DMV Shenanigans: A New Comedy Puts a Spin on Humdrum Office Life

After a test drive that sent chills down her spine, DMV driving examiner Colette, brilliantly portrayed by Harriet Dyer, chooses to use the incident as her alarm clock. “I can’t drift through life in a dead-end job with low pay and zero chances for happiness,” she boldly announces. Hang on, she's not going to just take whatever life awkwardly tosses her way - she's stepping up her game! She's going after her crush, she's securing a second date, and perhaps even bidding adieu to the job she has been excusing as temporary for the past half-decade!

In sitcom fashion though, our heroine won’t be checking any of these boxes off her list just yet. Instead, she'll weather a day of blush-worthy episodes before bouncing back to see what new embarrassments tomorrow brings. She is, after all, the centerpiece in a workplace comedy.

CBS' new comedy "DMV" wonderfully nails the all too familiar sense of stagnation intensified by clocking in day after day to the government institution we all love to hate. Equipped with a stellar cast and a unique backdrop, the show offers a solid base for development along the line.

Other than Dyer’s character Colette, the star employee of the DMV lot is Gregg, a co-examiner donned by Tim Meadows. Gregg's embittered misery rings all too true to anyone intimate with life's cosmic humor. His hilarious dialogues, impeccable reaction shots, and the show's most entertaining storyline so far, make Gregg the dark horse of “DMV”.

He takes it upon himself to educate newbie Noa (played by Alex Tarrant) in the subtle art of time-wasting. According to Gregg, refilling your coffee cup a few extra times or walking all the way to the farthest printer isn't just about being lazy. They're his ways of rebelling against a money-grubbing system, seasoned with years of humbling experience.

Based on a delightful short piece by Katherine Heiny, the show manages to pull out the uniquities of DMV life that gradually become endearing workplace lingo. For instance, the concept of “Washout Wednesday,” where recruits are expected to quit by their third Wednesday or stay forever, brought a hearty laugh.

The series does have its growing pains, as it straddles the line between cynical and sweet, grounded and silly, with jokes that waver more on the slapstick side than smart or unique. Colette's romantic endeavors with her office crush, Noa, while hilarious, sometimes cross the line into the realm of absurdity.

"DMV" also needs to establish better cast chemistry to leave a lasting impression. The rapport between the examiners feels genuine but their interplay with other characters, such as branch manager Barb with her curious enthusiasm for her job, comic Ceci, and clueless Noa needs more time to marinate.

The DMV, as an actual agency, is often seen through the lens of bureaucracy as a place that delivers less than stellar customer experiences. However, from the perspective of those who work there, as Colette says in the opening narration, "For those of us who work here, it’s fairly good most of the time.”

As viewers bearing witness to their work life, "DMV" is just acceptable most of the time. But with some fine-tuning and a dash of patience, it has all the makings of an amusingly good time.