• by Adam Buckman , Featured Columnist, October 13, 2025

It is no wonder that the DMV in the new CBS sitcom “DMV” is in such disarray -- the six principal characters in the show, all workers in the place, never do any work.

Instead, as the facility fills up with an overflow of frustrated, impatient vehicle owners and license applicants, these staffers stand around or sit around complaining to each other about their lives and their jobs, which none of them are doing anyway.

One of them -- Gregg, played by Tim Meadows -- mentioned his failed marriage and the emptiness of his life so many times in Episodes 1 and 2 that I wish I had counted them for this TV Blog.

Other do-nothing members of this staff include a Latina with a chip on her shoulder; a newly promoted, clueless manager; and a driving examiner who is desperate for sex.

The driving examiner (a person who rides with aspiring license seekers as they attempt to pass their driving tests) is seen in the first two episodes of “DMV” pining after a new employee, or more to the point, sexually harassing him.

I wish I had also counted the scenes in which this desperate female character, Colette (played by Harriet Dyer), either flung herself at the new guy -- an easygoing, handsome surfer from Down Under -- or talked to everyone else about him. 

But alas, I only thought of conducting this tally after I had already watched two episodes of this show and I did not relish going back and previewing them again.

“DMV” makes its debut Monday night at 8:30 Eastern on CBS following the season premiere of “The Neighborhood” at 8.

Set in a fictional office of the California Department of Motor Vehicles in Hollywood, “DMV” holds the distinction of being the only new sitcom on any broadcast network this fall.

The problem with a workplace comedy in which the employee-characters are only tangentially connected to their workplace is that the workplace and all of the comedy it could generate is neglected. 

Or to put it another way: DMV centers are crazy places. It should not be too difficult to make this one funny. 

The location of this show in a DMV office is beside the point. With its eccentric characters and complaints about life, it could take place just about anywhere.