• by Adam Buckman , Featured Columnist, February 7, 2017

“Detroiters” could have been a great comedy series about the unsung local advertising business, but instead it veers inexplicably into improvised speeches and conversations about penises.

Why the creators of this show felt this was the direction to take this show is a mystery that can only be plumbed by these creators and writers in consultation with their therapists.

For the record, this show’s press material lists four people who share the titles of co-creators, executive producers and writers -- Sam Richardson, Tim Robinson, Joe Kelly and Zach Kanin. Lorne Michaels and Jason Sudeikis are also given executive producer credits.

It’s possible they were unable to exercise much oversight over this production since the show is being made on location in Detroit. Sudeikis was on hand for Tuesday night’s premiere episode, however, as a guest star.

He plays a Chrysler marketing executive who the protagonists ambush while he is having lunch in a Detroit steakhouse. The two -- played by Robinson and Richardson -- are partners in a local Detroit advertising firm once run by Richardson’s father, and they are seeking a piece of Chrysler’s ad business.

The odds don’t favor them landing this account for several reasons. For one thing, it’s the kind of firm that specializes in quirky local advertising exemplified by one client in the premiere episode who is Detroit’s king of hot tubs.

Another reason is that the two seem to be incompetent. They’re a couple of 20-something (or 30-something) dreamers with short attention spans and seemingly, little or no interest in putting in hard work. More to the point, they exhibit almost no creativity when it comes to advertising -- or at least the kind of advertising Chrysler would be interested in.

This last trait is one these two fictional admen would seem to share with their real-life alter egos because “Detroiters” suffers from a creativity deficit. This is most evident when the “action” devolves into dialogues and monologues that would appear to be improvised.

For many TV comedies made in the past decade or so, improv scenes have often been the kiss of death. These are the scenes that for no apparent reason suddenly become fixated on penises and their size.

None of these scenes ever really advances the storylines in which they are supposed to play a part. Instead, they have the effect of abruptly slamming the brakes on the storytelling.

Among other flaws, these improvisations frequently go on far longer than they’re worth -- an indication that the makers of this show, two of whom are the show’s stars and the ones doing the improvising, cannot bear to see this improv work they’ve done wind up on the proverbial cutting-room floor. (Critics note: If the scenes in question were not improvised, and actually originated from written scripts, then that’s a whole ’nother set of issues.)

This show’s penis fixation (particularly where African-American men are concerned) is featured prominently in both the second and third episodes (the TV Blog watched the first three episodes in advance for this review).

In fact, by Episode Three, this show had abandoned the advertising business altogether in favor of a plot line in which one of the two partners -- the black one -- becomes a male prostitute.

Episode Three represents a loss of focus that is unfortunate. A TV sitcom about the local ad biz -- even one made for the immature male audience that Comedy Central tailors itself too -- is a great idea for a TV show, particularly one set (and filmed) in a legendary advertising town like Detroit.

At times, the show aspires to be what it ought to be -- a funny workplace comedy about two young guys who love their old, battered city and wish to participate in its resurgence. Instead, what you get with “Detroiters” is another one of today’s disposable TV shows -- the kind that show up for a couple of episodes and then disappear, never to be seen again.

“Detroiters” premieres Tuesday night (Feb. 7) at 10 Eastern on Comedy Central.