Hmm. A lousy rating and a bunch of bad reviews. Personally, I give it a 6 1/2 - which rounds up to 7. Whitney (who I hadn't seen before, that I remember, anyhow) is very funny. So is her boyfriend. And there is some good writing - as in good lines, principally. It's main fault is the laugh-track -- which they should - if not eliminate altogether - lower the volume on by 50% or more.
Great sitcoms don't need laugh tracks at all - None in Modern Family, for example, and none in the later episodes of Sports Night (better to cut it later than never). Whitney may well never be great, but it's good enough to sharply limit the track. (While it's touted as being recorded before a studio audience, I cannot believe that there isn't an "augmented" track involved; and even if there isn't, they need to cut the "audience track" down appreciably (and/or populate the audience with considerably more actual natural humans. English-speaking. Adults).)
The second most-serious deficiency here seems to me to be in weakish story-telling, but it's early days yet. And even if it is and is to stay a "6.5" rated show - that's not so bad.
Anyway, Whitney seems worthwhile, and much better than the averaged rating here so far reflects.
Great sitcoms don't need laugh tracks at all - None in Modern Family, for example, and none in the later episodes of Sports Night (better to cut it later than never). Whitney may well never be great, but it's good enough to sharply limit the track. (While it's touted as being recorded before a studio audience, I cannot believe that there isn't an "augmented" track involved; and even if there isn't, they need to cut the "audience track" down appreciably (and/or populate the audience with considerably more actual natural humans. English-speaking. Adults).)
The second most-serious deficiency here seems to me to be in weakish story-telling, but it's early days yet. And even if it is and is to stay a "6.5" rated show - that's not so bad.
Anyway, Whitney seems worthwhile, and much better than the averaged rating here so far reflects.