Benched

2014

Benched

7.1 | TV-14 | en | Comedy

Nina is a dedicated, career driven corporate attorney who has a very public nervous breakdown after getting passed up for an expected promotion and now finds herself working as a public defender. Her personal and professional worlds are turned upside down when she joins the ranks of the legal world’s underdogs and very quickly realizes that the law isn't quite as fair as she once thought.

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Seasons & Episodes

EP12 Brief Encounters

Dec. 30,2014

Nina faces a difficult choice after reuniting with Trent; Phil examines his own relationships.

EP11 Campaign Contributions

Dec. 30,2014

Phil is on the shortlist for Public Defender of the Year; Trent brings a young boy to court.

EP10 Solitary Refinement

Dec. 23,2014

An old friend asks Nina to set her up with Phil, a female judge takes a liking to Carlos, and Nina goes on an ill-fated date of her own.

EP9 A New Development

Dec. 23,2014

Nina discovers the D.A.'s plans to arrest the city's homeless and faces a crisis of conscience.

EP8 Diamond Is a Girl's Worst Friend

Dec. 16,2014

Nina is assigned one of Phil's former defendants and lands herself in a bet with Phil. Meanwhile, Phil and Carlos decide to teach Micah a lesson.

EP7 Curry Favor

Dec. 09,2014

Nina makes friends with a spunky forensics analyst who takes the concept of loyalty a bit too seriously. Carlos gets worrisome glimpse into Phil's life.

EP6 Rights and Wrongs

Dec. 02,2014

Nina must accept that losing cases to Trent is a fact of life. Carlos gives up smoking, which worries the rest of the gang.

EP5 Shark, Actually

Nov. 25,2014

Nina is concerned that she is being played by a private defense lawyer assigned to help her. Phil attempts to impress a pretty stenographer.

EP4 Sell It

Nov. 18,2014

Nina discovers that she needs a refresher on influencing jurors and winning friends. Phil and Trent have to deal with a curmudgeonly judge.

EP3 Hooked & Booked

Nov. 11,2014

Phil tricks Nina into believing that all of the public defenders voluntarily go to jail to better understand their clients. She learns what lengths she'll go to be a part of the gang.

EP2 Downsizing

Nov. 04,2014

Nina attends a gala honoring public defenders; however, her former colleagues are unimpressed.

EP1 Pilot

Oct. 28,2014

Corporate lawyer Nina Whitley has given up a lot in her climb to the top. However, when she's passed over for a promotion and her former fiance gets engaged to another woman, Nina has an epic meltdown.

7.1 | TV-14 | en | Comedy | More Info

Released: 2014-10-28 | Released Producted By: The Mark Gordon Company , ABC Signature Country: United States of America Budget: 0 Revenue: 0 Official Website: http://www.usanetwork.com/benched

Synopsis

Stream Online

The tv show is currently not available onine

Cast

Eliza Coupe , Jay Harrington , Carter MacIntyre

Director

Producted By

The Mark Gordon Company , ABC Signature

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Trailers

Cast

Eliza Coupe

as Nina

Pivoting The Estate Making Babies Future Man Naked It's Us The 4th The Last Time You Had Fun Benched

Jay Harrington

as Phil

S.W.A.T. Jim Henson's Turkey Hollow Benched True Love Better Off Ted Partner(s) The Inside

Carter MacIntyre

as Trent

Hunter Killer Benched The Wrong Woman

Reviews

willz187 This is supposed to be a review of Benched but it can't be reviewed without mentioning Eliza Coupe's past character Jane Kerkovich from Happy Endings - a show prematurely cancelled. Benched is watchable. However, it's no Happy Endings NOR Better Off Ted (which Eliza's counterpart Jay Harrington in Benched starred in (2009)) - 2 shows that were edgier and wittier than Benched.Eliza holds this show together in an otherwise blasé cast.But I could be still comparing it to Happy Endings, where every character was a hilarious wacko. Since this is a show about being a public defender-which is a court appointed lawyer for those who can't afford one-I found myself a little depressed by Benched, constantly being reminded of societies disadvantaged and under privileged. Hard to laugh at some of these situations. Reminded me a little of a long gone hit show, Night Court (1984). But mostly made me miss the antics in Happy Endings.Went over and watched another Happy Endings alum's new show, Marry Me, and same thing, missing Casey Wilsons character, Penny Hartz, from H.E.Put Kate Walsh's character from Bad Judge, Rachel Harris, add Judah Friedlander, Kryten Ritter, Kyle Mooney from Saturday Night Live, and Peter Dante from Happy Madison productions into Benched, and now we have a cast!

huwbutts Benches evidently wants to be Scrubs mixed with Suits. Unfortunately, such a promising premise is let down by flat jokes, poor delivery and bad casting; it's also not silly enough to keep up with the surreal humour you find in successful comedies (30 Rock, Community, Arrested Development and the like) but instead relies on very tired scenarios to eek out the laughs.I was really looking forward to this as Jay Harrington absolutely made Better Off Ted as the put-together protag - such a travesty that it got cancelled. Sadly, his role in Benched as the work-shy swindler Phil just doesn't fit - it would have been potentially better for him to be Trent (but a more interesting version). He also comes across as if he knows the show isn't going to last, and doesn't put any effort into...not putting any effort in.Eliza Coupe is...angry. I know that's supposed to be 'funny' and endearing, but she just comes across as irritating and unbelievable (a lawyer but all-too-gullible for example). Someone else as the female lead would have saved the day (Christina Applegate? Gillian Jacobs? Jaime Presley?) A wasted opportunity. I hope the show makes better use of such talent soon, or else I fear it'll be curtains.

Scott-101 It's a crowded place on TV and I didn't expect this to supplant so many great shows on my viewing schedule when it's not too much a variation of the stock sitcom. However, I was surprised that adds something a little new to the equation. Eliza Coupe stars as former hotshot lawyer Nina Whitley who is banished from the high-priced world after a public meltdown cost her her job. She takes a job as a public defender where she often doesn't have enough resources or time to do a halfway decent job with her clients. Because of these constraints and this satiric bent, this half-hour comedy gets to the nuts and bolts of the legal system better than many legal dramas. Nina's office is full of people who aren't on the same wavelength as her. Her arch-nemesis (and potential love interest) Phil does not take the job as seriously and as he's the ring leader of sorts, Nina is often the fish out of water. Coupe is the rare actress whose stunningly beautiful yet can convince the audience that her character would have trouble landing a date.The chemistry among the cast is impeccable and Oscar Nunez and Jay Harrington find themselves in roles that are complete reversals from their last TV roles of Oscar on "The Office" and Ted from "Better off Ted" respectively. The brilliant Maria Bamford is underutilized however but hopefully that will change.

fischeja-196-788890 Sharp, witty, and hilarious. USA has lost Monk, Psych, In Plain Sight, and White Collar. Benched is their saving grace. Must see TV for those who like non-standard TV sitcoms with a real bite. The lead character is well developed already with lots of potential for story lines moving forward. Lead male co worker will eventually be the 'will they/won't they' love interest. Several excellent characters play supporting roles such as the crazy incompetent lawyer who makes you wonder how she is still employed, the guy from The Office with personal needs that mess with his professional life, and the cocky, but competent intern who provides biting one-liners with perfect precision. Then there's the quiet homely guy with an unknown dark humor that I assume will eventually be brought to light.