NBC Fall Pilot Review: I Feel Bad - Premieres Wednesday (Sept. 19); 70th Annual Primetime Emmy Award Winners

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

NBC Fall Pilot Review: I Feel Bad - Premieres Wednesday (Sept. 19); 70th Annual Primetime Emmy Award Winners

I Feel Bad - Thursdays at 9:30PM ET/PT on NBC
Special Preview Wednesday, September 19, 2018 at 10:00PM & 10:30PM ET/PT
Timeslot Premiere Thursday, October 4, 2018 at 9:30PM ET/PT

by Vincent

Emet is the perfect mom, boss, wife, friend and daughter. OK, she's not perfect. In fact, she's just figuring it out like the rest of us. Sure, she feels bad when she has a sexy dream about someone other than her husband, or when she pretends not to know her kids when they misbehave in public, or when she uses her staff to help solve personal problems. But that's OK, right? Nobody can have it all and do it perfectly. From executive producer Amy Poehler comes a modern comedy about being perfectly OK with being imperfect.

Cast Details:

Sarayu Blue as Emet
Paul Adelstein as David
Zach Cherry as Norman
James Buckley as Chewy
Johnny Pemberton as Cliff

Sarayu Blue (Emet) is an actress best known for her recurring role as Angela on the Fox sitcom Sons of Tucson, as well as Dr. Sydney Napur on David E. Kelley's Monday Mornings on TNT. She has also guest starred in a number of notable television series, such as Agents of SHIELD, Two and a Half Men and Grey's Anatomy.

Paul Adelstein (David) is an actor known for the role of Agent Paul Kellerman on Prison Break and his role as pediatrician Cooper Freedman on the medical drama Private Practice. He is also known for his recurring role as Leo Bergen on ABC's Scandal and as Jake Novak in the Bravo television series Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce.

Zach Cherry (Norman) is a comedic actor who has appeared in various comedic shorts and guest roles on shows such as Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Search Party and Crashing. I Feel Bad will be his first starring role.

James Buckley (Chewy) is an English stand-up comedian, actor, musician, and YouTuber. He is best known for playing foul-mouthed Jay Cartwright in the UK sitcom The Inbetweeners.

Johnny Pemberton (Cliff) is an American actor known for his role on Fox's Son of Zorn and his recurring role on NBC's Superstore.

Pilot Plot:

"I Don't Want to Turn Into My Mother" (Airs Wednesday, Sep. 19 at 10:00PM ET)

Emet is concerned that her daughter's new dance club's routine may be a bit too risque, but fears that discouraging her from joining the dance team will turn her into her mother. With the help of her co-workers at her job designing video games, Emet tries to come up with a way to get her daughter to quit the dance team - without shattering her dreams.

Analysis:

I Feel Bad feels a bit like a mediocre network sitcom being lifted incredibly by its lead talent. The show's premise itself is not particularly unique and feels similar to the trend of family sitcoms within the past few years ("mother balances her quirky family and dream job"), and the show's joke writing is pretty weak, even for a sitcom in its early stages (to be fair, the "funny" part of a sitcom rarely clicks into place until about five or six episodes in, when the cast has developed some chemistry and the writers have figured out the characters' comic personas.) However, there is something compulsively watchable about the show, even if it, on paper, it seems fairly mediocre - and that "something" is its excellent lead actress, Sarayu Blue. Blue does an absolutely incredible job here, completing elevating the series from "generic network sitcom" to something that seems like it could be more. The show is clearly meant to be a starring vehicle for Blue, and she absolutely steps up to the plate. Blue is one of those actors brimming with potential who has mostly popped up on the sidelines through-out her career, and she takes her first opportunity as a show's star and knocks it out of the park.

Unfortunately, the rest of the show is not operating on the same level, at least not yet. The weakest part of the series is easily the show's workplace scenes, which are somehow both incredibly generic and incredibly annoying. Blue's video game designing workplace feels like a caricature of a "millennial" office, and her millennial male co-workers similarly seem like unlikable caricatures of "nerdy" men, who are extremely unpleasant to watch, even though the show seems to think their antics are funny and cute. They're not, and I would be surprised if the workplace scenes weren't either eliminated completely or extensively retooled by the halfway point of the show's 13-episode order. They just don't work, and it's hard to see a version of them that does. The other half of the show's scenes - focusing on Emet's family life - are also not particularly impressive, but more in just a "generic, early episodes of a sitcom" way than a truly troubling way. The archetypes here - ditzy father, mean grandmother, busy mother trying to keep it all together - are pretty rote, but the characters themselves are at least somewhat likable and endearing, and if the show can figure out more creative personalities for them (again, I've only seen the first three episodes, and it's rare that a sitcom has its characters completely figured out by that point), it's not hard to see them becoming something worthwhile. As of now, though, the only reason to really stick around is Blue - but she might just be good enough to make it worthwhile.

Conclusion:

I Feel Bad is a pretty ho-hum sitcom elevated by its lead actress Sarayu Blue, with glimmers of potential that aren't being fulfilled yet. There are parts of the show that feel like they could eventually click and becoming something worthwhile, but there are also parts that just don't work, and need to be either removed or changed drastically to avoid sinking the show. It's not a waste of time, and Blue is fantastic, but this is more of a "wait and see if it'll get better" situation than anything worth putting stock in at the moment.

Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):

Watchability: 3.5/5
Funniness: 2/5
Overall: 3/5

Discuss the show after you watch it on Wednesday, September 19, 2018 at 10:00PM & 10:30PM ET/PT on our message board.

Related Links:

NBC.com Official Site

TV.com

epguides.com

Internet Movie Database

Wikipedia

I Feel Bad Photo Gallery

Preview:

The 70th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards aired last night on NBC. Here are the winners!

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
Atlanta (FX)
Barry (HBO)
black-ish (ABC)
Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
GLOW (Netflix)
Silicon Valley (HBO)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)
WINNER: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)

OUTSTANDING LEAD COMEDY ACTOR
Donald Glover, Atlanta (FX)
Bill Hader, Barry (HBO)
Anthony Anderson, black-ish (ABC)
Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
William H. Macy, Shameless (Showtime)
Ted Danson, The Good Place (NBC)
WINNER: Bill Hader, Barry (HBO)

OUTSTANDING LEAD COMEDY ACTRESS
Pamela Adlon, Better Things (FX)
Tracee Ellis Ross, black-ish (ABC)
Lily Tomlin, Grace and Frankie (Netflix)
Issa Rae, Insecure (HBO)
Allison Janney, Mom (CBS)
Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)
WINNER: Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING COMEDY ACTOR
Brian Tyree Henry, Atlanta (FX)
Henry Winkler, Barry (HBO)
Louie Anderson, Baskets (HBO)
Kenan Thompson, Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Alec Baldwin, Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Tony Shalhoub, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)
Tituss Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)
WINNER: Henry Winkler, Barry (HBO)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING COMEDY ACTRESS
Zazie Beetz, Atlanta (FX)
Betty Gilpin, GLOW (Netflix)
Laurie Metcalf, Roseanne (ABC)
Leslie Jones, Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Aidy Bryant, Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Alex Borstein, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)
Megan Mullally, Will & Grace (NBC)
WINNER: Alex Borstein, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
Game of Thrones (HBO)
Stranger Things (Netflix)
The Americans (FX)
The Crown (Netflix)
The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu)
This Is Us (NBC)
Westworld (HBO)
WINNER: Game of Thrones (HBO)

OUTSTANDING LEAD DRAMA ACTOR
Jason Bateman, Ozark (Netflix)
Matthew Rhys, The Americans (FX)
Milo Ventimiglia, This Is Us (NBC)
Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us (NBC)
Ed Harris, Westworld (HBO)
Jeffrey Wright, Westworld (HBO)
WINNER: Matthew Rhys, The Americans (FX)

OUTSTANDING LEAD DRAMA ACTRESS
Sandra Oh, Killing Eve (BBC America)
Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black (BBC America)
Keri Russell, The Americans (FX)
Claire Foy, The Crown (Netflix)
Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu)
Evan Rachel Wood, Westworld (HBO)
WINNER: Claire Foy, The Crown (Netflix)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTOR
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Game of Thrones (HBO)
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones (HBO)
Mandy Patinkin, Homeland (Showtime)
David Harbour, Stranger Things (Netflix)
Matt Smith, The Crown (Netflix)
Joseph Fiennes, The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu)
WINNER: Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones (HBO)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTRESS
Lena Headey, Game of Thrones (HB)
Millie Bobby Brown, Stranger Things (Netflix)
Vanessa Kirby, The Crown (Netflix)
Alexis Bledel, The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu)
Ann Dowd, The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu)
Yvonne Strahovski, The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu)
Thandie Newton, Westworld (HBO)
WINNER: Thandie Newton, Westworld (HBO)

OUTSTANDING LIMITED SERIES
Genius: Picasso (National Geographic)
Godless (Netflix)
Patrick Melrose (Showtime)
The Alienist (TNT)
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)
WINNER: The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)

OUTSTANDING LEAD LIMITED SERIES/MOVIE ACTOR
Antonio Banderas, Genius: Picasso (National Geographic)
John Legend, Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (NBC)
Benedict Cumberbatch, Patrick Melrose (Showtime)
Darren Criss, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)
Jeff Daniels, The Looming Tower (Hulu)
Jesse Plemons, Black Mirror (Netflix)
WINNER: Darren Criss, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)

OUTSTANDING LEAD LIMITED SERIES/MOVIE ACTRESS
Sarah Paulson, American Horror Story: Cult (FX)
Michelle Dockery, Godless (Netflix)
Edie Falco, Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders (NBC)
Regina King, Seven Seconds (Netflix)
Jessica Biel, The Sinner (USA Network)
Laura Dern, The Tale (HBO)
WINNER: Regina King, Seven Seconds (Netflix)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING LIMITED SERIES/MOVIE ACTOR
Jeff Daniels, Godless (HBO)
Brandon Victor, Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (NBC)
Ricky Martin, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)
Édgar Ramírez, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)
Fitt Wittrock, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)
Michael Stuhlbarg, The Looming Tower (Hulu)
John Leguizamo, Waco (Paramount Network)
WINNER: Jeff Daniels, Godless (HBO)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING LIMITED SERIES/MOVIE ACTRESS
Adina Porter, American Horror Story: Cult (FX)
Letitia Wright, Black Mirror (Netflix)
Merritt Wever, Godless (Netflix)
Sara Bareilles, Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (NBC)
Penélope Cruz, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)
Judith Light, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)
WINNER: Merritt Wever, Godless (Netflix)

View the full list of winners.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Monday, August 19

The Neighborhood - "Welcome to the Climb" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Gemma decides to fire a teacher at her school, she’s unprepared for the aftermath. Also, Calvin gets a surprise when he faces off with his newspaper carrier.

The Big Bang Theory - "The D&D Vortex" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When the gang finds out Wil Wheaton hosts a celebrity Dungeons and Dragons game involving William Shatner, Joe Manganiello, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Kevin Smith, deception and betrayal are the path to make it to the one open seat.

The Big Bang Theory - "The Conference Valuation" (CBS, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
When Penny and Bernadette go to San Diego for a pharmaceutical sales convention, Wolowitz is in charge of the kids. Also, Sheldon finds a book on experimenting on kids, and the guys plus Amy make a day of it.

Mom - "Jell-O Shots and the Truth About Santa" (CBS, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Bonnie pushes Christy to mend her relationship with Violet (Sadie Calvano), and Adam prepares for the grand opening of his bar.

I Ship It - "Somewhere Magical" (The CW, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Ella seizes the opportunity to work as a personal assistant to a writer for "Superstition," her favorite TV show; Ella's fantasies begin to collide with reality in unexpected ways, in both her creative life and love life.

In The Cut - "Lucky Charmed" (Bounce TV, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Jay buys Cheryl a necklace for her birthday, not knowing it was stolen; when the police want it back, Jay must devise a plan to return it before she finds out.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of August 19)

Monday, August 19

Billy Eichner (Friends from College/Difficult People) - Watch Billy on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
Issa Rae (Insecure) - Issa appears on a repeat of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:34pm on NBC.
Dax Shepard (Bless This Mess) - Dax is a guest on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies) - Tom appears on a repeat of The Late Late Show with James Corden at 12:37am on CBS.
D'Arcy Carden (The Good Place/Barry), Henry Winkler (Barry/Out of Practice/Monty/Happy Days) and Bill Hader (Barry) - D'Arcy, Henry and Bill are panelists on Lights Out with David Spade at 11:30pm on Comedy Central.
Rebel Wilson (Super Fun Night) - Rebel chats with the ladies of The View on a repeat on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
Bryton James (Family Matters) - Bryton appears on a repeat of The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
Charlie Barnett (Russian Doll) - Charlie is a guest on a repeat of The Real, so check your local listings.
Bella Thorne (Shake It Up) - Bella appears on a repeat of ABC's Strahan & Sara at 1pm.
Donald Faison (The Exes/Scrubs/Clueless) - Donald talks about Emergence on Access Live, so check your local listings.
Melissa Peterman (Reba/Working Class/Baby Daddy) - Melissa guest co-hosts Access Live, so check your local listings.
Patti LaBelle (Out All Night) - Patti opens up about her 22-year battle with diabetes on a repeat of The Dr. Oz Show, so check your local listings.