Friday, September 19, 2008

CBS Fall Pilot Review: Gary Unmarried - Premieres September 24; Our 2008 Emmy Awards Picks

Gary Unmarried

Gary Unmarried - Wednesdays 8:30PM ET/PT on CBS
Premieres Wednesday, September 24, 2008 at 8:30PM ET/PT

Gary Unmarried stars Jay Mohr and Paula Marshall in a comedy about Gary Barnes, a recently single painting contractor, and his controlling ex-wife, Allison, who face post-divorce mayhem after 15 years of marriage as they each embark on new relationships. He's the fun parent and she's the strict one. Together, they share custody of their two children - Louise, a politically correct and environmentally conscious 11-year-old, and Tom, their socially awkward 14-year-old son who is nervous around girls.

Charming and acerbic, Gary hasn't dated since the split, but finally connects with Vanessa, a single mother whose condo he was hired to paint. He dreads telling Allison about Vanessa because it doesn't adhere to her belief in their marriage counselor's book, "Rules for the Perfect Divorce." However, when Allison tells him that she's engaged to their shrink, all bets are off and Gary decides it's time to move forward. Now, in pursuit of post-marriage happiness, Gary must juggle his eclectic world of an ex-wife, their two kids, their shrink and his gorgeous new girlfriend.

Cast Details:

* Jay Mohr as Gary Brooks
* Paula Marshall as Allison Brooks
* Jaime King as Vanessa Flood
* Ryan Malgarini as Tom Brooks
* Ed Begley Jr. as Dr. Walter Crandall
* Al Madrigal as Dennis Lopez
* Kathryn Newton as Louise Brooks

The multi-talented Jay Mohr's career has spanned over a decade. He first received audience notice with his dead-on impressions of Christopher Walken, Dick Vitale and Sean Penn on "Saturday Night Live." Soon after that, he landed his breakthrough film role as a rival sports agent in the blockbuster hit "Jerry Maguire," and followed that up in a touching good-guy turn in "Picture Perfect." Other film credits include "Playing By Heart," "Suicide Kings," "Seeing Other People," "Even Money," "The Groomsmen," "Pay it Forward," "Street Kings" and "Go," as well as comedic leads in "King's Ransom" and "Are We There Yet?" On television, Mohr created, executive produced and hosted "Last Comic Standing," now in its sixth season. Other credits include "Action" and his most recent role as Professor Rick Payne on the CBS series "Ghost Whisperer."

A native of Rockville, Maryland, Paula Marshall's big break came when she landed a guest-starring role on "Seinfeld." Marshall is an extremely busy actress with a recurring role on the current television series "Californication." Her other television credits include co-starring roles in the CBS comedy "Out of Practice," "Snoops," "Cupid," "Spin City," "Nip/Tuck" and "Veronica Mars." Paula starred in the feature films "Cheaper by the Dozen," "That Old Feeling," "A Family Thing" and "The New Age," among others.

Jaime King broke into television when she was selected to host MTV's "House of Style." Following a guest-star appearance on "The O.C.," King landed a role on "Kitchen Confidential" and was later cast in a recurring role on the CBS comedy, "The Class." King's feature film roles include "Pearl Harbor," "Blow," "Slackers," "Two for the Money," "White Chicks," "Sin City," "Cheaper By the Dozen 2," as well as the independent features "Pretty Persuasion," "The Tripper," "They Wait," "A Fork in the Road" and "The Pardon." She will be seen next on the big screen in the upcoming films "The Spirit," "My Bloody Valentine" and "Fanboys."

Ryan Malgarini caught the acting bug observing his grandmother's involvement in show biz. Tagging along one day to be an extra in one of her commercials, he was pulled out of the crowd by the director and wound up featured in the ad. Other commercials followed, including spots for McDonald's and Washington Mutual Savings Bank. Malgarini made his feature film debut in "The United States of Leland" starring opposite Academy Award winner Kevin Spacey. Shortly after, other offers kept rolling in and he got to work with another Oscar recipient, Tom Hanks, in "The Polar Express." Other film credits include "Freaky Friday" and "How to Eat Fried Worms."

Ed Begley Jr. was inspired by his father to become an actor. His father won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in the 1962 film "Sweet Bird of Youth." The big break for Ed Begly Jr. came when he was cast as Dr. Victor Ehrlich on the long-running television series "St. Elsewhere," for which he received six Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe nomination. Begley's feature film credits include "Pineapple Express," "A Mighty Wind," "Best In Show," "For Your Consideration," "Batman Forever," "The Accidental Tourist," "The In-Laws," and many others. On television, Begley had recurring roles on "The New Adventures of Old Christine" and "CSI: Miami," for the Network. Additional television credits include "Six Feet Under," "Veronica Mars," "7th Heaven," "Arrested Development" and "Boston Legal."

Called "dynamic" by the New York Times, San Francisco native Al Madrigal's flair for storytelling has established him as one of the nation's premiere stand-up comedians. He won the "Jury Award for Best Stand-up Comedian" at the 2004 HBO Comedy Festival. He was a regular cast member on the CBS comedy "Welcome to the Captain," and can be seen regularly on television in his own half-hour "Comedy Central Presents" special, as well as frequent guest spots on "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson."

Kathryn Newton's entrance into show business began at the age of four when she was cast as Colby Chandler on the popular soap opera, "All My Children." It was a recurring role she would end up playing for five years. Newton's other acting credits include the independent films "Bun-Bun" and "Abbie Down East." In addition to television and movies, she has accumulated a long list of commercial and print jobs to add to her resume.

Pilot Plot:

#1 Pilot
Gary's ex-wife has got engaged and he finds himself trying to navigate fatherhood and his own new love interest. The series opens with a scene of Gary and Vanessa in bed. She shows him one of her tattoos. We learn that Gary owns his own painting business and has 2 kids. Allison comes to the house to talk to Gary and the kids. Gary goes to his son's room and has a few funny lines about computers. Gary talks to one of his employees, Dennis, and Vanessa at a job. Back at the house, he talks to Allison and his daughter, Louise. His son, Tommy, has a girl in his room. Dr. Walter Crandall, Gary's former marriage counselor and Allison's new fiancé, has a few words with Gary and Allison. Vanessa visits with her son, Parker. The episode closes with a scene with Gary and Vanessa where they discuss their future plans.

Written by Ed Yeager
Directed by James Burrows
Guest Stars: Ashley Farley as Danielle, Charles Henry Wyson (or Jackson Fox) as Parker

Analysis:

Gary Unmarried was originally titled Project Gary. The multi-camera sitcom is filmed in front of a studio audience. The pilot gives us a good introduction to all of the characters and has some funny lines. Jay Mohr returns to a sitcom. You may remember him from the critics' favorite, Action, on Fox about a decade ago. Here he plays your typical sitcom dad. He's in virtually every scene and has the funniest lines in the pilot. One of the best is when his son is talking about a computer game and he says that when he was a kid that they didn't have anything like that and they had outside. Paula Marshall plays his ex-wife, Allison, and appears frequently in the pilot. The chemistry between Jay Mohr and Paula Marshall is evident from the very beginning. Paula Marshall has often been referred to as the female version of Ted McGinley with the shows she has been on not lasting very long. Maybe this will be the right role for her. Jaime King plays Gary's new girlfriend named Vanessa. I enjoyed her on another CBS sitcom, The Class. Larry Miller was originally cast as Allison's new fiancé, but he was replaced by Ed Begley Jr. in the pilot. Larry would have been funny in the part, but maybe they were looking for somebody that looked older and Ed does have the look of a doctor. He's not given a lot in the pilot, but I expect his role to expand in future episodes. He was hilarious on Arrested Development. Ryan Malgarini does a good job as the son who is nervous around girls. Laura Marano was originally cast as the daughter, but she was replaced by Kathryn Newton and they re-taped the scenes. Poor girl was also replaced on Back to You last season. She just has had bad luck and hopefully can find the right role in the future. The pilot I was sent had Laura Marano in it, so I've not seen the reshot scenes with Kathryn Newton.

Conclusion:

This sitcom has a lot of promise. It was cast well and the pilot was funny. I also saw the pilot of Worst Week and would give a slight edge to that one because of the physical comedy and sheer wildness of it. Gary Unmarried is the more traditional, multi-camera sitcom. One of the producers also worked on Still Standing, and I can see the similarities between the two. The setup is also similar to the show that is airing right before it, The New Adventures of Old Christine. Will they be a good match? Old Christine has a large female audience, but it will be interesting to see how many stick around for it.

CBS has tried unsuccessfully to launch a second night of comedy on Wednesdays. The competition will be tough with ABC's Pushing Daisies, NBC's Knight Rider and Fox's Bones. The New Adventures of Old Christine and Gary Unmarried should greatly improve on the ratings of last season's Kid's Nation. The pilot is worth checking out. I wasn't sure how Jay Mohr would play a blue-collar guy with kids, but he manages to pull it off. It will be interesting to see how the character's relationships will play out in future episodes. Ed Begley Jr. was underutilized in the pilot, so I expect to see him more in upcoming episodes. Tune in for the pilot on September 24 and see if you crave "mohr" episodes on Wednesdays at 8:30 ET/PT on CBS.

Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):

Watchability: 4/5
Funniness: 3.5/5
Overall: 3.5/5

-- Reviewed by Todd on 09/19/08

Discuss the show after you watch it on Wednesday, September 24 on our message board.

Related Links:


  • CBS.com Official Site
  • Gary Unmarried Fan Site
  • TV.com
  • epguides.com
  • Internet Movie Database
  • Wikipedia
  • Gary Unmarried Photo Gallery


    Here are our Emmy Awards picks for The 60th Primetime Emmy Awards, which will air Sunday (Sept. 21) at 8/7 central on ABC. It will be a night to remember memorable TV moments as the Emmys turn the big 6-0!

    COMEDY SERIES
    Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
    The Office (NBC)
    Two and a Half Men (CBS)
    30 Rock (NBC)
    Entourage (HBO)
    OUR PICK: 30 Rock. I'm pissed no Pushing Daisies.

    DRAMA SERIES
    Lost (ABC)
    House (Fox)
    Damages (FX)
    Boston Legal (ABC)
    Mad Men (AMC)
    Dexter (Showtime)
    OUR PICK: Lost. It so deserves it (sorry Mad Men).

    LEAD ACTOR, COMEDY SERIES
    Tony Shalhoub, Monk (USA Network)
    Steve Carell, The Office (NBC)
    Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock (NBC)
    Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men (CBS)
    Lee Pace, Pushing Daisies (ABC)
    OUR PICK: Lee Pace, Pushing Daisies. Really anyone can win here but Sheen...one of the toughest calls.

    LEAD ACTRESS, COMEDY SERIES
    America Ferrera, Ugly Betty (ABC)
    Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Old Christine (CBS)
    Christina Applegate, Samantha Who? (ABC)
    Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds (Showtime)
    Tina Fey, 30 Rock (NBC)
    OUR PICK: Christina Applegate, Samantha Who? I've got a hunch. It could be Fey or Ferrera though.

    LEAD ACTOR, DRAMA SERIES
    Hugh Laurie, House (FOX)
    James Spader, Boston Legal (ABC)
    Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad (AMC)
    Gabriel Bryne, In Treatment (HBO)
    Michael C. Hall, Dexter (Showtime)
    Jon Hamm, Mad Men (AMC)
    OUR PICK: James Spader, Boston Legal. He wins it every year, but maybe Hamm can win it.

    LEAD ACTRESS, DRAMA SERIES
    Glenn Close, Damages (FX)
    Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters (ABC)
    Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer (TNT)
    Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU (NBC)
    Holly Hunter, Saving Grace (TNT)
    OUR PICK: Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters. Going for the two-peat, but can Sedgwick win it?

    SUPPORTING ACTOR, COMEDY SERIES
    Kevin Dillion, Entourage (HBO)
    John Cryer, Two and a Half Men (CBS)
    Rainn Wilson, The Office (NBC)
    Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
    Jeremy Piven, Entourage (HBO)
    OUR PICK: Jeremy Piven, Entourage.

    SUPPORTING ACTRESS, COMEDY SERIES
    Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty (ABC)
    Amy Poehler, SNL (NBC)
    Jean Smart, Samantha Who? (ABC)
    Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daisies (ABC)
    Holland Taylor, Two and a Half Men (CBS)
    OUR PICK: Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daisies. Olive is hysterical!

    SUPPORTING ACTOR, DRAMA SERIES
    Zeljko Ivanek, Damages (FX)
    William Shatner, Boston Legal (ABC)
    John Slattery, Mad Men (AMC)
    Ted Danson, Damages (FX)
    Michael Emerson, Lost (ABC)
    OUR PICK: Ted Danson, Damages. Wouldn't be surprised if Shatner won it.

    SUPPORTING ACTRESS, DRAMA SERIES
    Rachel Griffiths, Brothers & Sisters (ABC)
    Sandra Oh, Grey's Anatomy (ABC)
    Candice Bergen, Boston Legal (ABC)
    Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy (ABC)
    Diane Wiest, In Treatment (HBO
    OUR PICK: Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy. She was fantastic this year and so deserves it.

  • Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

    Friday, December 6

    Happy's Place - "Ho-Ho Howey" (NBC, 9:15PM ET/PT)
    When the tavern's health insurance is threatened to be canceled, Gabby has a plan; she'll persuade her friend Danny to host his company party at Happy's, but the catch is everyone must call Bobbie "Gabby" and Gabby "Bobbie."

    Lopez vs Lopez - "Lopez vs Santa" (NBC, 9:45PM ET/PT)
    While Mayan tries to track down the perfect Christmas gift for Chance, George has to settle a feud with Santa that stretches back to George's childhood; Quinten tries to shake Rosie out of her holiday blues.

    Bob Hearts Abishola - "We Were Beggars, Now We Are Choosers" (The CW, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
    After Abishola gives her previous suitor a second chance, Uncle Tunde goes behind Auntie Olu's back to warn Bob about the other man who's courting his niece.

    Bob Hearts Abishola - "Ice Cream for Breakfast" (The CW, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
    Bob must gain the confidence to fight for Abishola when she goes on another date with Chukwuemeka; Uncle Tunde finds an unlikely friend in Dottie in the aftermath of his fight with Auntie Olu.

    Children Ruin Everything - "Chores" (The CW, 9:00PM ET/PT)
    Astrid and James question the effectiveness of their own parenting when they meet one of Felix's friends with impeccable manners; Astrid and James worry about the types of adults their kids will become.

    Children Ruin Everything - "Feelings" (The CW, 9:30PM ET/PT)
    James, feeling left out when Ennis makes a new friend, inserts himself in Ennis' dodgeball tournament; Astrid struggles to get Viv to control her emotions, especially when frustrations at work make it hard to lead by example.

    Complete TV Listings


    Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of December 2)

    Friday, December 6

    • Ralph Macchio (Eight Is Enough) - Watch Ralph on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
    • Ben Stiller (Arrested Development) - Ben is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
    • Rita Moreno (One Day at a Time/Happily Divorced/9 to 5) - Rita appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
    • Emily Osment (Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage/Young Sheldon/Young & Hungry/Hannah Montana), Tien Tran (How I Met Your Father) and Vinny Thomas (Platonic) - Emily, Tien and Vinny are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
    • Hilary Swank (Camp Wilder) - NBC's Today catches up with Hilary in the 10am hour.
    • The Cast of Sex Lives of College Girls - The Sex Lives of College Girls creator Mindy Kaling is joining Drew on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings. Then, the case of the show, Pauline Chalamet, Alyah Chanelle Scott, Amrit Kaur, Mia Rodgers and Gracie Lawrence are all chatting about the latest season of the hit show.
    • Ryan Destiny (grown-ish) and Brian Tyree Henry (HouseBroken/Atlanta) - Ryan and Brian talk about their new film The Fire Inside on Sherri, so check your local listings.
    • Steve Howey (Reba) - Steve talks about NBC's Happy Place on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
    • Krysten Ritter (Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23) - Krysten discusses her film Sonic 3 on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
    • Melissa Joan Hart (Baby Daddy/Sabrina the Teenage Witch/Clarissa Explains It All) - Melissa is a guest on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:05am.


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