Quirky humor continues in new season of 'Welcome to Flatch' but so do low ratings

The second season of locally shot Fox TV comedy "Welcome to Flatch" debuted last Thursday night, with its characters and their quirky antics returning to the streets of Burgaw and Wilmington.

And while the show's trademark mix of poignant moments and awkward humor continues, so do its low ratings, although an infusion of star power could boost the show as its second season progresses.

"Welcome to Flatch," from executive producers Jenny Bicks (HBO's "Sex and the City") and Paul Feig (movie comedy "Bridesmaids," TV's "Freaks and Geeks") is set in the rural (and fictional), town of Flatch, Ohio, which is mostly depicted by the Pender County town of Burgaw.

It stars Sam Straley and the one-named comic and actor Holmes as Shrub and Kelly Mallet, who are recently post-high-school best friends and cousins. The house Holmes' character lives in is on Kelly Road in Wilmington's Millbrook subdivision.

Season two starts with Shrub struggling to tell Kelly he might be leaving Flatch to go to art school, while Kelly continues to work out her Daddy issues by toiling on her inattentive father's Christmas tree farm.

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The show also stars Seann William Scott (Stifler from the "American Pie" movies) as the preacher "Father Joe," whose church is depicted by the Macedonia AME Church on Walker Street in Burgaw. Season two has Father Joe rekindling his relationship with newspaper editor Cheryl, played by Aya Cash ("You're the Worst").

Season two star power comes in the form of a new character portrayed by Emmy-winning actress Jaime Pressly ("My Name Is Earl"). Pressly plays the flashy Barb Flatch, a self-proclaimed "local celebrity" who returns to her hometown on the rebound from a failed marriage.

Last week's season premiere centered on a parade to present a historic cane to the "Keeper of the Cane," which is always the town's oldest resident, whoever that happens to be. Turns out it's Barb's grandmother, but she doesn't want the cane because "the cane is cursed. Whoever gets the cane dies."

Not many Wilmington locations turned up in last week's season debut, but upcoming episodes should have more of the Port City in it, as film crews have been shooting in recent weeks at locations including Cardinal Lanes Bowling Alley, and Castle Street.

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For its season-two debut, Flatch attracted just over 820,000 viewers and a .18 "share" in the crucial 18-49 demographic, which dictates ad rates. That's slightly higher than last season's average of 760,000 and a .17 share, when "Flatch" tied with NBC's “Transplant" as TV's the least-watched show in the 18-49 demographic.

Still, while the show's fan base might be small it does exist, with many fans taking to Twitter to praise it last week.

And while the show's second season has been more heavily promoted than its first, it would appear that some fans weren't aware a second season is happening.

Whether the show can grow its fan base from a cult following into something more sustainable remains to be seen. Episodes will continue to air weekly through the end of the year.

Want to watch?

"Welcome to Flatch" airs 9 p.m. Thursdays on Fox. New episodes can be streamed on Fridays on Hulu.

Contact John Staton at 910-343-2343 or [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Season 2 debut of Welcome to Flatch keeps quirky humor, low ratings