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Man with a Plan - Mondays at 8:30PM ET/PT on CBS
Premieres Monday, September 24, 2016 at 8:30PM ET/PT

by Todd

Man with a Plan stars Golden Globe Award winner Matt LeBlanc in a comedy about a contractor who starts spending more time with his kids when his wife goes back to work and discovers the truth all parents eventually realize: Their little angels are maniacs. Adam feels fully equipped to take on more parenting responsibilities while his self-assured wife, Andi, returns to the workforce after being a stay-at-home mom for 13 years. However, Adam is blindsided by how tough it is to wrangle three messy kids who can’t live without Wi-Fi. Their preteen daughter, Kate, is a master manipulator and initially thrilled that “Daddy Fun Times” is taking over, middle child Teddy can't seem to keep his hands out of his pants despite constant reminders, and their precious youngest, Emme, is nervous about starting kindergarten under the stern supervision of Mrs. Rodriguez. But with Andi's encouragement and advice from a couple of equally stressed parents, Marie and Lowell, Adam takes charge of his brood, lays down the law and discovers he's going to “nail” this job.

Cast Details:

Matt LeBlanc as Adam Burns
Liza Snyder as Andi Burns
Diana Maria Rivera as Mrs. Rodriguez
Jessica Chafin as Marie Faldonado
Matt Cook as Lowell
Kevin Nealon as Don Burns
Grace Kaufman as Kate Burns
Matthew McCann as Teddy Burns
Hala Finley as Emme Burns

Matt LeBlanc (Adam Burns) is best known for his role as the dim-witted womanizing actor Joey Tribbiani on the legendary, long-running series Friends. He received three consecutive Emmy nominations, two Golden Globe nominations and a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination. He continued portraying the character in the spin-off series Joey for two more years. He currently appears on the Showtime series Episodes, playing a fictional version of himself, for which he won a Golden Globe Award and four Emmy nominations.

Liza Snyder (Andi Burns) is best known for her portrayal of Christine Hughes in Yes, Dear. She reprised the role in a 2013 episode of Raising Hope. She was also a regular on the sitcom Jesse, which starred Christina Applegate. Her other credits include Murder, She Wrote, Sirens, Chicago Hope, Pacific Blue and House.

Diana Maria Rivera (Mrs. Rodriguez) starred as the mother-in-law of Rob Schneider's title character in the short-lived CBS sitcom ¡Rob!. She recently appeared in Telenovela and Saint George. Some of her sitcom guest appearances include The Drew Carey Show, The Hughleys, Everybody Loves Raymond, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Less Than Perfect and Girl Meets World.

Jessica Chafin (Marie Faldonado) is known for her recurring role as Coco Wexler on Zoey 101 and appearing in the films Spy and The Heat. Some of her sitcom guest appearances include New Girl, Episodes, You're the Worst, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Veep, 2 Broke Girls and Mike & Molly.

Matt Cook (Lowell) starred in the TBS sitcom Clipped. Some of his other credits include Curb Your Enthusiasm, Whitney, 2 Broke Girls, Austin & Ally, Mom, The Comeback and Jessie.

Kevin Nealon (Don Burns) is perhaps best known for his nine-year (1986-1995) stint as a cast member on Saturday Night Live. He received critical acclaim for his role as a stoned accountant and business advisor in the series Weeds. He starred in the short-lived sitcoms Champs and Hiller and Diller.

Grace Kaufman (Kate Burns) had a recurring role in the short-lived CBS sitcom Bad Teacher. She recently starred in the Michael Bay series The Last Ship. Her other credits include The Closer, Free Agents, Jessie and Lab Rats.

Matthew McCann's (Teddy Burns) television credits include several voice-over projects, including multiple characters in the animated series American Dad. He has been featured in numerous television commercials and radio spots.

Hala Finley's (Emme Burns) short film credits include Counter Parts, Grammy and Letters from a Father. She has appeared in several national print ads and recently filmed a commercial for Lexus.

Pilot Plot:

The first two episodes were available for review.

"Pilot" (Airs October 24 at 8:30PM ET)
Golden Globe Award winner Matt LeBlanc stars as Adam, a contractor who starts spending more time with his three kids when his wife, Andi, goes back to work and discovers the truth all parents eventually realize—their little angels are maniacs.

"Two Tickets to Paradise" (Airs October 31 at 8:30PM ET)
When Adam’s client offers him two highly coveted tickets to a Pittsburgh Steelers game, he must choose between taking his wife, Andi, or his brother, Don (Kevin Nealon).
Guest Star: Kali Rocha as Marcy Burns

Analysis:

Man with a Plan is a multi-camera sitcom from CBS Television Studios, Double Double Bonus Entertainment and 3 Arts Entertainment. Jeff Filgo, Jackie Filgo, Matt LeBlanc, Michael Rotenberg and Troy Zien are the executive producers. The "Pilot" episode was directed by multiple Emmy Award winner James Burrows. It was written by the husband-and-wife team of Jeff Filgo and Jackie Filgo (That '70s Show, The New Adventures of Old Christine).

In the "Pilot" episode, the family has a meeting where Andi announces she is going back to work at a hospital. Adam is in charge of taking the kids to school, picking them up and taking care of them. Adam and Andi take them to school where Andi tries to take a photo of them. Adams meets Mrs. Rodriguez, the lead kindergarten teacher at Emme's school. At the kindergarten-parent mingle, Adam is named the room parent. He meets Lowell, a stay-at-hime dad, and Marie Faldonado, the mother of Victor who is a classmate of Teddy. Andi talks to Adam on the phone about him being named the room mom. After picking up the kids at school, he sees how they act when they arrive home. Adam tells Andi that he wants out of the deal after they don't clean up after themselves. Adam sends the kids into the pantry while talking to Andi about finding a solution. Adam forgets something when he leaves the door. Adam comes up with a brilliant idea to get the kids off their iPads.

The second episode introduces the character of Don, Adam's older brother. They work together at a contracting job. Adam offers him tickets to go the Pittsburgh Steelers game after a client gives them to him. Adam teaches the kids how to play blackjack with cookies. Andi finds the tickets in Adam's back pocket. Don brings him a vintage 1976 Steelers jersey. Adam attends a meeting about bullying with the other parents. Don and Andi discuss the tickets dilemma. Adam talks to Don's wife, Marcy, about the tickets. Adam begs Don to unblock him. The couples decide who will attend the game.

The legendary James Burrows directs the first two episodes. The "Pilot" is fast paced and funny. There are quite a few characters to introduce, so they do a nice job with that. This sitcom is similar to Kevin James' Kevin Can Wait in that Matt LeBlanc is in every scene. It's very much a vehicle for a star like him. He's older, greyer and heavier than his Joey Tribbiani days, but he still brings the funny. His Adam character reminds me of Tony Danza's Tony Micelli character from Who's the Boss?. The show has a nice mix of Adam's family life at home, at his kid's school and at his contractor job. It's nice to see another sitcom set in the Pittsburgh area, joining others like Mr. Belvedere and Back to You.

Sitcom veterans Matt LeBlanc and Liza Snyder are paired together. They have some good chemistry in the first two episodes. It's interesting to note that Jenna Fischer was originally cast in the Andi role, but she reportedly had some chemistry issues with LeBlanc. They reshot the pilot. The rest of the supporting cast features solid comedy veterans in Diana Maria Rivera, Jessica Chafin, Matt Cook and Kevin Nealon. Kevin Nealon makes his debut in the second episode. The always funny Kali Rocha plays his wife, Marcy. I'm not sure if her role will be recurring, but it would be nice to see her in more episodes. The children are played by Grace Kaufman, Matthew McCann and Hala Finley. Their roles are pretty sizable in the first two episodes. They do a fine job with their lines and scenes.

Conclusion:

Matt LeBlanc brings back his comedy smart to TV in this funny family sitcom. He has been starring in Showtime's Episodes in recent years, but this is his first broadcast network comedy since Joey ended in 2006. The stay-at-home dad type of sitcom has been done before, but they are putting a fresh and unique spin on it. Man with a Plan reminds me of three other favorite sitcoms. Adam's character is reminiscent of Tony Micelli from Who's the Boss?, who did it all for his family. The family setup and contractor job is similar to According to Jim. The school scenes remind me of The New Adventures of Old Christine, which the series creators worked on for a season. This is a comedy which many families will be able to relate to.

Man with a Plan will after TV's #1 new comedy Kevin Can Wait on Monday nights. CBS has brought in big stars with their new comedies this fall. It will be interesting to see how they do without The Big Bang Theory as a lead-in, but their star power should help bring in viewers. CBS has built a solid comedy block on Mondays. LeBlanc's Friends co-star Matthew Perry is in The Odd Couple at 9:30pm. Friends fans should enjoy that lineup. The family sitcom has made a comeback in recent years. Man with a Plan looks to be a nice addition to fall schedule. It will be great to see Matt LeBlanc again on a weekly basis. If you enjoy family friendly comedy like Kevin Can Wait, this is a new series worth checking out. They form a good comedy pair.

Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):

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

Discuss the show after you watch it on Monday, October 24, 2016 at 8:30PM ET/PT on our message board.

Related Links:

CBS.com Official Site

TV.com

epguides.com

Internet Movie Database

Wikipedia

Man with a Plan 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 Oct. 24-28, 2016, 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!


Saturday, October 22, 2016

• Jim J. Bullock (Too Close for Comfort) - Jim talks about touring the U.S. in Kinky Boots on Oprah: Where Are They Now? at 10pm ET/PT on OWN.

Sunday, October 23, 2016

• Patti LaBelle (Out All Night) - Catch Patti on Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.

Monday, October 24, 2016

• Ricky Gervais (The Office) - Watch Ricky on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies) - Tom appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. He also talks about Inferno on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am and on LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Elijah Wood (Wilfred) - Elijah is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Ana Gasteyer (People of Earth/Lady Dynamite/Suburgatory) - Ana visits Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) - Nick stops by The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Ron Howard (Happy Days/The Andy Griffith Show) - Ron appears on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Kate Micucci (Raising Hope/The Big Bang Theory) - Kate is a guest on a repeat of @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Zooey Deschanel (New Girl) - Zooey appears on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Michael Chiklis (Daddio) - Michael drops by Harry, so check your local listings.
• Jameela Jamil (The Good Place) - Jameela appears on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Aya Cash (You're the Worst) - Aya talks about You're the Worst on the AOL Build ShoW at 2pm. She will also be on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 12:30pm ET.
• Will Forte (The Last Man on Earth) - Will is a guest on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
• Mary Steenburgen (The Last Man on Earth/Ink) - Mary talks about The Last Man on Earth on NBC's Today in the 10am hour. She will also be on the AOL Build Show at 12:30pm.
• Anna Camp (The Mindy Project) - Anna talks about Good Girls Revolt on People Now at 8:30am.
• James Brolin (Life in Pieces) - James is a guest on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
• Matt LeBlanc (Man with a Plan/Episodes/Joey/Friends) - Matt appears on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
• Nico Tortorella (Younger) - Nico guest co-hosts The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

• Will Forte (The Last Man on Earth) - Catch Will on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. He also chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Matt LeBlanc (Man with a Plan/Episodes/Friends) - Matt is a guest on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Cobie Smulders (How I Met Your Mother) - Cobie appears on Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Skylar Astin (Ground Floor) - Skylar is a guest on Last Call with Carson Daly at 1:35am on NBC.
• Ron Howard (Happy Days/The Andy Griffith Show) - Ron drops by Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Mary Lynn Rajskub (How to Be a Gentleman/Veronica's Closet/The Larry Sanders Show) and David Koechner (Another Period/Hank/The Office) - Mary and David are guests on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• John Lithgow (3rd Rock from the Sun/Twenty Good Years) - John appears on LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Jamie Lee Curtis (Scream Queens/Anything But Love) - Jamie Lee is a guest on Harry, so check your local listings.
• Erinn Hayes (Kevin Can Wait/Guys with Kids/Worst Week) - Erinn plays a celeb guessing game with Rach, who’s serving up no-fail make-your-own takeout, on Rachael Ray, so check your local listings.
• Mary Steenburgen (The Last Man on Earth/Ink) - Mary joins the Chew Crew on ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
• Ana Gasteyer (People of Earth/Lady Dynamite/Suburgatory) - Ana will be on New York Live on WNBC in New York at 12:30pm ET. She will also be on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
• Cheryl Hines (Son of Zorn/Suburgatory/Curb Your Enthusiasm) - Cheryl is a guest on Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.
• Abbi Jacobson (Broad City) - Abbi will be on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am. She will also be on the AOL Build Show 4pm.
• Don Rickles (C.P.O. Sharkey/Daddy Dearest) - Don is a guest on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am.
• Nico Tortorella (Younger) - Nico appears on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
• Nicole Byer (Loosely Exactly Nicole) - Nicole is a guest on The Wendy Williams Show, so check your local listings.

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

• Joel McHale (The Great Indoors/Community) - Watch Joel on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• Abbi Jacobson (Broad City) - Abbi visits The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. She will also be on LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Colin Hanks (Life in Pieces) - Colin appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Colton Dunn (Superstore), Lauren Ash (Superstore/Super Fun Night and Nico Santos (Superstore) - Colton, Lauren and Nico are guests on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Elijah Wood (Wilfred) - Elijah stops by Conan at 11pm on TBS.
• Will Forte (The Last Man on Earth) - Will is a guest on Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
• Donald Glover (Atlanta/Community) - Donald appears on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
• Ken Jeong (Dr. Ken/Community) - See what happens when Dr. Oz visits the set of Dr. Ken on The Dr. Oz Show, so check your local listings.
• John Lithgow (3rd Rock from the Sun/Twenty Good Years) - John talks about The Crown on CBS This Morning sometime between 7-9am.
• Boris Kodjoe (The Last Man on Earth/Second Time Around) - Boris joins the Chew Crew on ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
• Issa Rae (Insecure) - Issa is a guest on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
• Colin Hanks (Life in Pieces) - Colin talks about Life in Pieces on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
• Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory/Blossom) - Mayim is a guest on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
• Marisa Tomei (A Different World) - Marisa appears on Access Hollywood Live, so check your local listings.
• Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine/Are We There Yet?/Everybody Hates Chris) - Terry is a guest on Steve Harvey, so check your local listings.
• Betsy Brandt (Life in Pieces/The Michael J. Fox Show) - Betsy talks about Life in PieceS on the AOL Build Show at 12pm.

Thursday, October 27, 2016

• Martin Short (Mulaney/The Martin Short Show) - Catch Martin on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Mary-Louise Parker (Weeds) - Mary-Louise visits The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
• January Jones (The Last Man on Earth) - January appears on The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Lauren Lapkus (Clipped/Are You There, Chelsea?) - Lauren is a guest on @midnight on Comedy Central at midnight.
• Abbi Jacobson (Broad City) - Abbi visits Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
• Ron Howard (Happy Days/The Andy Griffith Show) - Ron appears on Chelsea on Netflix. He also talks about Inferno on NBC's Today in the 10am hour and on the AOL Build Show at 2:30pm.
• Nathan Lane (Modern Family/Charlie Lawrence/Encore! Encore!), John Goodman (Roseanne/Normal, Ohio) and John Slattery (Maggie) - They talk about Broadway's The Front Page on The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
• Joel McHale (The Great Indoors/Community) - Joel guest co-hosts LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana) - Miley is a guest on LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Eva Longoria (Telenovela) - Eva appears on The Wendy Williams Show, so check your local listings.
• Angelique Cabral (Life in Pieces/Enlisted) - Angelique talks about Life in Pieces on the AOL Build Show at 11am.

Friday, October 28, 2016

• John Lithgow (3rd Rock from the Sun/Twenty Good Years) - Watch John on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
• Drew Carey (The Drew Carey Show/The Good Life) - Drew visits on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. He also talks about The Price is Right on NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
• Kevin Hart (The Big House/Undeclared) - Kevin appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
• Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine?/Are We There Yet?/Everybody Hates Chris) - Terry is a guest on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
• Ricky Gervais (The Office) - Ricky stops by LIVE! with Kelly, so check your listings.
• Colin Hanks (Life in Pieces) - Colin joins the Chew Crew on ABC's The Chew at 1pm ET/12pm PT/CT.
• Melissa Joan Hart (Melissa & Joey/Sabrina, the Teenage Witch/Clarissa Explains It All) - Melissa looks back at her earliest memories on Clarissa Explains It All – and says she was really bossy on People Now at 8:30am.
• Damon Wayans (My Wife and Kids) - Damon is a guest on The Real, so check your local listings.

All listings are subject to change. Visit our blog and main site for daily updated listings. 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!