Wednesday, September 28, 2011
CBS Fall Pilot Review: How to Be a Gentleman - Premieres September 29; TeenNick Adds Hey Dude,The Amanda Show, More To The '90s Are All That Block
How to Be a Gentleman - Thursdays 8:30PM ET/PT on CBS
Premieres Thursday, September 29, 2011 at 8:30PM ET/PT
Columnist Andrew Carlson (David Hornsby) thinks that he is the "perfect gentleman" in How to Be a Gentleman, but when the publication that he is working for undergoes some significant demographic changes, he either has to change his views or face unemployment. His problem? While he knows how to be a perfect gentleman, he doesn't know how to be the perfect man. He's always been the guy to hold doors open for women and to keep his areas clean and tidy, but he has also been the kid who was constantly bullied when he was younger.
The changes at his magazine, which require Andrew to change his column, are only the beginning of the changes for Andrew's life. While seeking out ways to reinvent his column, Andrew runs into former high school bully Bert Lansing (Kevin Dillon), who now runs a gym. The meeting with Bert gives Andrew a chance to begin reassessing everything that he may be able to write for his column, and further gives him an opportunity to reassess his life, and what it truly means to be a gentleman.
Cast Details:
• David Hornsby as Andrew Carlson
David Hornsby (Andrew) is the star of the series, the columnist who writes about "how to be a perfect gentleman." He has appeared in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Joe Schmo Show, and Six Feet Under. In addition to his role in the series, he is also the creator of the series.
Kevin Dillon (Bert) plays the guy who is going to teach Andrew how to be a man in the series. If the last name sounds familiar, it should: he is the younger brother of actor Matt Dillon. But Kevin Dillon has also had success of his own, playing the role of Drama in the recently ended HBO series Entourage, as well as roles in movies such as Platoon.
Dave Foley (Jerry) plays Andrew's boss at the magazine, a boss who is resistant to the changes, but is too close to retirement to fight them. Canadian-born Foley played the starring role of Dave Nelson in the 90s NBC series NewsRadio, and has had countless guest-starring roles in series such as The New Adventures of Old Christine, Will & Grace, Brothers & Sisters, and many more.
Mary Jane Rajskub (Janet) plays the role of Andrew's sister in the series. Rajskub is well-known for her starring role as Chloe O'Brien on the series 24. She has also had roles in The Larry Sanders Show, NewsRadio, and Veronica's Closet. Additionally, she was one of the original cast members of Mr. Show.
Rhys Darby (Mike) plays Janet's husband and Andrew's quirky brother-in-law. The New Zealand born actor is best known to viewers in the United States as Murray from the HBO series Flight of the Conchords.
Pilot Plot:
In the pilot episode, we are introduced to Andrew Carlson, the author of a magazine column about how to be a perfect gentleman. We see how he is the perfect Mr. Manners. But this all comes crashing down during a meeting with his boss Jerry, who informs Andrew that changes are about to come to the magazine. A new owner of the magazine doesn't see profits in the magazine as it is, and wants to retool the magazine to a more hip and edgier magazine for modern men.
Analysis:
Can anybody say Felix Unger and Oscar Madison forty years later? I think that is a fair assessment of what this series is, and this series takes on a lot of the classic series The Odd Couple. Now sometimes, imitation is bad, but in this series, it seems to be rather well executed, and unlike many pilots out there, this puts a fresh perspective on an old idea.
Conclusion:
I actually liked the pilot of the series, and I'm hopeful that this could be a great series to add to my weekly viewing schedule. Even though it really is just a modern-day take on The Odd Couple (and I think you'll see that in the first few seconds of the series), it brings that type of show to the modern era. I feel like the odds are against this series from the beginning, as CBS still hasn't established a level of success for the 8:30 Thursday slot, even though they were able to transfer viewers of The Big Bang Theory to the Thursday night slot. But maybe this series will work in the slot after The Big Bang Theory, as viewers will be able to relate the character of Andrew to some on The Big Bang Theory. I hope that this series at least goes for a full season, and perhaps longer. It has potential that I rarely see in new sitcoms these days.
Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):
Watchability: 4/5
Funniness: 3/5
Overall: 3.5/5
-- Reviewed by skees53 on 09/28/11
Discuss the show after you watch it on Thursday, September 29 on our message board.
Related Links:
Preview:
Effective this week, Doug and Clarissa Explains It All returned to The '90s Are All That block on TeenNick, but that's not all! More shows are coming. For now, Rocko's Modern Life and Hey Arnold! are off the line-up after three weeks, but they could return at some point. All That and Kenan & Kel are still scheduled to stay on the air to kick off the weeknight late night block in the 12-1am hour (encores 2-3am). Onto the new series, replacing Clarissa Explains It starting next week (Monday, Oct. 3), will be Hey Dude! The early '90s comedic western will air at 1am with an encore at 3am. As of now, it is scheduled for two weeks. Then starting October 17, the half-hour will be the Amanda Bynes series The Amanda Show. Then starting Oct. 31, just in time for Halloween it is Are You Afraid of the Dark? at 1am and 3am! It looks like a rotating wheel of classic Nick series is airing in this timeslot. Doug is remaining put in the 1:30am half-hour.
That's not all! Fridays starting next week (Oct. 7) will see the return of someone familiar. Stick Stickly! Every Friday night will now be: "The 90s Are All That! U Pick with Stick." Yes, Stick Stickly returns to host a special viewer's choice night of The '90s Are All That with options for some rarely seen Nick gems. There are eight choices for the first week: 1. Clarissa Explains It All: The "Normal" Episode, 2. My Brother and Me: Dee Dee Can't Dance, 3. Aaahh!!! Real Monsters: The Snorch Episode, 4. Salute Your Shorts: The Bunk Chief Episode, 5. Rugrats: The Chocolate Milk Football Episode, 6. The First Angry Beavers' Episode, 7. Legends Of The Hidden Temple: The Talking Rock and 8. Doug's Golden Toe Episode.
Vote for your favorite on the official website! It's a two-hour block, so I think four of these eight will air. This is a nice way to air the rarely seen classics! Friday nights just got better!
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Friday, November 22
Happy's Place - "Happy's House" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Bobbie agrees to take Isabella to Happy's house in search of a connection to their late father, leading Bobbie to worry about what they may find; Gabby hopes to strike it rich by searching through Happy's penny collection looking for a rarity.
Lopez vs Lopez - "Lopez vs Orlando" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
When Rosie's spoiled nephew Orlando visits, Mayan sets out to expose Rosie's cultural gender bias; George wants to teach Chance the value of hard work, but, instead, helps him create a toxic work environment.
Bob Hearts Abishola - "Whacking the Mole" (The CW, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
After Abishola has a romantic dream about Bob, she tries to suppress her feelings for him and pays the price.
Bob Hearts Abishola - "Ralph Lauren and Fish" (The CW, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Bob and Abishola finally go on a proper date, which is interrupted by Dottie's medical emergency.
Bob Hearts Abishola - "Tough Like a Laundromat Washing Machine" (The CW, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Bob hires Abishola to take care of Dottie in his home while she recovers; Dottie has a hard time dealing with her limitations and takes it out on Abishola.
Bob Hearts Abishola - "Useless Potheads" (The CW, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
With Abishola only helping part-time, Bob, Douglas and Christina struggle to take care of Dottie.
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place - "Wiz-Taken Identity" (Disney Channel, 8:00PM ET/PT)
When Billie struggles with a spell, Roman says he could do it if he was a wizard: to prove him wrong, Billie uses a Power Glass to transfer her powers to Roman.
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place - "
Ain't Gnome Party Like a Wizard Party" (Disney Channel, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Justin embraces mortality to live with his family; his new challenge arises when Alex introduces Billie, a wizard-in-training, seeking Justin's mentorship.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of November 18)
Friday, November 22
- Kerry Washington (UnPrisoned) - Watch Kerry on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Jimmy O. Yang (Interior Chinatown/Space Force/Silicon Valley) - Jimmy is a guest on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Ariana Grande (Sam & Cat/Victorious) - Ariana appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Andy Richter (Andy Barker, P.I./Quintuplets/Andy Richter Controls the Universe), Thomas Lennon (The Odd Couple/Sean Saves the World/Reno 911!) and Aparna Nancherla (Lopez vs Lopez/Search Party/Corporate) - Andy, Thomas and Aparna are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Keke Palmer (Scream Queens/True Jackson, VP) - Keke talks about her new book Master of Me: The Secret to Controlling Your Narrative on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Andrew Rannells (Girls/The New Normal) - Drew is joined by the hilarious Andrew to celebrate all things Thanksgiving on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Rosie Perez (Human Resources/Search Party) - Rosie tells Sherri about her new Apple TV+ psychological thriller Before on Sherri, so check your local listings.
- Candace Cameron Bure (Fuller House/Full House) - Candace will be on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:15am.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
09/10 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-7
09/10 - The Ropers - The Complete Series (VEI)
09/10 - Ted - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/17 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - Video Scrapbook
09/17 - Top Cat - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
09/24 - Friends - The Complete Series (4K UHD)
09/24 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Seventh Season (DVD) / The Complete Series (DVD) (Blu-ray)
10/08 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Twelfth Season / The Complete Series
10/22 - Veep - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/05 - I Love Lucy - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
11/12 - The King of Queens - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (2024 Release)
11/19 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fourteenth Season
11/26 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 4 (Blu-ray)
12/03 - Angel (1960-1961) - The Complete Series, Volume 1
12/17 - Seinfeld - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) (4K UHD)
02/04 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
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