"Work It" managed to become a sitcom that aired on the same network that was home to "Bosom Buddies" and that pretty much replicated the basic concept of that 1980s sitcom while avoiding everything about the earlier show that made it work. History will look back on "Work It" as an experiment that failed massively. ABC looked back to a show that worked just fine the first time around, but not to the point that the network wanted in order to support it. The experiment was doomed to fail since the network overlooked what it was that made "Bosom Buddies" one of the smartest shows of the 1980s and produced one of the biggest movie stars of our time. Perhaps ABC should not immediately cast away the concept, but continue the experiment armed with data that was always immediately available, but strangely overlooked.
Chemistry
The first thing you notice about "Work It" is that it lacked the chemistry between its two leads that crackled between the two stars of "Bosom Buddies" right from the pilot. Chemistry between actors is a magical element that you either get or you don't. Great chemistry can be enough of a pleasant distraction to audiences to allow you to work on other problems. Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari had that kind of chemistry from the opening scenes of "Bosom Buddies" that place them as a sitcom duo right up there with Jackie Gleason and Art Carney. That chemistry also extended to the supporting cast of "Bosom Buddies." Chemistry was nowhere to be seen on "Work It."
It's a Drag
The makers of "Work It" could have accomplished in just a few episodes what it took "Bosom Buddies" an entire season to realize. The idea of men posing as women in order to find affordable housing was the high concept that got "Bosom Buddies" on the schedule in the first place. Over the course of the first season, the writers quickly realized that they had something special on their hands and the show evolved past the gimmick to become of the greatest examinations of platonic love in the history of TV. Those behind "Work It" not only made the mistake of committing too heavily to the gimmick of men dressing as women to find work, but got themselves in hot water with women, cross dressers, and transgender individuals because of it.
Ugly is as Ugly Does
"Bosom Buddies" actually addressed the issue of male ego as it pertained to being overlooked as an object of sexual attention from men while dressed as a woman before "Tootsie." One entire episode of "Bosom Buddies" specifically revolved around the emotional complexity of being a man forced to address his own objectification of female beauty as a result of not meeting that standard himself. The issue was touched upon to a lesser degree in other episodes. Regardless of the inherent lack of attractiveness of Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari when dressed as women, they were undeniably feminine. They looked enough like women for audiences to buy into the gimmick. The greatest paradox related to "Work It" is that though they overcommitted to the gimmick, they seemed to almost purposely insist that their male actors never for once become believable as women. The decision not to learn from "Bosom Buddies" is most egregiously damaging to "Work It" in this case and likely is the reason the show became a lightning rod for controversy right from the start: the premise in practice actually seemed to be more along the lines of men masquerading as bad female impersonators rather than actual females.
For more from Timothy Sexton, check out:
Holland Taylor: Television's Most Valuable Player
The Smartest Shows in America TV History
The Origin of the Term Dressing in Drag
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