Tuesday, April 30, 2013
ABC Midseason Pilot Review: Family Tools - Premieres May 1; Episodic Reviews: New Girl - "Virgins" and The Mindy Project - "Triathlon" Airing Tonight on Fox
Family Tools - Wednesdays at 8:30PM ET/PT on ABC
Premieres Wednesday, May 1, 2013 at 8:30PM ET/PT
by Pavan
Mixing family with business is never easy, and Jack Shea (Kyle Bornheimer) is about to learn that lesson the hard way. When Jack's father, Tony (J.K. Simmons), has a heart attack and is forced to hand over the keys to his beloved handyman business, Jack is eager to finally step up and make his father proud. Unfortunately Jack's past career efforts have been less than stellar, so everyone seems to be waiting for him to fail. His new job isn't made any easier by Tony's rebellious, troublemaking assistant, Darren (Edi Gathegi), and Darren's flirtatious sister, Stitch (Danielle Nicolet), who works at the local hardware store. But with the support of his Aunt Terry (Leah Remini) and his oddball yet endearing cousin Mason (Johnny Pemberton), Jack Shea may just find his true calling right at home.
Cast Details:
J.K. Simmons as Tony Shea
Edi Gathegi as Darren Poynton
Johnny Pemberton as Mason Baumgardner
Danielle Nicolet as Stitch Poynton
Leah Remini as Terry Baumgardner
Kyle Bornheimer (Jack Shea) made his television debut in 2008 as the hapless Sam Briggs in the critically-acclaimed CBS series, Worst Week. His performance in the lead role landed him rave reviews from critics across the country. TV Guide called Bornheimer the "biggest comic discovery of the new season," while Entertainment Weekly wrote "Bornheimer is the find of the fall season." His performance also earned him a spot on Entertainment Weekly's 2009 "Dream Emmy Ballot" list in the Best Lead Actor (Comedy) category. In 2010 he co-starred opposite Alyssa Milanp on the ABC sitcom Romantically Challenged. Bornheimer was a series regular in the NBC comedy series Perfect Couples in 2011. His other television credits include guest starring roles on The Office, Party Down and Breaking Bad. On the big screen, in 2010 Bornheimer starred opposite Kristen Bell, Odette Annable, Sigourney Weaver, Jamie Lee Curtis and Betty White in the Disney feature You Again. His scene-stealing performance as Tim, a jilted ex-boyfriend, earned him positive reviews from critics, including USA Today and The Los Angeles Times, who noted "...it's Kyle Bornheimer... who makes the best impression. Most recently Bornheimer starred in the upcoming independent feature, Bachelorette, opposite Kirsten Dunst, Isla Fisher and James Marsden, and can now be seen as Katherine Heigl's estranged husband in The Wedding, with Robert DeNiro, Diane Keaton, Susan Sarandon and Amanda Seyfried.
J.K. Simmons (Tony Shea) has appeared in diverse projects spanning motion pictures, television and the stage on and off Broadway. He is known for playing the character J. Jonah Jameson in Sam Raimi's Spider Man trilogy. Other motion picture credits include Hidalgo, The Ladykillers, The Mexican, Off the Map, For Love of the Game, The Gift, Thank You for Smoking, Rendition, Burn After Reading and, memorably, his portrayal of the off-beat but not deadbeat father, Mac McGuff, in the hit comedy Juno. Soon he will begin shooting the Steve Jobs biopic, Jobs, as well as Jason Reitman's latest film, Labor Day, both being released in 2013. On the small screen Simmons plays LAPD Assistant Chief Will Pope in TNT's hit series The Closer. He also played Vern Schillinger on HBO's acclaimed drama Oz, and had a recurring role as Dr. Emil Skoda on NBC's Law & Order. Most recently he recurred on TBS' new hit comedy Men at Work.
Edi Gathegi (Darren Poynton) has steadily increased his profile and quality body of work in recent years with roles on both the big and small screens. Initially recognized for his recurring role on Fox's hit television series House as Dr. Cole (AKA: "Big Love"), Gathegi went on to join the ensemble cast of the box office phenomenon Twilight, then reprised his role as Laurent in the 2009 sequel, The Twilight Saga: New Moon. He was last seen in Matthew Vaughn's X-Men: First Class. Additionally, he made his Los Angeles stage debut top-lining Superior Donuts at the prestigious Geffen Playhouse, which garnered him an Ovation Award nomination. Gathegi's notable film credits include features Gone Baby Gone, directed by Ben Affleck, and more recently, the literary adaptation Atlas Shrugged. Previous television credits includes Nikita, CSI, CSI: Miami, Veronica Mars, Lincoln Heights, Red Widow and the critically acclaimed Life on Mars.
Johnny Pemberton (Mason Baumgardner) hails from Rochester, Minnesota. He hosted and wrote on the MTV series Megadrive. He can be seen in the hit feature film 21 Jump Street, the upcoming movies The Watch and This is 40, and in Armando Ianucci's Oscar-nominated film, In The Loop. He has also appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Lopez Tonight, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, the Sundance Channel and AdultSwim. .
Danielle Nicolet (Lisa "Stitch" Poynton) starred with Lucy Liu in the Lifetime miniseries Marry Me. She was a series regular on USA's Emmy-winning The Starter Wife, opposite Debra Messing. She also starred as a series regular on TNT's Heartland with Treat Williams. Nicolet started her TV career on NBC's 3rd Rock from the Sun.
"Pilot" (airs Wednesday, May 1 at 8:30PM ET/PT)
In the pilot episode for the series, mixing family with business is never easy, and Jack Shea is about to learn that lesson the hard way. When Jack's father, Tony, has a heart attack and is forced to hand over the keys to his beloved handyman business, Jack's eager to finally step up and make his father proud. Unfortunately Jack's past career efforts have been less than stellar, so everyone seems to be waiting for him to fail. His new job isn't made any easier by Tony's rebellious, troublemaking assistant, Darren, and Darren's flirtatious sister, Stitch, who works at the local hardware store. But with the support of his Aunt Terry and his oddball yet endearing cousin Mason, Jack Shea may just find his true calling right at home.
Guest starring Lee Weaver as Ellis Poynton, Adam Arkin as Mr. Baynor, Jo Koy as Berrick, Rob Locke as Niko, Amazon Eve as tall client lady, Matt Orduna as Clarence and Eve Sigall as woman.
"Pilot" was written by Bobby Bowman and directed by Michael Fresco.
Analysis:
After watching the pilot, I can't help but think of Home Improvement. While that show was more of a traditional family comedy, this show is more centered on the workplace. The duo of Jack and Darren remind me of a younger version of Tim and Al from Tool Time (the show within Home Improvement). On this series, there is no show, but we have a real life handyman business. We get to see the fun antics of someone who really doesn't know how to be a handyman, as he is handed (no pun intended) the family business because his father just had a heart attack. Jack Shea, played by Kyle Bornheimer, is the star of this show and he once again delivers in anything he does. I loved him on Worst Week and he shined in traditional comedy on the short-lived Romantically Challenged. Just about everything I have seen him in, whether it is the small screen or big screen, the guy steals the show. He brings the physical comedy and he has a likeness factor that you can't resist. This show definitely is a broad comedy that fits the ABC Comedy Wednesday mold well. It's cartoonish and wacky, but it still brings the laughs.
I mentioned Darren, played by Edi Gathegi. He seems like a guy who doesn't listen to orders but in reality he is very loyal. He was very loyal especially to Jack's dad as an assistant and now Jack has to gain his trust. Darren is having a little fun at Jack's expense. It's going to be fun to watch Jack and Darren do their thing on this series for sure, because they will mess up and it will be interesting to see them get out of it. To add a little romantic flavor, Darren has a hot sister, Lisa (aka "Stitch), that Jack happens to like (well, we know she likes him). Living in the Shea household are Jack's dad Tony and Jack's aunt Terry and her young son Mason. It took me a little bit to figure out that Tony and Terry were brother and sister. I don't buy Leah Remini as that old, but she is definitely playing a much younger sibling. I mean she can pass as Jack's older sister even. Her son Mason on the show is quite a goofball. He doesn't have much substance in the pilot, but I can see him evolving.
Conclusion:
Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):
Watchability: 3.5/5
Funniness: 3.5/5
Overall: 3.5/5
Discuss the show after you watch it on Wednesday, May 1, 2013 at 8:30PM ET/PT on our message board.
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Preview:
On the next...New Girl:
By: Vincent
Fox's Tuesday adorkable sitcom starring Zooey Deschanel airs Tuesdays at 9:00pm and we have just watched the next episode that airs tonight (April 30). It's a flashback! In the episode airing tonight, "Virgins," Jess (Zooey Deschanel), Nick (Jake Johnson), Schmidt (Max Greenfield), Winston (Lamorne Morris) and Cece (Hannah Simone) flashback to tell one another how each lost his/her virginity. The episode also features guest appearances by Dylan O'Brien, Dennis Farina and Brenda Song. When I first heard about this episode of New Girl during the show's PaleyFest panel a while back, I was actually a little worried about it. The show had done an episode revolving entirely around sex back in early Season 1 entitled "Bad in Bed", and that episode still stands as the show's weakest to date. The humor was far too broad and seemed to prioritize making the weirdest sex scene possible over good characterization, which made for an occasionally amusing but mostly unsatisfying viewing experience. Luckily, both New Girl and its characters have grown substantially since that episode, and "Virgins" is a much, much better effort from the show. The humor still goes a bit too broad for my tastes at times, but overall "Virgins" is an episode that's about these fantastic characters, their past, and where they stand today more than it is about weird sex.
One interesting aspect of "Virgins" is that it's told almost entirely in flashbacks, which is one of the most daring structural choices the show's made so far. It's a bit of a risk, but it winds up working really well - these characters are so rich and so full of history that it's really cool to see what they were like in the past and how that's affected who they are today. Plus, seeing things like "fat Schmidt" and Nick as a nerdy teenager are priceless visual gags made even better when you factor in Max Greenfield's and Jake Johnson's excellent performances. But for all of the fun that the flashbacks provide, the most interesting part of the episode may be the final few minutes, which offer a montage that demonstrates where the characters stand in their love lives now and how that ties back to who they were in the past. It's an incredibly well-done montage that seems to be setting us up for the final stretch of the season - and it demonstrates that no matter where these characters wind up by the season's end, they'll be in good hands, because they're on a show that quite obviously puts a lot of thought into consideration into each and every thing that happens to them B+
On the next...The Mindy Project:
By: Skees
Fox's Tuesday night comedy starring Mindy Kaling airs Tuesday nights at 9:30pm immediately following New Girl and we have just watched the next episode that airs tonight (April 30). In the episode airing tonight, "Triathlon," Danny’s (Chris Messina) ex-wife, Christina (guest star Chloe Sevigny), comes back to New York to confront him about an emotional letter he had written to her. However, Morgan (Ike Barinholtz) confesses that he had sent the letter, unbeknownst to Danny. Meanwhile, Mindy (Mindy Kaling) and the rest of the staff compete in a triathlon and go head-to-head with the Deslaurier midwives (guest stars Mark and Jay Duplass).
The episode begins with a visit from Danny's ex-wife Christina, which immediately leads to the firing of Morgan after he reveals that he was the one to woo Christina to his office... thanks to a letter that Danny wrote to her (but never sent). But even though Morgan is gone... and now working for a pair of midwives competing against the staff in a triathlon... Christina isn't going to go away and will do anything to make her feelings known to Danny. As for Mindy, she is training for the triathlon along with Casey (whom we first met in the episode "My Christian Boyfriend") when he makes a request to her that is a true test of faith. Hilarity ensues as she begins to consider his request by exploring the world of Christianity, complete with a Bible study group in her apartment and crashing a Sunday School class. But in the end, it all ties together when it is all about winning the triathlon, and in this one, there are quite a few winners.
In case the fans haven't caught on yet, we have another "relationships" episode (that seems to be what this whole series is all about). But I think that this one has a pleasant twist, as it isn't just about Mindy and her relationships, but also about Danny and his ex-wife. Of course, just because it isn't all about Mindy and her relationships doesn't mean that they weren't able to work one of those stories in there... but even that story was rather nice (and more down to earth than many have been on this series), with a story about love in spite of religious differences, sort of like a Bridget Loves Bernie story (of course, dating between religions isn't nearly as big of a deal today as it was in the early '70s). The ending to this episode was a bit predictable, but I found that everything wrapped up rather nicely in this episode. B+
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Wednesday, October 9
Abbott Elementary - "Back to School" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT)
The neighboring construction site of a new golf course is causing issues at Abbott, forcing the teachers to find creative solutions. An HR representative visits the school. Following their kiss, Janine and Gregory’s relationship status is revealed.
Everybody Still Hates Chris - "Everybody Still Hates Cheat Codes" (Comedy Central, 10:00PM ET/PT)
Chris debates using a cheat code to win a free Nintendo.
Everybody Still Hates Chris - "Everybody Still Hates Halloween" (Comedy Central, 10:30PM ET/PT)
Chris spends Halloween at a church event, hoping to hook up with Tasha.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of October 7)
Wednesday, October 9
- Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary) - Watch Quinta on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC. She also talks about the new season of Abbott Elementary on Sherri, so check your local listings.
- Henry Winkler (Barry/Arrested Development/Out of Practice/Monty/Happy Days) - Henry appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Rachel Sennott (Call Your Mother) - Rachel is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Eric Idle (Suddenly Susan/Nearly Departed) - Eric stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Michael Keaton (Report to Murphy/Working Stiffs/All's Fair) - E! News has an interview with Michael at 11pm on E!.
- Ali Wong (Big Mouth/American Housewife/Are You There, Chelsea?) - NBC's Today catches up with Ali in the 10am hour.
- Rita Wilson (Girls) - Rita stops by to talk about her new album on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your listings.
- Goldie Hawn (Good Morning World) - Goldie appears on ABC's Good Morning America some time between 7-9am.
- Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary/Fam/Instant Mom/Moesha/It's a Living) - Sheryl Lee talks about Abbott Elementary on ABC's Good Morning America some time between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm. She chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Josh Gad (Wolf Like Me/Avenue 5/The Comedians/1600 Penn/Back to You) - Josh talks about his new children's book PictureFace Lizzy and fatherhood on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Jessica St. Clair (Avenue 5/Playing House/Best Friends Forever/In the Motherhood) - Jessica is sharing her breast cancer experience with Drew and Dr. Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz is talking about breast cancer diagnoses on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Abigail Spencer (Extended Family/Burning Love) - Abigail discusses her television series Shatter Belt on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Kim Matula (LA to Vegas) - Kim is a guest on PIX 11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:39am.
- Lea Thompson (Caroline in the City) - Lea appears on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:05am.
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 Ultra HD)
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)
11/19 - SpongeBob SquarePants - The Complete Fourteenth Season
02/04 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
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