NBC Mid-Season 2011 Schedule Changes; NBC Mid-Season Pilot Review: Perfect Couples - Premieres January 20

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

NBC Mid-Season 2011 Schedule Changes; NBC Mid-Season Pilot Review: Perfect Couples - Premieres January 20

NBC has announced some changes to its mid-season changes. NBC announced that it will continue with new episodes of Parenthood on Tuesdays at 10pm through April 19. This means there will be either 3 repeats or preemptions somewhere so all 22 episodes can air. It is unclear what will air starting April 26. Also, Law & Order: Los Angeles, which was previously scheduled to resume on that day and time beginning February 8, will return on a day to be determined. The series is going through a number of changes. Parenthood was scheduled to move to Mondays at 10pm starting March 7, but that will not happen and mid-season drama Harry's Law will now air all of its 13 episode order rather than just 6. Harry's Law will air through May 9 and it will also have to be repeats for three weeks.
In addition, the new alternative competition series America's Next Great Restaurant will now debut on Sunday, March 6 at 8pm instead of the previously announced Wednesday, March 16 at 9pm. The Marriage Ref, which was intended to return for its second season on Sunday, March 6 at 8, will return at a later date. Airing Wednesdays at 9pm after Chase concludes after March 2 will be repeats of Law & Order: SVU leading into new episodes at 10pm.
See a full list of these changes. Still yet to be scheduled are new comedy-drama Love Bites and new comedies Friends with Benefits and The Paul Reiser Show. They are now joined by The Marriage Ref (10 new episodes) and Law & Order: Los Angeles (14 episodes remain to air from 22 episode order), which now have to be determined return dates. Could some of these possibly air in summer? Stay tuned.

Perfect Couples - Thursdays 8:30PM ET/PT on NBC
Premieres Thursday, January 20, 2011 at 8:30PM ET/PT

Perfect Couples is a romantic comedy that follows three flawed pairs trying to get it right.

Dave (Kyle Bornheimer, Worst Week) and Julia (Christine Woods, Flash Forward) are the "everyday couple," messed up in all the "normal" ways. Dave struggles to keep both his wife and his needy best friend, Vance (David Walton, NBC's 100 Questions) happy. Vance and the volatile Amy (Mary Elizabeth Ellis, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) are the high-passion, high-drama couple who bring out the best and worst in each other.

The third duo features Rex (Hayes MacArthur, She's Out of My League) and Leigh (Olivia Munn, Attack of the Show, The Daily Show). Rex is a reformed party guy who has channeled his jock energy into a competitive drive to be the ideal mate. Leigh, a self-anointed relationship guru, has formed the perfect union with Rex, and now considers it her duty to mold the other couples in their image.

Perfect Couples is produced by Universal Media Studios. Show creators Jon Pollack (30 Rock) and Scott Silveri (Friends) serve as executive producers with Andy Ackerman (Seinfeld, The New Adventures of Old Christine), who also directed the pilot.

Cast Details:

* Kyle Bornheimer as Dave
* Christine Woods as Julia
* David Walton as Vance
* Mary Elizabeth Ellis as Amy
* Hayes MacArthur as Rex
* Olivia Munn as Leigh
* Nicolette Robinson as Isabella

Pilot Plot:

#1 "Pilot" (Airs January 20)
Dave and Julia's plans for the perfect anniversary fall through. Rex and Leigh gear up for game night instead. Vance and Amy break up and make up again. Nicolette Robinson also stars.
Directed by Andy Ackerman

"Perfect Health" (Airdate: TBD - possibly February 3)
After discovering that Dave has high cholestrol, Julia puts him on a strict diet and realizes it's time to start acting like adults. Vance tries to curb Amy's outrageous spending. Rex takes Leigh's suggestion of building a "man cave" where there are no rules -- and no judgments. Nicolette Robinson also stars.

Analysis:

NBC aired a sneak preview of the show on December 20, 2010 at 10:00pm. In the episode "Perfect Tens," Dave confronts Julia about her slovenly ways, and the two push each other to be "perfect tens" by dressing up and going out every night. The preview was barely promoted and watched by only 3.8 million and had a 1.4 18-49 rating. You can watch the episode online at NBC.com .

Perfect Couples is a single-camera comedy from Universal Media Studios. NBC has ordered 13 episodes. The show will air on Thursday nights at 8:30pm ET/Pt. Kyle Howard was originally cast as Dave, but he was replaced by Kyle Bornheimer for the pilot episode. In the pilot, we meet the three couples as they try to go to bed. Dave and Julia plan a game night. Vance and Amy break up. Isabella is Dave and Rex's secretary at the real estate company they work at. Vance plays some dramatic exit music after arguing with Dave. Luke is Dave and Julia's dog. In a closing montage scene with a song played in the background, Dave and Julia take some sledgehammers to a house and tear it up. Vance and Amy are on a plane to Paris and plan on getting married.

The show uses a lot of quick editing, scene description title cards, flashbacks and freeze frames. It's a little bit like How I Met Your Mother, but not nearly as funny or outrageous. An opening theme song and credits sequence is used in the additional episode that was provided for review. In "Perfect Health," Julia puts Dave on a strict diet after she discovers he has high cholestrol. Rex shows Dave and Vance his man cave. This episode wasn't quite as good as the pilot.

Conclusion:

This seems to be the season of romantic comedies featuring couples dating or already married. Every network seems to have a few on the air or planned for mid-season. ABC's Better with You is the best of the bunch that I've seen so far. There's really nothing truly unique about Perfect Couples, but I think it is well cast and they appear to have good chemistry. They look to be having fun working together. I liked the physical comedy and things get a little silly at times. Kyle Bornheimer is good here, but I think he was better on Worst Week. Olivia Munn is quite attractive and seems to have a big following online. She steals a lot of the scenes she appears in. The other actors do a decent job portraying their characters.

Perfect Couples appears to be a good fit with NBC's other single camera comedies, but the competition on Thursdays is pretty fierce with American Idol on a new night. It's going to be tough for them to get an initial audience, but maybe they can pick up some additional viewers in the upcoming weeks. I'm not really a big fan of romantic or single camera comedies, but if you enjoy them or are a fan of any of the actors, you will probably want to check out the pilot and at least a few other episodes as they air.

Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):

Watchability: 3/5
Funniness: 3/5
Overall: 3/5

-- Reviewed by Todd Fuller on 01/19/11

Discuss the show after you watch it on Thursday, January 20 on our message board.

Related Links:

NBC.com Official Site

TV.com

epguides.com

Internet Movie Database

Wikipedia

Perfect Couples Photo Gallery

Preview:

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Monday, April 6

The Neighorhood - "Welcome to Gemma Johnson's Day Off" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Gemma reaches her limit at work, and when a car issue forces her to slow down, an unexpected break helps her rethink what she really wants next. Meanwhile, Marty and Malcolm’s plans are thrown off course when unexpected opportunities arise, and Dave embraces a new career path.

The Neighorhood - "A Farewell Special" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
CBS presents The Neighborhood: A Farewell Special, an Entertainment Tonight production, airing Monday, April 6 (8:30-9:30 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network and streaming on Paramount+. Hosted by Entertainment Tonight's Kevin Frazier and filmed on location on The Neighborhood's stages, the special celebrates the acclaimed CBS comedy's final season, honoring eight seasons, 156 episodes, and eight unforgettable years of laughter, heart and community, leading up to the series finale on May 11.

This celebratory event features exclusive new interviews with the cast reflecting on their journey, revisiting early days on set, and looking back at the show's evolution and cultural impact. From its heartfelt exploration of friendship and family to its comedic take on life in a changing community, The Neighborhood has become a beloved part of CBS' comedy legacy.

The special includes never-before-seen footage and archival interviews from the ET Vault, offering fans a nostalgic look at the series' most iconic moments and the relationships built along the way. Viewers will get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the emotional final days of production, including the cast and crew's last table read, intimate moments from the final tapings, and heartfelt goodbyes.

Additionally, The Neighborhood: A Farewell Special brings audiences inside the cast's final wrap party, capturing the laughter, speeches, memories, and surprises that marked the end of an era. To cap off the evening, fans will get an exclusive sneak peek at the upcoming series finale, with the cast and producers sharing what viewers can expect as the Butlers and Johnsons say farewell to the neighborhood they've called home for nearly a decade.

The Neighorhood - "Welcome to New Horizons" (CBS, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Dave’s silent auction wins lead to a classical concert outing with Gemma and the Butlers that quickly goes off the rails. Meanwhile, Malcolm’s ghostwriting gig takes a surprising turn when Tina encourages him to dive into reality TV for inspiration – sparking an unexpected obsession.

St. Denis Medical - "We Make Time" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When a doctor becomes a patient, his co-workers rally around him, whether he likes it or not; Matt and Serena need to talk.

The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins - "The Loyalty Swamp" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Tobin's past comes back to haunt him; Reggie and Brina struggle to set a wedding date.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of April 6)

Monday, April 6

Jason Segel (Shrinking/How I Met Your Mother/Undeclared) - Watch Jason on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Lisa Ann Walter (Abbott Elementary/Emeril) - Lisa appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Keanu Reaves (Swedish Dicks) - Keanu is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. He also talks about Outcome on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
Melissa Gilbert (Stand by Your Man) - ABC's Good Morning America has George Stephanopoulos' exclusive interview with Melissa sometime between 7-9am.
Laurie Metcalf (Big Mistakes/The Conners/Roseanne/The McCarthys/The Norm Show) - Laurie talks about Big Mistakes on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
Kerry Washington (UnPrisoned) - Kerry chats with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Mindy Kaling (Running Point/The Mindy Project/The Office) - Mindy talks about Mindy's Book Studio on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine/Are We There Yet?/Everybody Hates Chris) - Terry and Rebecca King-Crews make an exclusive announcement on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am. Terry will also be on in the 9am hour.
Sterling K. Brown (Starved) and Ryan Michelle Bathe (First Wives Club/Retired at 35) - Sterling and his wife Ryan Michelle tell Sherri about the highly anticipated new season of Paradise now streaming on Hulu & Disney+ on a repeat of Sherri, so check your local listings.
Amanda Peet (Brockmire/Togetherness/Bent) - Amanda talks season 2 of Your Friends & Neighbors and her new film Fantasy Life on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.