 Tony Scott , a critic for Variety , thought the characters were " amiable enough " , but they needed " sharper dialogue and fresher observations . " Scott did not think the car pool segment worked , but he liked the opening sequence in the bar . He also praised Lessac 's direction , calling it " inventive " . Peter <unk> from The Age was prepared to give the series a chance based on the episode , saying " Like most American sitcoms , The Drew Carey Show has its share of snappy one @-@ liners but it gives the impression of trying a little too hard . To be fair , this is the first of a series , and we have yet to see the characters develop . Even Seinfeld took a little time to become essential viewing . " 
