Fox Midseason Pilot Review: Enlisted - Premieres Tonight; Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of January 13, 2014)

Friday, January 10, 2014

Fox Midseason Pilot Review: Enlisted - Premieres Tonight; Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of January 13, 2014)

Enlisted - Fridays at 9:30PM ET/PT on Fox
Premieres Friday, January 10, 2014 at 9:30PM ET/PT

by Vincent

Enlisted is a new workplace comedy centered around a slightly different kind of workplace - the Army. Created by Kevin Biegel (Cougar Town, Scrubs), the show follows Pete Hill after he is booted from the front line and sent to supervise a troop of rejected misfits - a troop that happens to include his two brothers. The show follows Pete's experiences as he attempts to juggle his new troop while repairing his relationship with his brothers.

Cast Details:

Geoff Stults as Staff Sergeant Pete Hill
Chris Lowell as Corporal Derrick Hill
Parker Young as Private Randy Hill
Keith David as Command Sergeant Major Donald Cody
Angelique Cabral as Sergeant Jill Perez

Geoff Stults (Pete Hill) is known for his television work on shows such as 7th Heaven, October Road, The Finder, Happy Town and Ben and Kate. He has also starred in several movies, including The Break-Up, She's Out of my League and Wedding Crashers.

Chris Lowell (Derrick Hill) is best known for his role as Piz on Veronica Mars. He also starred as William "Dell" Parker on both Grey's Anatomy (guest star) and its spin-off Private Practice (series regular). He also co-starred on the award-winning film The Help.

Parker Young (Randy Hill) is best known as Ryan Shay on Suburgatory. He has also guest starred on shows such as CSI: NY, Mad Men, and Jane By Design. He was also a former model. He recently starred in the TV movie Killer Reality.

Keith David (Donald Cody) is known for his roles in films such as Crash, There's Something About Mary, Barbershop, and Men At Work. He is also well-known for his voiceover work in video games including the Halo and Transformers series, in movies such as The Princess and the Frog, and in the animated series Adventure Time.

Angelique Cabral (Jill Perez) has done extensive work on soap operas, including The Guiding Light, All My Children, and One Life to Live. She has also guest starred on comedies such as Two and a Half Men, Happy Endings, and Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23.

Pilot Plot:

"Pilot" (airs Friday, January 10 at 9:30 PM ET/PT)

In the premiere episode of Enlisted, Staff Sergeant Pete Hill is booted to Fort McGee, the post where his two younger brothers - Corporal Derrick Hill and Private Randy Hill are stationed. Now, as their platoon sergeant, Pete must serve both as big brother and military boss. Between clean-up duty at a parade, human-grease-bowling and assorted soldierly pranks, they will inadvertently discover the key to strengthening their long-lost childhood bonds.

Analysis:

The military has to be a fairly hard thing to write a sitcom about. Sure, it was the center of one of the most successful examples of the genre in television history, but you have to make your show funny enough that people don't notice the potentially grim topics you're dealing with, and dramatic enough that it doesn't seem like you're making light of one of the most respected institutions in American society. That's probably why you don't see too many sitcoms that deal with the armed forces. You have M*A*S*H, you have Hogan's Heroes, and you have...I don't know, Major Dad? Compared to the amount of sitcoms about, say, single people working in the big city, it's a pretty small number. It's an incredibly hard setting to sell - which is what makes it all the more impressive that Enlisted manages to sell it perfectly.

What makes Enlisted work so well is how effortless it all seems. The show doesn't bother trying to introduce us to its military world all that much - it just drops us right in and sets us free, to surprisingly effective results. This is possible because the show, even in this early stage, already knows its setting, its characters and its identity remarkably well. There are far less growing pains than there are in most comedy pilots - the characters feel well-developed already (although they develop even more in the shows' excellent second episode), and the character dynamics and central conflict of the show are both clear and powerful by the end of the episode. This also trickles down to the humor, which feels surprisingly natural through-out the entire pilot. Enlisted is a goofy show with a lot of old-school broad humor, but it also manages to mix in the clever, snappy writing that has become a staple in modern single-camera sitcoms and create a comic identity that already feels fully-formed and unique.

But perhaps the greatest strength of Enlisted is the shows' heart. It's probably necessary for a military comedy to inject some sort of heart, but the pathos in Enlisted has actual depth that stems believably from its characters. Yes, this is mostly a silly comedy, but it's a silly comedy that wants to be something just a bit more than that, and the fact that it's already succeeding this early in its run is an incredibly promising sign. Add that to the shows' strong sense of humor and well-developed characters, and it becomes clear that Enlisted is one of the seasons' best comedies.

Conclusion:

Enlisted has the potential to be a real gem of a show. The writing is strong, the characters are already fairly well-developed, and the humor is mostly on-point. Add all of that to the fact that the show has a clear and dedicated purpose, and you have one of the seasons' best new comedies. Unfortunately, Enlisted may be a bit of a diamond in the rough - Fox is burying it on Friday nights, a perplexing move for such a promising comedy. It's a shame to see a show that's already so good getting such shoddy treatment, so hopefully Fox is kind to the show in its terrible timeslot and gives it some time to prove itself. If it does, we could have a really great show on our hands.

Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):

Watchability: 4.5/5
Funniness: 4/5
Overall: 4/5

Discuss the show after you watch it on Friday, Jan. 10, 2014 at 9:30PM ET/PT on our message board.

Related Links:

Fox.com Official Site

TV.com

epguides.com

Internet Movie Database

Wikipedia

Enlisted Photo Gallery

Preview:

It's Friday, so it is time for "Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows" for the coming week. This is where we list what sitcom stars are appearing on talk shows for the coming week, the stars are both current and past sitcom stars, so this is for all sitcom fans of all eras!
For the week of Jan. 13-17, 2014, we have many current sitcom stars and past sitcom stars on TV talk shows! All times listed are Eastern. So get your DVRs (or whatever you use) ready! Ready? Here is all what you need to know for the coming week!

Monday, January 13, 2014

Bill Cosby (The Cosby Show/Cosby/The Bill Cosby Show) - Watch the legendary Mr. Cosby on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
Queen Latifah (Living Single) - Queen Latifah appears on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC. She will also be on The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT. Finally, she stops by to catch up with the livest audience on 106 & Park on BET at 6pm.
Courteney Cox (Cougar Town/Friends) - Courteney is a guest on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
Cheryl Hines (Suburgatory/Curb Your Enthusiasm) - Cheryl chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Wendell Pierce (The Michael J. Fox Show/The Weber Show/The Gregory Hines Show) - Wendell stops by The Aresenio Hall Show, so check your local listings.
Brooke D'Orsay (Two and a Half Men/Gary Unmarried) - Brooke discusses her role in the Hallmark Channel original movie, June in January, on Home & Family at 10am on Hallmark Channel.
Sherri Shepherd (Less Than Perfect/Sherri) - Sherri is a guest on ABC's Good Morning America between 7-9am.
NeNe Leakes (The New normal) - NeNe appears on New York Live on WNBC at 12:30pm ET.
Dove Cameron (Liv and Maddie) - Dove will be on PIX11 Morning News in New York at 8:45am.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Matt LeBlanc (Friends/Episodes) - Catch Matt on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Michael Strahan (Brothers) - Michael appears on The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
Rhea Perlman (Kirstie/Cheers) - Rhea is a guest on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 12:37am on CBS.
Joel McHale (Community) - Joel visits Conan at 11pm on TBS.
Debra Messing (Will & Grace) - Debra chats about the play Outside Mullingar on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your local listings.
Kevin Jonas (JONAS/Jonas L.A.) - Kevin is a guest on The Better Show, so check your local listings.
Cheryl Hines (Suburgatory/Curb Your Enthusiasm) - Cheryl joins the Chew Crew on ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
Will Arnett (The Millers/Arrested Development) - Will drops by The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
Betty White (Hot in Cleveland/The Golden Girls/The Mary Tyler Moore Show) - The legendary Ms. White chats on The Queen Latifah Show, so check your local listings.
Leah Remini (The King of Queens, Mary McCormack (Welcome to the Family and Whitney Cummings (Whitney - They will be part of the guest panel on Chelsea Lately on E! at 11pm.
Candace Cameron Bure (Full House) - Candace discusses her new book, Balancing It All: My Story of Juggling Priorities and Purpose, on Home & Family at 10am on Hallmark Channel.
Dove Cameron (Liv and Maddie) - Dove will be on The Couch on WLNY 10/55 in New York between 7-9am.

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Joseph Gordon-Levitt (3rd Rock from the Sun) - Watch Joseph on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Kevin Hart (The Big House/Undeclared) - Kevin drops by The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS. He will also be on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael to talk about his new film Ride Along, so check your listings. Finally, he is a guest on NBC's Today.
Cheryl Hines (Suburgatory/Curb Your Enthusiasm) and Ana Gasteyer (Suburgatory) - Cheryl and Ana dish about the new season of Suburgatory on ABC on The Wendy Williams Show at 12am on BET or on your local stations. Ana will also be on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael, so check your listings.
Sherri Shepherd (Less Than Perfect/Sherri) - Sherri talks about about New Year’s resolutions and guilty pleasures on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
Diane Farr (Like Family/The Job) - Diane guest co-hosts The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Kym Whitley (Let's Stay Together/Animal Practice/Sparks) - Kym is a guest on The Steve Harvey Show, so check your local listings.
Rhea Perlman (Kirstie/Cheers) - Rhea stops by The Queen Latifah Show, so check your local listings.
Jeremy Sisto (Suburgatory) - Jeremy appears on The Queen Latifah Show, so check your local listings.
Dove Cameron (Liv and Maddie) - Dove will be on ABC's Good Morning America between 7-9am.
Gillian Jacobs (Community) - Gillian is a guest on Pop Sugar on TV Guide Network at 6pm and on the next day on their website at noon.
Michael Urie (Partners) - Michael talks about his new play Buyer & Cellar on The Couch on WLNY 10/55 in New York between 7-9am.
Melissa Joan Hart (Baby Daddy/Sabrina, the Teenage Witch) and Joey Lawrence (Baby Daddy/Brotherly Love/Gimme a Break!) - Melissa and Joey will talk about Baby Daddy on Entertainment Tonight, so check your local listings.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Joseph Gordon-Levitt (3rd Rock from the Sun) - Catch Joseph on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
Kristin Chenoweth (Kristin/Sit Down, Shut Up) - Kristin appears on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
Ana Gasteyer (Suburgatory) - Ana visits Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC. She will also be on Fox and Friends at 8am on Fox News Channel.
Don Cheadle (The Golden Palace) - Don is a guest on Tavis Smiley on PBS, but check listings for time.
Diane Farr (Like Family/The Job) - Diane guest co-hosts The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Diahann Carroll (Julia) - Diahann drops by The Arsenio Hall Show, so check your local listings.
Queen Latifah (Living Single) - Queen Latifah chats on Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
John C. McGinley (Ground Floor/Scrubs) - John discusses his family's journey with Down syndrome on Home & Family at 10am on Hallmark Channel.
Marilu Henner (Taxi/Evening Shade) - Marilu will be on Good Day New York on WNYW-Fox5 in New York between 7-9am. She will also be on The Couch on WLNY 10/55 in New York between 7-9am. Finally, she is a guest on New York Live on WNBC at 12:30pm ET.
Cheryl Hines (Suburgatory/Curb Your Enthusiasm) - Cheryl is a guest on Pop Sugar on TV Guide Network at 6pm and on the next day on their website at noon.
Kevin Hart (The Big House/Undeclared) - Kevin appears on 106 & Park on BET at 6pm.

Friday, January 17, 2014

Sofia Vergara (Modern Family/Hot Properties/The Knights of Prosperity) - Watch Sofia on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Don Cheadle (the Golden Palace) - Don visits The Late Show with David Letterman at 11:35pm on CBS.
Kevin Hart (The Big House/Undeclared) - Kevin stops by Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 12:37am on NBC.
Chelsea Peretti (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) - Chelsea appears on a repeat of Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
Chelsea Handler (Are You There, Chelsea?) - Chelsea is a guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at 11:35pm on NBC.
Ed Begley Jr. (Gary Unmarried/Wednesday 9:30 (8:30 Central)) - Ed and his family discuss their web series on Home & Family at 10am on Hallmark Channel.
Dove Cameron (Liv and Maddie) - Dove stops by The Better Show, so check your local listings.
Marilu Henner (Taxi/Evening Shade) - Marilu appears on NBC's Today.
Lisa Whelchel and Mindy Cohn (The Facts of Life) - Lisa and Mindy will be featured on Oprah: Where Are They Now? at 9pm ET/PT on OWN.

Leave us comments on our message board or Tweet/Facebook us to let us know what you think of this Friday feature! We do listen!

Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Wednesday, June 18

Shifting Gears - "Restoration" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Matt, the widowed owner of a classic car restoration shop, is confronted with his most unexpected and challenging project yet when his estranged daughter, Riley, and her adolescent children come crashing back into his life.

Shifting Gears - "Accommodations" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Matt joins Riley at Carter’s high school open house, where he’s unsettled to learn about the “accommodations” made for his grandson’s anxiety. Meanwhile, Riley reconnects with Caitlin, a former classmate, and sets her up with Gabriel.

Shifting Gears - "Job" (ABC, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Riley, desperate for work, reluctantly takes a job at Matt’s shop. Meanwhile, Gabriel and Stitch secretly stray from Matt’s vision on a high-stakes restomod project.

Shifting Gears - "Grief" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Riley discovers a closet filled with her late mother’s clothes, she insists Matt hasn’t processed her death and urges him to see a grief counselor. Meanwhile, Gabriel faces a crisis of confidence when he’s put in charge of the shop for a day.

Children Ruin Everything - "Emergencies" (The CW, 9:00PM ET/PT)
During a family emergency, with both James and Astrid busy at work, they need to rethink their childcare plan.

Children Ruin Everything - "Sex" (The CW, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Astrid and James get some much-needed adult time when they convince Nisha to take the kids for the night; their night gets complicated however, when a small lie grows out of control.

Tyler Perry's House of Payne - "House of Probation" (BET, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Calvin and Laura are met with unexpected news, while Curtis and Glo join forces against Mrs. Wellington; Calvin and Miranda must navigate the complexities of co-parenting.

Tyler Perry's Assisted Living - "It Takes a Village" (BET, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Vinny attempts to take matters into his own hands with the armed crimes around the neighborhood; the facility is in an uproar regarding their safety after the armed crimes around the neighborhood.

The Ms. Pat Show - "The Graduation Party" (BET, 10:30PM ET/PT)
Janelle has a big confession to make at her high school graduation party; Brandon's surprise decision sparks a huge fight with Ashley.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of June 16)

Wednesday, June 18

Charlie Day (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia/Luis) - Watch Charlie on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana) - Miley is a guest on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Annie Murphy (Kevin Can F**k Himself/Schitt's Creek) - Annie appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
Allison Williams (Girls) - Allison drops by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
Cole Escola (Human Resources/Search Party/Mozart in the Jungle/Difficult People) - Cole appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Reid Scott (Veep/My Boys/It's All Relative) - Reid is a guest on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
Keke Palmer (Scream Queens/True Jackson, VP) - E! News has an interview with Keke at 11pm on E!.
Retta (Parks and Recreation) - NBC's Today catches up with Retta in the 9am hour.
Michelle Buteau (Survival of the Thickest/Bless the Harts/Enlisted) - Michelle guest co-hosts NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Cynthia Nixon (And Just Like That.../Sex and the City) - Cynthia talks about The Gilded Age on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
Fortune Feimster (FUBAR/Kenan/Bless the Harts/Champions) - Fortune is sharing her hilarious take on the hottest headlines of the day and telling Drew about her latest Netflix standup special on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.