Grading Tinseltown:
The Pitch: B+
The show follows gay puppet life partners Bobby Vegan Pig, unemployed has-been actor, and Samson Knight Bull, his codependent manager, as they navigate their personal and professional lives together in Tinseltown. Characters include Foster (their teenage foster son), Autero (their limo driver/servant) and Lena (Samson's ex-wife/Bobby's best friend).
The Puppets: A+
Eyes blink (I think this is a new thing being factored-into designs, even the Muppet Newsman had blinking eyes in the clips of France's Muppet TV that I have seen.), faces are expressive, materials are textured and constructed beautifully. Great classic Muppet design (and Bobby is a great improvement over the Muppet Christmas special's Howard the Pig). Samson the Bull actually has hooves. This is pulled-off nicely. The skillful performances of Bill Barretta and Brian Henson really shine through the thin material. I sometimes forget it's actually them. Well, until I hear Barretta's patented laugh. I have to admit it is infectious!
The Humans: B
They weren't really showcased yet. The Hungarian limo driver, Autero, has an amusing dead-pan. The son, Foster, has a brief walk-through. Lena, the ex-wife/best friend (Mia Sara) capably plays Patsy to Bobby's Eddy. (AbFab reference here)
The Writing: C
Some of the humor was obvious. It appears the funniest moments are in the ad-libbing. Some visual gags. Most work, some miss. Technically the short-subject has a beginning, middle and end, but there's not much here to judge yet. Very little substance so far. Set-up, montage, tacked-on ending. So far the writing is mediocre. There is a line about diamonds when they go shopping that I found quite funny.
The Message: N/A
As I thought, this is a gay Absolutely Fabulous with puppets. It sometimes plays to stereotype, but it is always known to be only referring to the lead characters in this program. The show is neither an endorsement nor condemnation. I just hope they go for less on-the-nose humor and remember that the greatest success of Henson and Muppet characters is the universal nature of the jokes. What I did like is the underlying affection the characters really do seem to have for one another.
The Verdict: B- (thus far)
It's wait and see. Pilots are tough and this one is okay. Production values are fairly high and the performers are very talented. It's certainly the best/well produced bit on Alien Boot Camp (except for maybe the Rick & Steve bits). There was a "Lizzie" sketch I thought was funny. If you like AbFab, then give this a try. If that sort of humor is lost on you, skip it.