The Mindy Project does not have good ratings. Over the course of its brief run it never has. Whether or not devoted TV watchers would like to admit it, shows are not renewed based on merit, but on profitability. So what's the problem? Mindy Kaling, veteran of The Office and beloved Twitter personality is the vehicle behind the show—it's not a stretch to think this would turn into good (or at least middling) ratings. It just hasn't happened. One of the most irritating aspects of getting a new show off the ground is the constant analyzation of television that exists now.
I know. Pot meet kettle. But my adding to the problem isn't the point. The point is that basically since the pilot aired, the show has been labeled as having "growing pains." The lack of characterization has been attacked, and I think not entirely unjustly. Morgan is a hodge-podge of personality types. Betsy is hardly ever seen but we get the idea that she's religious. It doesn't seem like they know what direction they want to take Dr. Reed, and the addition of Adam Pally as Peter Prentice is still up in the air because they haven't really given him much to do yet. Anna Camp's Gwen disappeared without any notice, as did Shauna. Over all, there has been an astounding amount of cast turnover for the relatively short amount of time Mindy has been on air. One bright spot this season has been Tamra. The Ray-Ron storyline and possible Morgan crush gave her (and briefly Morgan) more depth than the rest of the supporting cast. But needless to say, the show has its issues.
Despite all of this—I laugh out loud at this show more than almost any show on TV right now, although the heavily underrated (by fans) Brooklyn Nine Nine comes close. And it's because of the two main characters. Mindy and Danny keep the show moving. They're currently the only characters with more than minimal depth, and I think they're the central reason anyone watches the show. The writers stick to the basics with these two and it pays off. I think one of Mindy's biggest problems is that it tries to do too much. There have been a plethora of unneeded guest stars and overly complicated episodes. Don't even get me started on that ghastly Pastor Casey write-off episode. When they keep it simple it works. See: Danny telling Mindy she looks nice in the elevator.
Mindy and Danny are a classic mismatched pair. She is the Harry to his Sally, and I am not getting that backwards. It's a comedy staple that's been done again and again. And that's not a problem. Mindy Kaling has made a career out of being a different kind of celebrity, but TV shows aren't rocket science and you don't always get bonus points for originality. Stick to the basics. Danny is old school. Mindy is new school. That's it. She's obsessed with selfies, and he doesn't have a fancy cell phone plan with night minutes. All of the show's best lines come from that basic difference. All I'm asking for is more of the same. How often can a show's biggest problem be solved so easily? What I'm asking for is very simple: ignore most of the issues I've already enumerated, and just give us more Mindy and Danny.
Forget about the other characters for a bit. An otp as tumblr would call it, or just a central couple in layman's terms, is all a show really needs. As great as Modern Family is—it has convinced every showrunner that their show needs to be an ensemble too. Just let Morgan be the funny guy. Let Dr. Reed have his self-centered moments, but give us more of Mindy and Danny. Stretch out their inevitable pairing as long as needed, because their interactions are always worth watching. Let their shtick become the focal point of Mindy in the way that Ross and Rachel took over Friends. (I can't seem to write about TV without referencing Friends.) Where Ross and Rachel's relationship was occasionally grating for the amount of screen time it got—all The Mindy Project needs is a full-on Mindy and Danny takeover.
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