The Baristas Review
In the annals of television sitcoms, the NBC comedy Cheers ranks high on the list of all-time classics. With the simple premise of womanizing Sam Malone and uptight intellectual Diane Chambers working side-by-side in the Boston bar that bears the name of the series, Cheers provided more that its fair share of laughs as it not only explored the relationship of the two leads but the lives of its exceptional ensemble cast as well. Although the setting for The Baristas is a coffee shop instead of a bar, the java-based webseries is more akin to Cheers in both style and substance than other NBC sitcoms that have utilized similar locales as the hangout for their characters, including Central Perk on Friends and Café Nervosa on Frasier.
Like Cheers, The Baristas begins with an unexpected new addition to the staff of the Affogato coffee shop in which the series takes place. Whereas Diane Chambers is unceremoniously dumped by her fiancé in the pilot episode of the NBC sitcom—leaving her alone and desperate for employment—recently engaged Ben suddenly finds himself unemployed and in need of a job on The Baristas. Since Ben’s soon-to-be wife’s sister is the long-suffering girlfriend of Affogato manager Sam, he is able to join the staff of the establishment and partake in their ongoing humorous interactions with the small but entertaining regular clientele of Affogato.
The Baristas was created by former Pittsburgh resident Justin Kownacki as a spin-off to his successful webseries Something to Be Desired, which premiered online in 2003 and ran for six seasons. Although many of the characters from Something to Be Desired are part of the cast on The Baristas, the newer creation effectively re-introduces them and is enjoyable in its own right in much the same way as Cheers spin-off Frasier. While there are no Sam Malone or Diane Chambers-like leads for the various episodes to focus on, the ensemble cast of the webseries shines nonetheless with its own amalgamation of regulars and co-workers that compliment the narratives just as Carla Tortelli, Woody Boyd, Norm Peterson and Cliff Clavin did on Cheers.
In addition to the struggling-to-keep-the-coffee-shop-afloat Sam (Shaun Starke) and the always optimistic Ben (Will McMahon), the staff at Affogato includes the bitter yet efficient Dierdre (Lacey Fleming), additional newbie Reggie (Aki Jamal), the perpetually chipper Madison (Jillian Vitko) and the likewise upbeat Gary (Joel Ambrose). They are joined in the episodes by such regular customers as Ben’s best friend Chase (Justin Mohr), a successful business school graduate with a snobbish attitude; Astrid (Laura Lee Brautigam), an artist who has been dating Sam for six years with no end in sight; Gary’s significant other Scott (Hamilton Berube); Ben’s controlling fiancé Aubrey (Katie Mo Goff); wannabe writer and decaf-drinking Glenn (Rick Hertzig); Vanity Press publisher Rich (Erik Schark) and his second-in-command Tabitha (Courtney Jenkins); and egocentric author Leo (Will Guffey).
Despite such a large cast, The Baristas does an effective job of utilizing the characters throughout the various episodes and allows them to shine in their own unique and humorous ways. The narratives of each installment, meanwhile, feature sitcom-worthy storylines that develop and build as the episode goes along while the scripts are filled with numerous one-liners that keep the comedy rolling. The main plots are likewise complimented with side-bar and secondary scenes that further pack each episode—an amazing feat considering the six-to-seven minute length of the installments.
The third episode of the series, entitled “Game Night,” is a prime example. In order to attract new customers and thus potentially increase their work hours, Ben and Madison decide to organize theme nights at Affogato. Their first attempt attracts—as Dierdre phrases it—“three virgins playing Dungeons & Dragons.” The trio of new females draws the attention of the male regulars of the establishment, however, including publisher Rick who has apparently never played D&D before. Sam, meanwhile, steals rolls of toilet paper from various nearby gas stations when the coffee shop restrooms run out of the necessity, leaving girlfriend Astrid to ditch the tow truck spotted them. The narrative eventually shifts to a discussion of X-Men films, a misguided bet and cash stolen from the tip jar.
Like Boston with Cheers, or even New York City with Friends or Seattle with Frasier, The Baristas pays homage to its setting of Pittsburgh throughout many of the episodes. Affogato, for instance, is an actual coffee shop in the region and Pittsburgh City Councilman William Peduto makes a brief appearance at the beginning of “The Competition.” In the episode “St. Patrick’s Day,” meanwhile, references to the Pittsburgh tradition of celebrating the holiday in Market Square are made, as well as remarks regarding other areas within the city limits. “By the time we get to the South Side, all the drunk secretaries are going to be sober enough to want to make small talk again,” Chase muses about the notoriously bar-heavy neighborhood.
Justin Kownacki was a pioneer in the online video medium when he launched Something to Be Desired in 2003. The long-running webseries attracted a large fanbase as well as critical acclaim and was even a Yahoo! Video Awards nominee for “Best Series” in 2008. With The Baristas, he has not only created a worthy spin-off to Something to Be Desired, but a genuine comedy classic that is capable of standing on its own merits. The Baristas contains all of the ingredients necessary for a quality webseries—well-developed characters, top-notch acting, tight scripts and entertaining narratives. Add the coffee shop setting into the mix, and the sitcom is indeed a Cheers-like destination where viewers can ultimately feel glad they visited.
Anthony Letizia (March 28, 2011)
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