just some cad who just wants sex and devalues her other skills. Even here, they portray the husband as some teenage monkey spanker who simply satisfies his own needs.

As far as failing the first test, Is it entertaining, you give them a pass. Certainly, there are documentaries and even dramas where the purpose is to make you uncomfortable and entertainment is simply secondary. "Ordinary People" is a great example of such a film that explores dysfunctional family dynamics and it is certainly uncomfortable at times. MTM's performance, in particular is both exceptional and disquieting. We never needed to see Donald Sutherland's balls, or her tits to prove a point.

This show failed miserably and I don't see any real compelling reason to give the producers a pass in this case. Realism. Most couples in this country are big fat slobs who don't have sex because they stay up too late watching TV. They would rather eat or be passively entertained than have sex. That is realism. These people are far from real. And I certainly don't want to watch too big fat people rolling around and screwing each other. Only someone who works in TV or knows the producers would think this show is any good.