TV Show Review: "The Marriage Ref"

By: Laura Elaine Uribe

Every now and then a reality show comes along that has the goal of being helpful to the public while also entertaining them.

This is not one of those shows.

“The Marriage Ref” pilot episode made its debut to NBC following the first half of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony on Sunday.

Produced by Jerry Seinfeld, the show involves real-life couples with relationship dilemmas asking for advice on who is right from a panel made up of well-known celebrities.

For the premiere, happily married Seinfeld served as part of the panel as well as “Regis and Kelly” co-host Kelly Ripa. Also, the happily married “30 Rock” star Alec Baldwin….oh wait.  I guess one of these people aren’t like the others.

Well, regardless of whether all the celebrities are married or divorced, for some reason couples think that celebrities are the next best thing since psychiatrists to actually help them with their problems.

The show is also hosted by Tom Papa, who reminds me of one of those really annoying 1960s and 1970s dating show hosts who thinks he’s the funniest people to ever grace television but just gets awkward laughs in return. He, as well as the celebrity panelists, provide mocking and forceful humorous commentary after hearing each couples marriage problem.

The Ridolfis were the first couple to be poked fun of. The family dog, nicknamed “The Fonz,” passed away and devastated by the loss, the husband decided that he would do everything in his power to keep his loyal friend’s memory alive. Therefore, he stuffed him. Yes, he stuffed his pet and even made a shrine in his home for it.

Not only did he freak out his wife and the panel, but he most likely scared much of the audience watching that night.

The other couple, the Hunters, were battling on whether to add a stripper pole in their home. The husband was for it, the wife was against it and the panel remained unfunny while random facts about stripper poles and pet stuffing were told.

When it was revealed to the couples, that the majority of the panels agreed with the wives, the wives were pleased, the men were disappointment and both were shocked when they heard the news that they had won a second honeymoon cruise vacation, implying that too much information on television can lead to big rewards.

Although the idea of listening to celebrity advice is amusing, forceful humor and laughs really isn’t and that was really apparent on the show’s first night.

I’m no psychiatrist but I think the man with the stuffed dog clearly had grief issues  and needed to have someone to go over them with and that his wife was not supportive. As for the man trying to force his wife to allow a stripper pole into their home, he just needs a Respect 101 class where he’ll learn “no means no.”

This show is certainly not a hit but a definite miss.