Here's 'Chelsea,' pass the vodka

Handler, meanwhile, plays Chelsea's sister, Sloane. And . . . if you're not hopelessly confused, please read on: Chelsea and Olivia (Ali Wong), her BFF and waitress colleague from the sports bar, recently moved in with Dee Dee (Lauren Lapkus), who's a bit ditsy and not at all interested in the pillow talk that the two roomies luxuriate in.

By the way, this is all loosely based on Handler's series of popular books, most notably the 2008 bestseller "Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea." Handler's role is only recurring. Plus, this bonus: A very slimmed-down Lenny Clarke ("Rescue Me") plays Chelsea and Sloane's dad, Melvin.

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But what's intriguing here is this question "Why put Handler in a sitcom as a supporting character when another actress is playing Handler?" Besides her other job at E!, your answer: Handler can't really act. She spits out her lines like an accountant spits out numbers, without rhythm or sense of timing. To an extent, that's by design; her Sloane -- described by NBC as "Chelsea's born-again Christian sister [and a] married conservative new mom" -- is supposed to be a bit of a stiff, anyway. But that doesn't mean she's supposed to be a two-by-four, either. By contrast, Prepon is slinky and raw and naughty and . . . interesting. If this show works, she'll be the reason why.