In its setup, Fox's "The Loop" is one of those sitcoms aimed at young adults that mirrors real life in virtually no tangible way. Here on planet Earth, that whole platonic living arrangement among hormonally charged heterosexuals doesn't typically work so well. [...] with the exception of a few clever lines and the presence of longtime character actor Philip Baker Hall, this show -- which got a major overhaul since being ordered by the network last spring -- only underscores the point that a painfully contrived premise can't be glossed over by pretty faces and pithy dialogue.

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