ABC’s ‘Then Came You’ Relies on Age-Old Topic

Recently divorced Billie (Susan Floyd), a Chicago book editor, meets a room-service waiter named Aiden (Thomas Newton). They’re both Northwestern alums. They make crescendos in the sack and fall head over heels. One problem.

She’s 33, he’s 22.

Oops.

Reportedly based on the experience of co-creator Betsy Thomas, ABC’s rarely funny new comedy “Then Came You” gets credit at least for not making Billie seem like an old bag compared with the 11-years-younger man who makes her so giddy and orgasmic. A less enlightened series might give her aging brown spots.

On the other hand, reverse the genders, and probably no one would be making such a big deal of their age difference.

Essentially, these are two infantile adults who appear bound only by good sex. They have no other shared experiences beyond trying to reconcile their relationship, as Aiden continues cutting up and teaching his older lover that age is unimportant, and Billie continues feeling guilty about getting it on with a much younger man.

Tonight, when Billie tells Aiden, “I don’t want to be Mrs. Robinson,” he replies, “Who is Mrs. Robinson?” Bummer.

You can see where this is heading, as next week Aiden gives Billie a baseball mitt for her birthday, and in Week 3 he brings out his skateboard. Meanwhile, Billie’s best friend, Cheryl (Miriam Shor), keeps up the wisecracks, and her ex-husband, Lewis (Colin Ferguson), keeps being snide and obnoxious.

Aiden’s exotic waiter buddy, Ed (Desmond Askew), produces some occasional humor in weeks to come, but the show’s funniest character by far is Manuel (Winston J. Rocha), whose polish and mellow wisdom do not conform to the usual image of a hotel dishwasher.

* “Then Came You” can be seen Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. on ABC. The network has rated it TV-PG-DL (may be unsuitable for young children with special advisories for suggestive dialogue and coarse language).