10 Items or Less (2006–2009) User Reviews

Call me weird, but I like it!

[radiopal · 8/10 · 6 December 2006]

I've watched all 4 episodes of "10 Items or Less" about 4 times each now. This is one of those rare shows that remains funny when watching it again and again. I had mentioned earlier that I was waiting for the show to come into it's own. Guess what? It's finding it's niche. It's sparking feedback and dialog from it's fans and when the show comes out on DVD (as it will undoubtedly will) I'm going to be at the local grocery store to buy it. :)

Okay, from the very first time I saw the previews, I knew it was a rip off of THE OFFICE and that Leslie was a poor substitute for Michael Scott. "10 Items or Less" is a poor shadow of THE OFFICE, but I have to admit that I was laughing from the first scene, but it was the awkwardness of Leslie in his new situation as an owner/manager of Greens & Grain. The thing that impressed me was that outside of Robert Clendim, the cast are virtually unknown, including creator/actor John Lehr. But the quirkiness of the characters works well and in my opinion, fun to watch.

Don't get me wrong, this show has to do A LOT to come close to being THE OFFICE, but it will be a fun show to watch as it comes into it's own.

There have been only two episodes shown on TBS, and my DVR is set to record all of the future episodes.

give this one a chance...

[justinrtaylor · 8/10 · 11 December 2006]

Rather than waste your time and mine pointing out which similarities this show has with everything else that came before it, I'm going to tell you to watch it.

I'm also gonna say, if you like The Office (british or American), you may or may not like this show. To draw your opinions from whether or not a show is similar to another, and to formulate your entire critique based on that rationale, is lazy and paltry.

Yes, the main character has likenesses to the boss Steve Carell plays on The Office, being that they're both trying to be funny, likable bosses and they're both men.

Yes, there are other characters on the show too, just like in The Office. On both shows, it's a mix of men and women... a few different races, as well.

Rest assured, this show is exactly like The Office because they both take place in a grocery store. Wait, no they don't.

Okay, if you're gonna split hairs every time you sit down to watch TV, you might as well hide the remote for good. This show is nothing like the Office, other than they both have silly bosses who are trying to be liked by their employees.

Something everyone can relate to... so i'm sure we can deal with more than one show depicting someone in that role.

This show is something you need to Tivo to watch multiple times, as there are things that get funnier the second time around. The characters blend well together and the central driving story of 'screw-up son inherits dead father's grocery store and is being outdone by huge conglomerate' often leads to riotous outcomes.

I'm sure if this show were on one of the more major networks, it'd be taken more seriously.

God forbid we like something on TBS, right?

TBS Has Something Here

[ras102 · 7/10 · 5 January 2007]

For a TBS original series, I'd say its brilliant. Otherwise, I'd say its pretty damn good. The stories are well-thought out and executed, and already, having seen just a handful of episodes, I see some strong continuity.

I caught the first episode in its first run and have seen subsequent episodes "on demand", which is a powerful tool for a late-night TBS series. One complaint I have is that I always wanna slap or yell at Leslie (John Lehr), but at the same time it adds to the draw of the show. As for the characters, I find them interesting and funny in their own ways. All in all, well-worth seeing.

The show is set in a locally owned grocery store.

[astro129 · 9/10 · 4 December 2006]

The show is set in a locally owned grocery store. The founder's son has inherited the store after the death of his father. The characters primarily consist of the owner/son and the quirky employees. A very formulaic premise. I don't normally think of TBS for original comedy. Thus, I was not expecting much. Boy, was I surprised. It was very funny.

The generally unknown cast is appreciated as it is a nice contrast to the recycled comedy actors on the Big 4 networks. The first episode did a nice job of introducing the characters with humor and even had a little dramatic tension. If subsequent episodes are this smart, I am definitely hooked. 9 out of 10.

Funny, but something is missing....

[metallipowerman5000 · 6/10 · 2 July 2009]

That's the only way i can sum it up.

It has moments that are extremely funny, then it just dies back down to being normal again in a split second. It seems to have trouble keeping audiences laughing, so basically it doesn't keep rolling out the laughs or follow any sort of pattern.

This show reminds me A lot of "arrested development", pretty much because of how I just described it above. It's quirky and kind of strange comedy, then its extremely funny and original, but then it's back to normal, then it has failed attempts at jokes......it's kind of weird.

The show seems like a mixture between "The Office" and "Arrested Development".

But it seems to lack a REAL connection with the characters or storyline. It appears that the show doesn't have a real Bonding "feel" or whatever you want to call it, which can be a HUGE problem.

The acting is good enough in most parts, then it suddenly gets really bad out of nowhere depending on who is on camera.

If you've ever seen Arrested Development or The Office, this show seems right at home at first, but suddenly lacks real character development and something is off about it.....it's close though!

A Fantastic comedy that will leave you wanting more

[nikoferrantello · 10/10 · 6 March 2018]

10 items or less may not seem like much at first, but it quickly sprawls into a hilarious comedy fun for the whole family. The plot is that the main character returns to his fathers store in ohio after he passes to continue running it. From there on you just see crazy antics of his staff and their weird lives. Shot in similar ways comparable to "Parks and Recreation" and "The Office", 10 items or less uses improv and setting to its full advantage. The only disadvantage is the small amount of episodes, with only 3 seasons and limited episodes per season, the show only lasts 21 episodes. However, it is certainly a wonderful show.

Hilarious

[zach5593 · 7/10 · 8 December 2006]

This show has so many things we have all been waiting so long for, but most of all, it has gut busting comedy. I found myself constantly cracking up each time i watch this. Its like I have already connected with the characters, which are all funny.

The episodes so far have been hilarious, smart, and well acted. After watching 10 minutes of this you will find yourself wanting to work at a supermarket. You cant like this show, you love it. I pretty much have no idea what the characters names are but I know their personalities. Probably more than I should. do yourself a favor and glue yourself to your TV and tivo watching 10 items or less.

good show

[luvlyss5 · 9/10 · 22 July 2007]

Good show. really good humor. To all of the people who are saying knock off of the office.. same show blah blah blah.. well.. i would just like to say how many more mystery/law/shows set in a hospital are they going to make? Seriously you never hear anyone talking about how annoying all those Law and Orders/ CSI.. they are all the same show but you never hear anyone downing those.There are obviously going to be similarities when watching TV shows so why not watch it for what it is instead of picking out the things that its not? Good stuff in this show. I think Leslie is so funny. He basically carries the show in himself. Even though this show probably wont come back i enjoyed it while it lasted and think that it had a lot of potential.

Arrested Development lite

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 19 August 2013]

Leslie Pool (John Lehr) is the inept owner-manager of independent G&G grocery store. It's ragtag group of wacky workers competing always with the corporate Super Value Mart across the street.

Other stand outs include Bob Clendenin and Jennifer Elise Cox. Jennifer plays the evil manager of the chain grocery store next door. Sadly she was just a part time player and never made it to the 3rd seasons. The characters are over the top. They bicker. They fight. At the end of the day, they come together as a team. The show is somewhat improvised. The jokes don't come as fast and tight. The pacing is different than most sitcoms. The jokes don't always work but it's still worth a watch.

Like watching people die in a car crash...

[Navy_Woodchuck · 1/10 · 4 December 2006]

Let's say you're going to work one morning and, from space, a meteor hits you in the mouth and breaks your jaw. After you recover and return to work, you might tell this story to your co-workers and, given the sheer inanity of the situation, you might relate the story in a humorous fashion. Despite not having any experience as a comedian, you would still be infinitesimally more humorous than "10 Items or Less", TBS's new attempt at killing laughter throughout the known world. This is the type of show you can watch all the way through without laughing, smiling or possibly ever feeling happiness again.

The premise is woefully unoriginal in so many ways- A group of ineffective people working at a supermarket. Let's take a look at that sentence… You can replace the word "supermarket" with any other place of business and you will still have the exact same show. In this case, you could even replace the word "people" with "hulking piles of scrap iron" and it would have no effect on the shows quality.

The show is supposedly a loosely scripted, predominantly improvisational work. However, none of the cast proves quick-thinking enough to deliver jokes, but rather try to pass off odd and quirky behavior as humorous, and for the most part they fail at that, too. The cast isn't simply bad at being supermarket employees, they're actually bad at playing human beings- In several scenes it's is actually possible to see an actor's soul leave their body to make their performance more awkward and less human.

One can't help but wonder how it is that TBS, who has proved to be pretty smart about which shows to run in syndication, can keep giving the green light to bad shows like this. There have been Challenger space shuttle disasters funnier than this show, which I might add, wasn't as fanatically over-advertised as "10 Items of Less" was. I suspect that this show is just one unfunny step of many in TBS's plan to make their network so unwatchable that they can use their airtime to transmit messages to the New World Order out in the open… And sadly, for fear of accidentally seeing more awful programming like this, no one will be the wiser.

An underrated and forgotten comedy that got better as it went on

[cmorrow41 · 9/10 · 12 October 2018]

Just finishing up this show, and I have to say I'm really impressed. I'm disappointed it ended after just 3 seasons, but it had to be expected I suppose. I think the final season is actually the best as it contains some of the series' best episodes ("Turkey Bowling," "Star Trok," and "The Milk Man" are all TV gold).

John Lehr is a comedic genius as store manager Leslie Pool and the supporting cast holds up really well. The situations they find themselves in are both wacky and hilarious.

I guess this type of humor isn't for everyone, but for me it made the show memorable.

The Office at a market

[pops-72834 · 6/10 · 3 June 2021]

Its ok if you liked The Office.

Jackass boss, and his underlings.

10 minutes or less is still too much

[one-winged-angel83 · 2/10 · 27 November 2006]

In viewing TBS's newest attempt at infusing their comedic stature into an original series, "10 Items or Less" shows that perhaps Mr. Turner should stick with acquiring sitcoms and cartoons as the foundation for the network's motto of being 'Very Funny'. That is if the sting of "Daisy Does America" hasn't worn off....

"10 Items or Less" establishes all the same clichés of being a grocery clerk that any common customer could see while wrangling this menagerie of failed auditions for Mad TV under the frayed control of manager Leslie, who assumes ownership of the family store after his father dies in a supposedly comedic fashion (a heart attack that knocks over a display stand, with the nearby employee fixing the stand first before helping the fallen owner). While actually showing this act of apathetic drudgery might've seemed more funny, instead the story is relayed by Leslie himself with less than dramatic results.

This is just one of the many examples of failed attempts at achieving a punchline, and instead resorting to a fast quip... just not fast enough. What remains is an almost painful experience for every actor present, shown in their faces in almost every scene yet simultaneously used as "the pain" of working in a grocery store to give them character. Irony.

As with any new show, 5 episodes have already been printed. Hopefully "10 Items or Less" will remain 10 episodes or less....

What people need to understand about the show

[Odaran · 9/10 · 31 December 2008]

I think many people that see this don't realize is that much of the dialog is not scripted. The actors are given information about what there character is like and they themselves create the scene. I place this on the same level of comic genius as "Who's Line Is It Anyway?".

This type of comedy is not for everyone and that is why some people feels this comes off as quirky. I have to be honest and say I have never seen "The Office" so I cannot comment on any of the comparisons.

I am happy that this series has been picked up for another season (3). I do have to admit that I could not see this running on one of the major networks, but TBS is a great place for it. I would like to see about five or six seasons then have a made for TV movie type conclusion.

SUPER! market

[levisader · 10/10 · 28 November 2006]

This show premiered last night on tbs and at first i thought it was just gonna be a new show with no point. Boy was i wrong.

10 Items or Less is a funny and smart show with lots of potential.

The acting is also great and funny.

The actors they picked are great at there job.

I have only seen one episode so i don't no all that much about the show but from what I've seen, it will be great! I hope this show's not cancelled cause from what I've seen, ill probably be watching this show a lot.

For everybody out there that likes this show, you ROCK!

Laugh out loud funny

[kirsten-38 · 10/10 · 27 October 2006]

My friend is a reporter and she got a preview episode sent to her. This is one of the best new shows I've seen in a long time. How something was so off the wall and so real at the same time was baffling to me. The girls are way hot and the whole cast was great. I worked in a supermarket for a long time and this stuff really happens. Even though I thought some of it was kind of exaggerated (sp?) so much of it is true to life, and maybe I'm biased, but I thought it was pee in your pants funny. I hope network idiots don't cancel it, like so many good shows don't get a chance to be on for a long time, but whatever you do don't miss this gem.

Possibly the worst new TV show on air.

[MovieAddict2016 · 1/10 · 4 December 2006]

It's never very promising when advertising campaigns for upcoming television shows have to constantly remind us of how unoriginal the program is by endlessly comparing it to other popular shows. "10 Items or Less" was promoted, in fact, with the following slogan: "If you thought working in an office was funny, wait until you see what it's like to work in a CONVENIENCE STORE!!"

Oh, wow! Brilliant! Let's rip-off a television show which is already a remake of another international television show from Britain! Awesome! High fives TBS execs! You really nailed it on the head this time!

I mean, after a string of flop original TV shows I imagine they must have all been sitting in their meeting with a collective frown trying to figure out how to (finally) achieve success. "How about we make a fake documentary show...and put it in an office?"

• "Hasn't that already been done?" - "Oh, yeah, right." (Pause) - "I know! Let's put it in a CONVENIENCE store!" - "Yes! Brilliant idea!" - "High fives all around!"

Not only are the characters flat, uninteresting and virtually _all_ rip-offs of characters from The Office (including Leslie, who is a painfully unfunny Steve Carrell/Andy Gervais wannabe) - their second episode DIRECTLY STEALS from an episode of the TV show "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"! It's not just a casual similarity, either.

The episode of Sunny featured the owners of a bar trying to exploit a water stain on the wall of their establishment which resembles Jesus. The new episode of "10 Items" (which premieres in 15 minutes) features the EXACT same plot line!

I struggled through the first episode trying to understand just how on earth such a desperate show could ever be greenlit. This is the stuff of film parody. There are the stereotypes of dumb executives trying to constantly cash in on successful fads - but this is almost TOO outrageous to be real! It's a lame-brain copycat right down to its very directorial style and plot lines.

The debut was one of the worst TV show debuts I've ever seen. Premieres are never fantastic in most cases but this was agonizing to sit through.

This show will disappear very soon, and I hope everyone involved never has a chance to work again. Why? Well, because I'm a rather evil person who will no doubt find great delight in watching this pack of moronic actors have little-to-no success in the future.

Good luck, guys!

This is a hilarious show! Worth seeing!

[becca1976 · 10/10 · 24 November 2006]

10 Items or Less is a wonderful and original, new improv comedy show. The cast all really plays off of each other very well, and the story lines are very creative. I think a series set in a grocery store will make for some very great comedic moments, especially with a cast as funny and talented as this one is. The star, John Lehr, is amazing as Leslie Pool. The writing and directing for this show is also very good. This show is definitely a winner, and one that everyone should see! I would highly recommend this show to anyone out there who loves a great comedy. You will be laughing until your sides hurt! I hope that TBS keeps this show around for a long, long, long time!

There's a first season of this?

[cwhyel · 2/10 · 16 January 2008]

It's always sunny meets the office set in a grocery store.

I can just imagine the pitch meeting for this. Ugh.

Weak concept, weak dialog, weak acting.

I don't know where to begin.

I know where I can end-by not watching it ever again.

Fortunately I just stumbled on to this.

Moreso than not recommending it, this show reminded me that I should find more to do in the evenings.

Ugh. Did I mention that already? I mean, I just don't know how to describe it. Also, I am flummoxed that it is the same name as a quality movie starring Morgan Freeman. The two titles are not related.

Ugh. Sorry for repeating myself. The actor who plays Leslie Best acts a bit caveman-ish. Tongue firmly in cheek.

Better than Superstore, lasted half as long

[selfdestructo · 8/10 · 29 March 2022]

This show was definitely amusing, and it got better as it went along. It's a travesty it got cancelled after the sheer genius of season 3. They had to have hired new writers, because that season had some of the wackiest (and most hilarious) premises. The box boasts that the show is primarily improvised (though I have my doubts about the 3rd season), and sometimes it's painfully obvious. I can't help but compare this series with Curb Your Enthusiasm, because that show makes improvising look effortless. Early going with this show was dicey, especially when the star (Leslie, played by John Lehr) runs his mouth off (which is... quite often).

10 Items or Less takes the sitcom trope where some poor schlub lands the foxiest lady on the show, and freaking runs with it. Yolanda, who is like a Goddess, is connected to Carl, who is, uh, borderline-retarded. One has to assume they're poking fun at this trope.

The first two seasons, all the funniest episodes featured my favorite character, Amy, from Super Value Mart (the Greens & Grains' competition -- and nemesis), and I think the producers realized this, so in the second season, she starts working at the Greens & Grains. Then she is sent off to jail in the second to last episode of season 2, and is never heard from again. I don't know if she left the show, or if this was a creative choice (she is replaced by Kim Coles, who I did not like as much).

BTW, 2nd favorite character, Don "The Bag" Bagley (I lost it when he went from bag boy to eye doctor, doing Lasik surgery inside the Greens & Grains. Yolanda barges in, and he botches his first surgery on Leslie. A riot!). Another highlight, turns out Leslie has mad whistling skills, records a whistling CD, and performs live in-store! The 3rd season is magical. It's really too bad the show ended so abruptly (only 21 episodes the whole series).

decent, for a tbs original series

[ThirdDegree · 1/10 · 27 November 2006]

Well, let's see. It felt like a rip off of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia. Only, its on tbs, so its less vulgar. I heard ads for the premiere all day today on the radio, so I figured I'd give it a chance. All the ads said "its so offensive, it has to be a late night show" or something like that. Maybe the future episodes will be different but the first one was TVPG. If it was a good rip off of It's Always Sunny, then I would have been cracking up the entire time, but alas, it was just a cheap knock off. The meat guy was pretty funny though. I could see this show catching on if it weren't on tbs, but either way, it's not my style.

Painfully Unfunny

[bananaboy111 · 2/10 · 27 November 2006]

Oh look, another comedy that throws together bits and pieces of other TV comedy sucesses, only to end up with soulless crap. The talentless John Lehr tries far too hard and seems entirely unaware of himself. In fact, The supporting cast pull their characters off better than he does. It's physically painful watching Lehr butcher what is already a weak script. Not only is it a struggle to find what could even be considered laugh lines, but Lehr ensures there's nothing funny about his basic character (unlike a show like The Office, for example, where Steve Carrel could stand motionless and still be hilarious). Ignore the first couple comments which are brutally obvious plants. Don't waste your time with this show, it won't be around much longer anyway.

Terrible.

[joshiebear · 27 November 2006]

I heard of this show on IMDb of all places, and it was on after my Monday night block of heroes and studio 60, so I figured I'd check it out and see how it was. Within 5 minutes, I desperately wanted to change the channel. This is a terrible show. As pointed out by another user perfectly, this show is a cheap copy of the office with a few tweaks and a whole truckload of short-comings. The boss is well-meaning, but completely uncool. His employees only tolerate him because they work for him. Sounds familiar. Oh yeah. Yup, this is Michael from the office, only he's not funny in this show. And the characters aren't something I would care about at all. It's completely unoriginal and very poorly executed. Pass with a vengeance.

My search for a clever title was in vain, just like this show trying to find laughs.

[tanplusblue · 3/10 · 27 November 2006]

If I were to venture a guess, TBS spent most of its budget on My Boys and when the numbers came in lower than expected, they spent the surplus money on this cheap The Office knockoff. I don't know if the producers were drunk or deluded, but contrary to their belief, rewriting The Office in a grocery store and making it louder doesn't make it funny. The failure Leslie is a transparent rewrite of Michael Scott, a failure trying to succeed in a field he is totally unqualified for that grasps for the approval of those around him. The high school crush of his trying to buy out his store is an equally unoriginal Jan Levinson, the scion of "Corporate", coming down to give him a hard time. And is it any surprise that their relationship is a pathetic one-sided affair? The supporting cast is a trashy group of lower-class failures that love to stand around like idiots and live disgusting lives. Not one of them is close to grabbing sympathy from an audience. Every punchline is a blunt, obvious comment void of any comedic value, suggesting the writers had up to a whole hour to finish the episode. Obvious punchlines and despicable characters may work for Adult Swim's collection of poorly drawn and incoherent plot driven cartoons, but fails miserably for this TBS reject.

Sub Par

[MisterJeff · 2/10 · 26 March 2008]

I was watching TBS a few weeks ago and saw them compare '10 Items or Less' to 'The Office' in one of their advertisements. So I checked the schedule, found out when it was going to be on, set my TV to remind me that it was going to come on and got my snack and my drink all ready to watch what I thought was going to be a great show......

Unbelievable disappointment. I sat there thinking "I could have had more fun doing nothing at all....." So I thought maybe it was just one bad episode and gave it a second chance. Boy was I wrong.

It's an outright tragedy that they can compare this trash to 'The Office' and get away with it. I was honestly appalled.

The worst part of this show is that it really isn't funny. Not in the least bit. Some people might like this kind of humor, but I don't.

So let me help you all out here. If you enjoy watching a bunch of people acting like idiots on camera, '10 Items or Less' is the show for you. But if you like something clever, a show that doesn't use the typical clichés of just about every other TV show known to man, don't even bother. You'll end up wasting your time, just as I did.