Monday, September 04, 2006
FOX Sitcom Pilot Reviews: 'Til Death and Happy Hour - Premiere September 7th
We are proud to present reviews of the new fall sitcom pilots for the second consecutive season. There will be 8 new sitcoms premiering in September and October. There looks to be a number of promising sitcoms this fall, such as The Class, 30 Rock, The Knights of Prosperity, and Help Me Help You. Hopefully we'll see a number of big hits, as we've hit a bit of a dry spell in recent years. It would also be nice if some of last season's new sitcom hits (How I Met Your Mother, My Name Is Earl, The New Adventures of Old Christine) don't suffer any sophomore slumps. Look for our other pilot reviews in the upcoming weeks, as we get closer to their premiere dates. We'll also bring you reviews of the mid-season sitcoms, when they are announced at a later date.
'Til Death - Thursdays at 8:00PM ET/PT on FOX
Premieres September 7th at 8:00PM ET/PT
'TIL DEATH is a comedy about middle-aged EDDIE (Brad Garrett, "Everybody Loves Raymond") and JOY STAMM (Joely Fisher, "Desperate Housewives"), who are on day 8,743 of their marriage and have the battle scars to prove it. Their new next-door neighbors are young newlyweds STEPH (Kat Foster, "Law & Order") and JEFF WOODCOCK (Eddie Kaye Thomas, "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle") - idealistic, passionate, adorable and married for all of 12 days. It's a show about new marriage versus old marriage, about keeping the romance alive - or at least staying together so you have someone to drive you to the hospital for your operations. Eddie is a cynical realist who considers himself an expert on most topics. A high school history teacher, he's learned well the lessons of history and applies the basic principles to his marriage: all fights are about power, land and resources - and women love to kill fun. A veteran of the marriage wars, Eddie freely gives his advice to the younger, idealistic Jeff, who's the new Vice Principal at Eddie's school. Of course, Eddie's little secret all along is that he loves Joy more than anything. And however brash and sardonic Joy herself appears, she loves Eddie right back.
Cast: Brad Garrett as Eddie Stamm, Joely Fisher as Joy Stamm, Eddie Kaye Thomas as Jeff Woodcock, Kat Foster as Steph Woodcock
Read our review of the pilot episode here.
Discuss the show after you watch it on Thursday on our message board.
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Happy Hour - Thursdays at 8:30PM ET/PT on FOX
Premieres September 7th at 8:30PM ET/PT
Straight arrow HENRY BECKMAN (John Sloan, "The OH in Ohio") had it all: a great job, a perfect girlfriend and a sweet apartment. He was a big fish in the small pond of Amsterdam, Missouri. And then he let HEATHER (Brooke D'Orsay, "King's Ransom") talk him into moving to Chicago to work in her family business, where it all went wrong. In the space of one morning, Henry gets dumped by Heather, learns he can no longer work for Heather's uncle, and gets kicked out of their apartment. It's in this vulnerable state that he meets his new roommate, a vain, flashy, loveable rogue named LARRY CONE (Lex Medlin, "Still Standing"). Larry is a modern-day Dean Martin who is looking for a new protg to teach the wisdom of staying single and enjoying the good life. Larry's last roommate and best friend, BRAD (Nat Faxon, "Joey"), has gotten engaged to the shrew TINA (Jamie Denbo, "Must Love Dogs"), a cold and controlling fiance who's immune to Larry's considerable charm. Under Larry's tutelage, Henry begins to rebuild his life and goes to work for Larry's childhood friend AMANDA (Beth Lacke, "The Rest of Your Life"), a beautiful mess who's unsuccessfully trying to emulate her perfect ideal of womanhood, Kelly Ripa. Will Henry manage to hold onto his traditional values and remain a hopeless romantic? Or will Larry indeed "build a better Brad"?
Cast: John Sloan as Henry Beckman, Lex Medlin as Larry Cone, Nat Faxon as Brad Cooper, Jamie Denbo as Tina DiFabio, Beth Lacke as Beth Pennington, Brooke D’Orsay as Heather Hanson
Read our review of the pilot episode here.
Discuss the show after you watch it on Thursday on our message board.
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Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Monday, July 21
The Neighborhood - "Welcome to the Big Sleep" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
As Marty and Courtney struggle to get their newborn to sleep, the entire Butler family suffers along with them. While Calvin prefers to let the new parents figure it out, Tina insists on jumping in to help with Baby Daphne any way she can. When searching for their old baby swing, Dave finds an old list he made of cool things to do before age 40, which sends him spiraling as he realizes he hasn’t accomplished any of them.
The Neighborhood - "Welcome to Great Beyond" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
The Butlers and Johnsons receive shocking news about their neighbor that changes their outlook on life.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of July 21)
Monday, July 21
- Alan Cumming (Schmigadoon!) - Alan guest hosts Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear/Girls) - Watch Ebon on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Pamela Adlon (Better Things/King of the Hill/The Facts of Life) - Pamela appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Sandra Oh (Arli$$) - Sandra is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Dave Franco (The Afterparty/Scrubs/Do Not Disturb) - Dave stops by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Jerrod Carmichael (The Carmichael Show) - Jerrod appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Maria Bamford (Lady Dynamite/Benched) and Doug Benson (You're the Worst) - Maria and Doug are guests on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Megan Stalter (Too Much/Hacks) - Meg appears on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 10pm on Bravo.
- Tracee Ellis Ross (black-ish/Girlfriends) - Tracee appears on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 10pm on Bravo. She also talks about Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am and in the 10am hour.
- Sterling K. Brown (Starved) - Sterling talks about Washington Black on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
- Kristen Johnston (Leanne/Mom/The Exes/3rd Rock from the Sun) - Kristen talks about Netflix's Leanne on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your local listings.
- Chase Sui Wonders (The Studio) - NBC's Today catches up with Chase in the 9am hour.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
05/13 - The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered)
06/06 - Shoresy - Season 2
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (Blu-ray)
07/22 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
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