Fix the plumbing

If Taskmaster is Beat the Clock plus cussing, then Lifetime's My Partner Knows Best is Beat the Clock plus Newlywed Game.

I sampled the first ten minutes of an episode on the Lifetime web site. I will say that the show isn't as obnoxious as Comedy Central's stunt epic. At least Lifetime's civvie contestants are more appealing than Comedy Central's alleged celebs (all of whom are completely obscure).

In the segment I watched, three guys had to predict how their ladies would do on a plumbing stunt. (Meanwhile, the better halves were locked away in soundproof booths.) Then the ladies tried the impromptu plumbing, which led to much water splashing around. Finally, the cutesy hosts told them that their male friends had predicted their order of finish, and they tried to match the predictions. A couple of them got it right.

It was all cozy and comfy, with none of the silly straining for edginess that we all know and love on Comedy Central. Trouble is, the pace was not outstanding, especially because My Partner Knows Best delayed everything for contestant interviews at the top of the show. Speed things up a little, and Lifetime might have a decent format.

What My Partner Knows Best doesn't have is decent ratings. The latest ep cratered to 199K viewers. I doubt the partners will know best for much longer.

Tweet

Subscribe to receive free email updates: