Watch Work It

Work It was a short-lived workplace comedy series that aired on ABC in 2012-2013. The show starred Benjamin Koldyke as Lee Standish, a recently unemployed husband and father who hatches a plan to dress up as a woman in order to get a job at a pharmaceutical company. Lee's friend Angel (Amaury Nolasco) joins him in the scheme, and the two of them pose as women to secure positions as sales representatives.

The plot of the show centers around Lee and Angel's attempts to keep their secret identities hidden from their coworkers and bosses, while also dealing with their own personal problems. Lee's wife, Connie (Beth Lacke), suspects that he is having an affair and becomes increasingly suspicious as he spends more and more time with his female coworkers. Meanwhile, Angel struggles with his own romantic feelings for their boss, Vanessa (Rochelle Aytes).

As the series progresses, Lee and Angel become more skilled at navigating their new roles as women and managing their double lives. They form close relationships with their coworkers, including Kristin (Kate Reinders), a bubbly sales rep with a crush on Lee, and Brian (John Caparulo), a socially awkward scientist who is the only one to suspect that something is off about the new hires.

Despite its promising premise, Work It failed to connect with audiences and was quickly canceled after only two months on the air. Critics panned the show for its dated humor and lack of originality, with many calling it a poor imitation of other workplace comedies like The Office and 30 Rock.

The show's brief run did, however, spark a conversation about the representation of transgender individuals on television. Some viewers were offended by the show's use of cross-dressing as a punchline, arguing that it perpetuated harmful stereotypes and misrepresentations of the transgender community. Others defended the show, saying that it was meant to be a lighthearted comedy and that people shouldn't take it so seriously.

Despite its controversial reception, Work It remains a curious artifact of early 2010s television. Its attempts to tackle issues of gender and sexuality in a comedic setting may have fallen flat, but its legacy lives on as a cautionary tale about the dangers of relying on tired jokes and outdated stereotypes.