Showing posts with label Benched. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Benched. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
ABC Fall Pilot Review: black-ish - Premieres September 24; USA Network Schedules New Comedy Benched for Oct. 28
black-ish - Wednesdays at 9:30PM ET/PT on ABC
Premieres Wednesday, September 24, 2014 at 9:30PM ET/PT
by Skees
Anthony Anderson returns to TV with yet another sitcom in black-ish, a sitcom about a black family living in an upper middle-class white neighborhood. It seems like it wouldn't have many challenges, except Andre (Anderson) is dealing with a conflict within his own life: he's tired of his family being thought of as "black," but at the same time he is tired of his family not "being" black... instead, he has to settle for his family being, well, black-ish.
Cast Details:
Anthony Anderson as Andre Johnson
Tracee Ellis Ross as Rainbow Johnson
Yara Shahidi as Zoey Johnson
Marcus Scribner as Andre Johnson, Jr.
Miles Brown as Jack Johnson
Marsai Martin as Diane Johnson
Laurence Fishburne as Pops
Anthony Anderson (Andre Johnson) was first introduced to the small screen in the TNBC series Hang Time. Since then, he has had regular roles on series such as All About the Andersons, The Bernie Mac Show, Law & Order, and (most recently) NBC's Guys with Kids.
Tracee Ellis Ross (Rainbow Johnson) is the daughter of singer Diana Ross, and is best known for her role as Joan Clayton on the long-running series Girlfriends. In 2011, she starred in the BET sitcom Reed Between the Lines.
Yara Shahidi (Zoey Johnson) is a relative newcomer to the small screen, but she previously appeared in the syndicated sitcom The First Family. She has had guest appearances in series such as The Wizards of Waverly Place, Family Guy, and Cold Case.
Marcus Scribner (Andre Johnson, Jr.) is a fourth-generation Los Angeles native making his debut as a regular in a series. He has previously had single episode roles in series including Castle and New Girl.
Miles Brown (Jack Johnson) is a nine-year old dancer from Oxnard, CA. He has appeared in episodes of Shameless and Raising Hope.
Marsai Martin (Diane Johnson) was first discovered when she was five years old, and recently moved to Los Angeles, where she has appeared in a Meineke commercial. This series marks her television debut.
Laurence Fishburne (Pops) is well-known to viewers everywhere, as he has had a long and successful career on TV, on film, and on stage. He first appeared as a regular on the soap opera One Life to Live, and came very close to having the role of Michael on Good Times (until Ralph Carter got it). He also played Cowboy Curtis on Pee-wee's Playhouse and has most recently appeared on the NBC series Hannibal. Some of his movie credits include, among many others, The Matrix and Boyz n the Hood.
Pilot Plot:
"Pilot" – airs Wednesday, September 24th, 2014 at 9:30PM ET/PT
Andre Johnson seems to have the perfect life, with a perfect home, perfect family, and perfect job. But one thing is constantly nagging him: he's the only black guy at work, the only black family in the neighborhood, and at times he feels like he is even the only black person in his entire family. Things only get worse when he gets a promotion at work, which seems fine, except it is as Senior Vice President of the Urban Division. At home, his oldest son Andre Jr. is now going by Andy... and wants to play field hockey instead of basketball, and is ready to have a Bar Mitzvah. The challenge for Andre is to figure out how to balance all of this against the culture that he grew up in.
Analysis:
I've always heard before that you can pigeonhole every series into just a few concepts, and while I've definitely seen exceptions to this rule, this isn't one. Once again, we've got a "fish out of water" sitcom about a black family moving to a predominantly white neighborhood. We've seen this before, most famously with The Jeffersons, and more recently with The Hughleys. The difference with this series is that it's taking that on with a single-camera approach and no laugh-track to go along with what happens.
There is a big difference with those previous shows, though. When The Jeffersons aired, the idea of a black family living in a wealthy white neighborhood was still a new idea, as nothing like it had certainly ever been seen on television, and some parts of the country were only decades away from that actually being illegal. The Hughleys came along and brought a few laughs to the concept, but it was only marginally successful (it did air for four seasons, but was canceled and moved to UPN after two on ABC).
Much like those previously mentioned series, the character of Andre is the husband who would like to live in the mostly white neighborhood while constantly reminding his family that they are black, while Rainbow is the wife who tries to maintain the sanity and just take race out of the picture. The kids seem to be living in a world that is more "white," which seems to infuriate Andre. One refreshing change, though, is the character of Pops, who is Andre's father and seems to not even care about the racial disparity, thinking that his son is a fool when he tries to create an African alternative for Andre Jr. to have instead of a Bar Mitzvah. Speaking of Pops, though, one thing that bothered me a bit was how there is only a nine year age difference between Anderson and Fishburne, and seeing them together on-screen does not make the most convincing father-son pairing. I do think Fishburne is perfect for the role, though, but the makeup department could make him look a bit older.
Of course, despite all of that, I can't be completely negative about the series. Besides Fishburne and Anderson, I felt that the show is very well cast. The family actually feels like a natural family, and the actors cast seem to be perfect for their roles. Additionally, I think that Andre's narration (along the lines of The Middle) adds a bit to the series, and the series certainly benefits from it. Otherwise, some of it would just seem outright offensive with no explanation. And there were some funny moments in the pilot, just perhaps not enough.
Conclusion:
I feel that my expectations going into watching this were not exactly met after watching this. The clips from the promos for the series seem pretty good, but those small moments probably were some of the best moments from the pilot, unfortunately. But I can't say that I am giving up on this series just yet. Part of the problem--and this was something that critics brought up when the idea for the show was just being floated as words on paper--is that the premise of the show, particularly the focus on being the only black family in a mostly white neighborhood, is no longer the novelty that it once was. That doesn't mean that it can't be a part of the series, as such situations can create material for a sitcom even in the 2010s, but focusing on it for every episode really does not make a particularly entertaining series when it is set in the modern era. I'm hoping to see future episodes focus more on the family dynamics and getting to know the characters for who they are, not just focusing on the fact that the family is different from most of their neighbors. If the series can move a little more in that direction, I think that it has the potential to be another new Wednesday night hit for ABC... otherwise, it will be nothing more than a niche comedy that will be burning off episodes within a few months or just completely off the lineup.
Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):
Watchability: 3/5
Funniness: 2/5
Overall: 2.5/5
Discuss the show after you watch it on Wednesday, September 24 at 9:30PM ET/PT on our message board.
Related Links:
ABC.com Official Site
TV.com
epguides.com
Internet Movie Database
Wikipedia
black-ish Photo Gallery
Preview:
Marcus Scribner (Andre Johnson, Jr.) is a fourth-generation Los Angeles native making his debut as a regular in a series. He has previously had single episode roles in series including Castle and New Girl.
Miles Brown (Jack Johnson) is a nine-year old dancer from Oxnard, CA. He has appeared in episodes of Shameless and Raising Hope.
Marsai Martin (Diane Johnson) was first discovered when she was five years old, and recently moved to Los Angeles, where she has appeared in a Meineke commercial. This series marks her television debut.
Laurence Fishburne (Pops) is well-known to viewers everywhere, as he has had a long and successful career on TV, on film, and on stage. He first appeared as a regular on the soap opera One Life to Live, and came very close to having the role of Michael on Good Times (until Ralph Carter got it). He also played Cowboy Curtis on Pee-wee's Playhouse and has most recently appeared on the NBC series Hannibal. Some of his movie credits include, among many others, The Matrix and Boyz n the Hood.
Pilot Plot:
"Pilot" – airs Wednesday, September 24th, 2014 at 9:30PM ET/PT
Andre Johnson seems to have the perfect life, with a perfect home, perfect family, and perfect job. But one thing is constantly nagging him: he's the only black guy at work, the only black family in the neighborhood, and at times he feels like he is even the only black person in his entire family. Things only get worse when he gets a promotion at work, which seems fine, except it is as Senior Vice President of the Urban Division. At home, his oldest son Andre Jr. is now going by Andy... and wants to play field hockey instead of basketball, and is ready to have a Bar Mitzvah. The challenge for Andre is to figure out how to balance all of this against the culture that he grew up in.
Analysis:
I've always heard before that you can pigeonhole every series into just a few concepts, and while I've definitely seen exceptions to this rule, this isn't one. Once again, we've got a "fish out of water" sitcom about a black family moving to a predominantly white neighborhood. We've seen this before, most famously with The Jeffersons, and more recently with The Hughleys. The difference with this series is that it's taking that on with a single-camera approach and no laugh-track to go along with what happens.
There is a big difference with those previous shows, though. When The Jeffersons aired, the idea of a black family living in a wealthy white neighborhood was still a new idea, as nothing like it had certainly ever been seen on television, and some parts of the country were only decades away from that actually being illegal. The Hughleys came along and brought a few laughs to the concept, but it was only marginally successful (it did air for four seasons, but was canceled and moved to UPN after two on ABC).
Much like those previously mentioned series, the character of Andre is the husband who would like to live in the mostly white neighborhood while constantly reminding his family that they are black, while Rainbow is the wife who tries to maintain the sanity and just take race out of the picture. The kids seem to be living in a world that is more "white," which seems to infuriate Andre. One refreshing change, though, is the character of Pops, who is Andre's father and seems to not even care about the racial disparity, thinking that his son is a fool when he tries to create an African alternative for Andre Jr. to have instead of a Bar Mitzvah. Speaking of Pops, though, one thing that bothered me a bit was how there is only a nine year age difference between Anderson and Fishburne, and seeing them together on-screen does not make the most convincing father-son pairing. I do think Fishburne is perfect for the role, though, but the makeup department could make him look a bit older.
Of course, despite all of that, I can't be completely negative about the series. Besides Fishburne and Anderson, I felt that the show is very well cast. The family actually feels like a natural family, and the actors cast seem to be perfect for their roles. Additionally, I think that Andre's narration (along the lines of The Middle) adds a bit to the series, and the series certainly benefits from it. Otherwise, some of it would just seem outright offensive with no explanation. And there were some funny moments in the pilot, just perhaps not enough.
Conclusion:
I feel that my expectations going into watching this were not exactly met after watching this. The clips from the promos for the series seem pretty good, but those small moments probably were some of the best moments from the pilot, unfortunately. But I can't say that I am giving up on this series just yet. Part of the problem--and this was something that critics brought up when the idea for the show was just being floated as words on paper--is that the premise of the show, particularly the focus on being the only black family in a mostly white neighborhood, is no longer the novelty that it once was. That doesn't mean that it can't be a part of the series, as such situations can create material for a sitcom even in the 2010s, but focusing on it for every episode really does not make a particularly entertaining series when it is set in the modern era. I'm hoping to see future episodes focus more on the family dynamics and getting to know the characters for who they are, not just focusing on the fact that the family is different from most of their neighbors. If the series can move a little more in that direction, I think that it has the potential to be another new Wednesday night hit for ABC... otherwise, it will be nothing more than a niche comedy that will be burning off episodes within a few months or just completely off the lineup.
Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):
Watchability: 3/5
Funniness: 2/5
Overall: 2.5/5
Discuss the show after you watch it on Wednesday, September 24 at 9:30PM ET/PT on our message board.
Related Links:
Preview:
Courtroom drama is no laughing matter... until now! USA Network's new original half hour comedy Benched now has a premiere date and will premiere Tuesday, October 28 at 10:30pm ET/PT immediately following USA's laugh-out-loud reality hit Chrisley Knows Best. Benched, starring Eliza Coupe (Happy Endings), is a single-camera comedy about a high-powered corporate lawyer's fall from grace into the rough-and-tumble world of the public defenders. Tuesday night brings laughter to USA Network, kicking off with a two-hour block of the Emmy Award winning Modern Family at 8pm ET/PT, followed by Chrisley Knows Best at 10pm ET/PT and culminating with Benched at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT.
Benched from ABC Signature Studio, stars Coupe as Nina Whitley, a distinguished corporate lawyer who has given up everything in her climb to the top. However, when she's hit with her ex-fiancé's engagement announcement and learns that she hasn't made partner at her high power firm, Nina snaps -- breaking vases and burning bridges. Now that Nina is shunned from the corporate world, the only place she can get a job is at the Public Defender's office: home to the underfunded, understaffed, overworked, "if you can't afford a lawyer, one will be provided... " lawyers. In addition to her new clients, Nina must learn to connect with her co-workers, including the roguish Phil (Jay Harrington, Better Off Ted), the idealistic Carlos (Oscar Nunez, The Office), the useless empathetic Cheryl (Maria Bamford, Adventure Time) and the dedicated intern Micah (Jolene Purdy, Under the Dome). If that didn't sound tough enough for Nina, she'll also be going head-to-head with her ex-fiancé, Trent, (Carter MacIntyre, Drop Dead Diva) the rising star of the District Attorney's office. Joining the all-star comedic cast are previously announced guest stars Fred Melamed, Molly Shannon, Chris Parnell, Yvette Nicole Brown, Jim Rash, Nat Faxon, Erinn Hayes and Mechad Brooks.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
ABC Midseason Pilot Review: Mixology - Premieres Wednesday, Feb. 26; USA Network's Benched Adds Another Cast Member
Mixology - Wednesdays at 9:30PM ET/PT on ABC
Premieres Wednesday, February 26, 2014 at 9:30PM ET/PT
by Pavan
One bar. One night. This high-concept comedy from the writers of The Hangover chronicles the misadventures of 10 people in search of love. Or sex. But mostly love. Okay fine, sex. Recently dumped by his fiancée, Tom (Blake Lee) hasn't been out on the town in a decade. His best friends, the handsome, confident Cal (Craig Frank) and wise-ass Bruce (Andrew Santino), are throwing Tom back into the dating pool whether he likes it or not. Tom's first encounter is with Maya (Ginger Gonzaga), an attorney who's as beautiful as she is brutal. Before long, Tom is in tears. But the night is still young and the boys have plenty of people to meet in Mix's chic crowd, including Maya's engaged friend, Liv (Kate Simses), aggressive and sexy single mom Jessica (Alexis Carra), Jessica's gorgeous yet catty frenemy Fabienne (Frankie Shaw), bubbly cocktail waitress Kacey (Vanessa Lengies), hot and mysterious bartender Dominic (Adan Canto), and failed internet entrepreneur Ron (Adam Campbell). As the night unfolds and closing time approaches, some people may get lucky while others are destined to spend the night alone. The question of the season is...who's going home with whom?
Cast Details:
Blake Lee as Tom
Craig Frank as Cal
Andrew Santino as Bruce
Ginger Gonzaga as Maya
Kate Simses as Liv
Alexis Carra as Jessica
Frankie Shaw as Fabienne
Vanessa Lengies as Kacey
Adan Canto as Dominic
Adam Campbell as Ron
Blake Lee (Tom) got his start on the hit series Parks and Recreation where he recurred as a guest star as Derek, April's oddball "boyfriend." His work on the show gave him exposure and led to various other roles in both film and TV. In addition to acting, Blake is currently writing a comedic screenplay with his friend and former Parks and Recreation co-star, Aubrey Plaza.
Craig Frank (Cal) has been pretty blessed to have worked in the industry, working in commercial ads for Nike, McDonalds, Samsung, Lexus, and Coke -- just to name a few. Now, Frank has his big break on this TV series.
Andrew Santino (Bruce) has guest starred on Family Tree on HBO, Children's Hospital on Adult Swim, Arrested Development on Netflix & The Office on NBC. Santino was named Comedy Central's Top 10 Comics to Watch and was most recently seen on Adam Devine's House Party, which aired on Comedy Central. Santino began his career by writing and starring on MTV's final season of PUNK'D.
Ginger Gonzaga (Maya) has guest starred in numerous television shows including CBS's The Millers, Fox's The Finder, and Family Guy, but is most recently known for her recurring role as Jim Jefferies's frustrated girlfriend on FX's critically acclaimed dark comedy Legit. In features, Ginger was seen in the Seth Macfarlane hit summer comedy Ted for Universal, and will next be seen in the indie Someone Marry Barry opposite Ed Helms and Tyler Labine. She has leant her comedy writing skills to Comedy Central for a live touring show starring David Koechner, Abby Elliott and Owen Benjamin, as well as Hulu for their daily series, The Morning After, which she also hosted.
Kate Simses (Liv) began her career with guest spots on shows such as Comedy Central's Important Things with Demetri Martin, and NBC's 30 Rock, Law and Order: SVU, and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Her most recent film work includes roles in What's Your Number with Ana Farris and the upcoming That Awkward Moment. Kate has voiced characters on cartoons for Nickelodeon, CBS, and many incredibly angst-y books on tape for teens. She also co-produced and starred in the original web series Sylvia Plath: Girl Detective.
Alexis Carra (Jessica) has been on top Broadway shows including Wicked, Sweet Charity, and Fame on 42nd St. After closing the Broadway show The Pirate Queen, she guest starred on TV series such as Grey's Anatomy, Castle, The Mentalist, and Bones.
Frankie Shaw (Fabienne) most recently appeared on HBO's Hello Ladies, opposite Stephen Merchant, Christine Woods and Kevin Weisman. She recently guest starred on CBS' 2 Broke Girls, opposite Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs. She previously starred in the Spike TV/Lionsgate half-hour series, Blue Mountain State. Shaw will next be seen in the independent film, The Pretty One, for director Jenée LaMarque, opposite Jake Johnson and Zoe Kazan, as well as Andrew Levitas' Lullaby, opposite Garrett Hedlund, Richard Jenkins, Jessica Brow-Findlay, Amy Adams, and Terrence Howard, which screened at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival. She recently shot Rob Pearlstein's Someone Marry Barry, opposite her Mixology co-star Ginger Gonzaga, Tyler Labine and Hayes MacArthur. Shaw was also seen in the Wrekin Hill Entertainment film, The End of Love, directed by Mark Webber, opposite Mark Webber, Michael Cera, Amanda Seyfried, and Jason Ritter, which premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. She also voiced the role of Victoria Primm on the animated PBS show Nate the Great, and has appeared on Law & Order and One Life to Live.
Vanessa Lengies (Kacey) was last seen as Sugar Motta on the hit Fox series Glee. She previously starred opposite Jada Pinkett Smith on the popular TNT series HawthoRNe. Acting professionally since childhood, Lengies began her career working on several popular Canadian TV series such as Are You Afraid of the Dark and Radio Active. Canadian audiences will also remember her as co-host with Elisha Cuthbert on the hugely successful Popular Mechanics for Kids. She made her American series regular debut when she was cast as Roxanne Bojarski on the NBC drama series American Dreams, which portrayed Philadelphia in the era of "American Bandstand." Lengies work on the show won the hearts of audiences across America, made her a household name and earned her a Teen Choice Award nomination. Lengies has also made a name for herself on the big screen with lead roles in audience favorites like Stick It, Waiting and The Perfect Man. She co-starred in My Suicide, which won several best film awards including the Crystal Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival for Best Feature Film- Generation 14plus.
Conclusion:
Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):
Watchability: 4/5
Funniness: 3.5/5
Overall: 3.5/5
Discuss the show after you watch it on Wednesday, February 26, 2014 at 9:30PM ET/PT on our message board.
Related Links:
ABC.com Official Site
TV.com
epguides.com
Internet Movie Database
Wikipedia
Mixology Photo Gallery
Preview:
Craig Frank as Cal
Andrew Santino as Bruce
Ginger Gonzaga as Maya
Kate Simses as Liv
Alexis Carra as Jessica
Frankie Shaw as Fabienne
Vanessa Lengies as Kacey
Adan Canto as Dominic
Adam Campbell as Ron
Blake Lee (Tom) got his start on the hit series Parks and Recreation where he recurred as a guest star as Derek, April's oddball "boyfriend." His work on the show gave him exposure and led to various other roles in both film and TV. In addition to acting, Blake is currently writing a comedic screenplay with his friend and former Parks and Recreation co-star, Aubrey Plaza.
Craig Frank (Cal) has been pretty blessed to have worked in the industry, working in commercial ads for Nike, McDonalds, Samsung, Lexus, and Coke -- just to name a few. Now, Frank has his big break on this TV series.
Andrew Santino (Bruce) has guest starred on Family Tree on HBO, Children's Hospital on Adult Swim, Arrested Development on Netflix & The Office on NBC. Santino was named Comedy Central's Top 10 Comics to Watch and was most recently seen on Adam Devine's House Party, which aired on Comedy Central. Santino began his career by writing and starring on MTV's final season of PUNK'D.
Ginger Gonzaga (Maya) has guest starred in numerous television shows including CBS's The Millers, Fox's The Finder, and Family Guy, but is most recently known for her recurring role as Jim Jefferies's frustrated girlfriend on FX's critically acclaimed dark comedy Legit. In features, Ginger was seen in the Seth Macfarlane hit summer comedy Ted for Universal, and will next be seen in the indie Someone Marry Barry opposite Ed Helms and Tyler Labine. She has leant her comedy writing skills to Comedy Central for a live touring show starring David Koechner, Abby Elliott and Owen Benjamin, as well as Hulu for their daily series, The Morning After, which she also hosted.
Kate Simses (Liv) began her career with guest spots on shows such as Comedy Central's Important Things with Demetri Martin, and NBC's 30 Rock, Law and Order: SVU, and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Her most recent film work includes roles in What's Your Number with Ana Farris and the upcoming That Awkward Moment. Kate has voiced characters on cartoons for Nickelodeon, CBS, and many incredibly angst-y books on tape for teens. She also co-produced and starred in the original web series Sylvia Plath: Girl Detective.
Alexis Carra (Jessica) has been on top Broadway shows including Wicked, Sweet Charity, and Fame on 42nd St. After closing the Broadway show The Pirate Queen, she guest starred on TV series such as Grey's Anatomy, Castle, The Mentalist, and Bones.
Frankie Shaw (Fabienne) most recently appeared on HBO's Hello Ladies, opposite Stephen Merchant, Christine Woods and Kevin Weisman. She recently guest starred on CBS' 2 Broke Girls, opposite Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs. She previously starred in the Spike TV/Lionsgate half-hour series, Blue Mountain State. Shaw will next be seen in the independent film, The Pretty One, for director Jenée LaMarque, opposite Jake Johnson and Zoe Kazan, as well as Andrew Levitas' Lullaby, opposite Garrett Hedlund, Richard Jenkins, Jessica Brow-Findlay, Amy Adams, and Terrence Howard, which screened at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival. She recently shot Rob Pearlstein's Someone Marry Barry, opposite her Mixology co-star Ginger Gonzaga, Tyler Labine and Hayes MacArthur. Shaw was also seen in the Wrekin Hill Entertainment film, The End of Love, directed by Mark Webber, opposite Mark Webber, Michael Cera, Amanda Seyfried, and Jason Ritter, which premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. She also voiced the role of Victoria Primm on the animated PBS show Nate the Great, and has appeared on Law & Order and One Life to Live.
Vanessa Lengies (Kacey) was last seen as Sugar Motta on the hit Fox series Glee. She previously starred opposite Jada Pinkett Smith on the popular TNT series HawthoRNe. Acting professionally since childhood, Lengies began her career working on several popular Canadian TV series such as Are You Afraid of the Dark and Radio Active. Canadian audiences will also remember her as co-host with Elisha Cuthbert on the hugely successful Popular Mechanics for Kids. She made her American series regular debut when she was cast as Roxanne Bojarski on the NBC drama series American Dreams, which portrayed Philadelphia in the era of "American Bandstand." Lengies work on the show won the hearts of audiences across America, made her a household name and earned her a Teen Choice Award nomination. Lengies has also made a name for herself on the big screen with lead roles in audience favorites like Stick It, Waiting and The Perfect Man. She co-starred in My Suicide, which won several best film awards including the Crystal Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival for Best Feature Film- Generation 14plus.
Adan Canto (Dominic) is an established actor in his native Mexico and has recently made his mark in the U.S. This past January, he made his stateside debut as series regular in the Kevin Williamson drama, The Following, alongside Kevin Bacon and James Purefoy. Additionally, Adan stars in Fox's upcoming X-MEN: Days of Future Past where he plays Sunspot, one of the new mutants.
Adam Campbell (Ron) most recently had a recurring role on the last season of Fox's Touch, playing the corrupt Tony Rigby opposite Lukas Hass and Kiefer Sutherland. Adam's work has included other series regular roles such as CBS's cult-favorite Harper's Island, as well as recurring and guest starring appearances on a number of noteworthy television shows such as 2 Broke Girls, Best Friends Forever, Parenthood, and Up All Night. On the big screen, his credits include The Five Year Engagement and he was the male lead in Fox's spoof films Epic Movie and Date Movie.
Adam Campbell (Ron) most recently had a recurring role on the last season of Fox's Touch, playing the corrupt Tony Rigby opposite Lukas Hass and Kiefer Sutherland. Adam's work has included other series regular roles such as CBS's cult-favorite Harper's Island, as well as recurring and guest starring appearances on a number of noteworthy television shows such as 2 Broke Girls, Best Friends Forever, Parenthood, and Up All Night. On the big screen, his credits include The Five Year Engagement and he was the male lead in Fox's spoof films Epic Movie and Date Movie.
Pilot Plot:
We got to watch the first three episodes, so this review will be based on that.
#1. "Tom & Maya" (airs Wednesday, February 26 at 9:30PM ET/PT)
In the premiere episode for the series, recently dumped by his fiancée, Tom hasn't been out on the town in a decade. His best friends, the handsome, confident Cal and wise-ass Bruce, are throwing Tom back into the dating pool whether he likes it or not. Tom's first encounter is with Maya, an attorney who's as beautiful as she is brutal -- before long, Tom is in tears. But the night is still young and the boys have plenty of people to meet in Mix's chic crowd, including Maya's engaged friend, Liv, aggressive and sexy single mom Jessica, Jessica's gorgeous yet catty frenemy Fabienne, bubbly cocktail waitress Kacey, hot and mysterious bartender Dominic and failed internet entrepreneur Ron. As the night unfolds and closing time approaches, some people may get lucky while others are destined to spend the night alone.
"Tom & Maya" was written by written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore and directed by Larry Charles.
#2. "Liv & Ron" (airs Wednesday, March 5 at 9:30PM ET/PT)
After a chance meeting outside of the bar, the sweet and innocent Liv is charmed by the sophisticated Brit, Ron, and the two have instant chemistry. Meanwhile, Jessica and her frenemy Fab, start a friendly competition to win the affections of Dominic, the very hot bartender. Tom, Bruce and Cal are still on the hunt for some ladies, and even though Tom is smitten over Maya, he shockingly comes through and takes one for the team.
"Liv & Ron" was written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore and directed by Michael McDonald.
#3. "Bruce & Jessica" (airs Wednesday, March 12 at 9:30PM ET/PT)
Bruce is as abrasive as they come and when he sets his eyes on Jessica, a single mom from New Jersey, he thinks she's easy prey. He's very quickly rejected, but he ignores Tom and Cal's advice to abort the mission and he continues to pursue her. Meanwhile, Liv decides to indulge her curiosity with Ron, but that leads to some unexpected trouble.
"Bruce & Jessica" was written by Ira Ungerleider and directed by Adam Davidson.
Analysis:
This is a very unique show. It's something different and out of the box and having watched the first three episodes, I'm hooked. Each episode focuses on two characters and we get to learn quite a lot. I really like character-driven shows and this is a solid one. We have 10 characters on this show and while we don't know much about some of them yet after three episodes, we care enough to stick around. I really like how they focus on a "couple" for each episode but not exclusively to that couple. We get to see how the relationship folds (or unfolds). Like the couples, we enter the night as strangers and are in for the ride. The most funniest characters so far have been the three guy friends - Tom, Bruce and Cal. They bring the funny and so far have been heavily featured in each episode (maybe because 2 of the 3 episodes are theirs so far). They might be the bread and butter of the show because you root for them and laugh with them. You have the classic wimp, the classic goofball and the classic wiseguy.
We got to watch the first three episodes, so this review will be based on that.
#1. "Tom & Maya" (airs Wednesday, February 26 at 9:30PM ET/PT)
In the premiere episode for the series, recently dumped by his fiancée, Tom hasn't been out on the town in a decade. His best friends, the handsome, confident Cal and wise-ass Bruce, are throwing Tom back into the dating pool whether he likes it or not. Tom's first encounter is with Maya, an attorney who's as beautiful as she is brutal -- before long, Tom is in tears. But the night is still young and the boys have plenty of people to meet in Mix's chic crowd, including Maya's engaged friend, Liv, aggressive and sexy single mom Jessica, Jessica's gorgeous yet catty frenemy Fabienne, bubbly cocktail waitress Kacey, hot and mysterious bartender Dominic and failed internet entrepreneur Ron. As the night unfolds and closing time approaches, some people may get lucky while others are destined to spend the night alone.
"Tom & Maya" was written by written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore and directed by Larry Charles.
#2. "Liv & Ron" (airs Wednesday, March 5 at 9:30PM ET/PT)
After a chance meeting outside of the bar, the sweet and innocent Liv is charmed by the sophisticated Brit, Ron, and the two have instant chemistry. Meanwhile, Jessica and her frenemy Fab, start a friendly competition to win the affections of Dominic, the very hot bartender. Tom, Bruce and Cal are still on the hunt for some ladies, and even though Tom is smitten over Maya, he shockingly comes through and takes one for the team.
"Liv & Ron" was written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore and directed by Michael McDonald.
#3. "Bruce & Jessica" (airs Wednesday, March 12 at 9:30PM ET/PT)
Bruce is as abrasive as they come and when he sets his eyes on Jessica, a single mom from New Jersey, he thinks she's easy prey. He's very quickly rejected, but he ignores Tom and Cal's advice to abort the mission and he continues to pursue her. Meanwhile, Liv decides to indulge her curiosity with Ron, but that leads to some unexpected trouble.
"Bruce & Jessica" was written by Ira Ungerleider and directed by Adam Davidson.
Analysis:
This is a very unique show. It's something different and out of the box and having watched the first three episodes, I'm hooked. Each episode focuses on two characters and we get to learn quite a lot. I really like character-driven shows and this is a solid one. We have 10 characters on this show and while we don't know much about some of them yet after three episodes, we care enough to stick around. I really like how they focus on a "couple" for each episode but not exclusively to that couple. We get to see how the relationship folds (or unfolds). Like the couples, we enter the night as strangers and are in for the ride. The most funniest characters so far have been the three guy friends - Tom, Bruce and Cal. They bring the funny and so far have been heavily featured in each episode (maybe because 2 of the 3 episodes are theirs so far). They might be the bread and butter of the show because you root for them and laugh with them. You have the classic wimp, the classic goofball and the classic wiseguy.
The rest of the cast is good, too. Vanessa Lengies as Kacey and Ginger Gonzaga as Maya bring the sex appeal, while Kate Simses as Liv brings the innocence. Kate's character reminds me of Soleil Moon-Frye. Gotta love that voice. And for you gals out there, I'm sure you'll love Dominic and Ron. This is a young and hip show, for sure. Without giving away any of the plotlines, some might find unlikely love, some might find true love and some might not find anything...yet. This is a ride you'll want to be a part of, because it's one night and you never know what might happen at the end of the night. You'll be invested and intrigued. And there may or may not be a kiss in episode three. If so, you'll want to see which couple that is!
Conclusion:
This is a solid show. It's not perfect yet, but it is very watchable. There are clever lines that you'll certainly laugh at. There are no pratfalls or gimmicky laughs, so it might not be laugh-out-loud like the typical sitcom, but that's fine. Following Emmy-award winning Modern Family, which is a classic character-driven series, I can see why they would want to air it after that series. Hopefully fans of good writing and good characters will stick around because they might be pleasantly surprised. This series might be finally the hit following that mega sitcom. It's better than the hit or miss Super Fun Night, which relied on gimmicks most of the time. Fans of The Hangover will certainly love this comedy since it comes from the people who made that funny movie.
I watched the pilot and wanted to see more. That's always a good sign of audience engagement. I think it is the characters that made me want to keep watching. Once you watch one, you have to watch the rest. I mean, the show takes place on one night. Don't be a party-pooper and leave the party early after just one sampling. Or don't be late to the party, so tune in tomorrow night at 9:30|8:30c. This is certainly better than the other recent mid-season comedy premieres this month (About a Boy, Growing Up Fisher), so tune in America and see what we mean. Mixology is fun, fresh and will be a new favorite for many. It's like eating potato chips, you can't just have one.
Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):
Watchability: 4/5
Funniness: 3.5/5
Overall: 3.5/5
Discuss the show after you watch it on Wednesday, February 26, 2014 at 9:30PM ET/PT on our message board.
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Preview:
Jolene Purdy has been tapped as a series regular on USA Network's upcoming courtroom comedy Benched. Purdy will play Micah, an intern in the public defender's office. She joins previously announced Eliza Coupe (Happy Endings), Jay Harrington (Better Off Ted) and Oscar Nunez (The Office). This comedy is from ABC Signature and The Mark Gordon Company. The sitcom is a single-camera half-hour courtroom comedy that focuses on Nina (Coupe), a dedicated, career-driven corporate attorney who has a very public nervous breakdown after getting passed up for an expected promotion, and finds herself working as a public defender. Her personal and professional worlds are turned upside down when she joins the ranks of the legal world's underdogs and very quickly realizes that the law isn't quite as fair as she once thought. Jay Harrington stars as Nina's new colleague, Phil, a tall, dark and handsome, if not a little scruffy, public defender and avid gambler. We still do not have a premiere date yet, but as a reminder USA Network will launch new comedy Sirens next Thursday (March 6) at 10pm
Monday, January 27, 2014
Hallmark Removes Home Improvement; USA Network Orders New Comedy Benched Starring Eliza Coupe, Jay Harrington
Hallmark Channel will be making some more changes to its line-up this week. Starting Wednesday, January 29, afternoons and evenings will have some changes. From 2-4pm, Hallmark will cut out Home Improvement and move The Brady Bunch to this block. Little House on the Prairie will now occupy the 4-6pm block where The Brady Bunch was. Hallmark will keep the 6pm hour of Little House, so now the series will air from 4-7pm, gaining an additional hour. Its 7pm airing will be replaced by another Waltons airing, so that series will get an extra hour as well and will air from 7-10pm in primetime. So the odd show out is Home Improvement, as it is no longer on the schedule starting Jan. 29. The series was not airing on the weekends, so it will not be added to weekends. We'll let you know if and when it returns, but as of now, Hallmark has removed the show from its line-up totally. Stay with us for continued updates for Tim "The Toolman" Taylor and family.
USA Network has picked-up the ABC Signature and The Mark Gordon Company produced courtroom comedy Benched. The series stars Eliza Coupe (Happy Endings) and Jay Harrington (Better Off Ted) and marks the first series out of ABC Signature, the boutique division of ABC Studios. Benched is USA's first series pick-up of the year. They have already picked-up two other comedies: Sirens and Playing House. The latter was ordered to series but is still waiting for a premiere date. Sirens premieres March 6. The network also has several drama pilots in the pipeline including Complications, The Novice, Rush and The Untitled Jablonski Project. In November, USA picked up the event series Dig, an action adventure drama from co-creators and executive producers Tim Kring (Heroes) and Gideon Raff (Homeland). Benched is a single-camera half-hour courtroom comedy that focuses on Nina (Coupe), a dedicated, career-driven corporate attorney who has a very public nervous breakdown after getting passed up for an expected promotion, and finds herself working as a public defender. Her personal and professional worlds are turned upside down when she joins the ranks of the legal world's underdogs and very quickly realizes that the law isn't quite as fair as she once thought. Jay Harrington stars as Nina's new colleague, Phil, a tall, dark and handsome, if not a little scruffy, public defender and avid gambler. 12 episodes have been ordered. Stay with us for a premiere date and time.
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Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Monday, September 15
The Neighborhood - "Welcome to Pickleball" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
The new neighbors who moved into Miss Kim’s old house are keeping the Butlers and Johnsons up all night. Meanwhile, Courtney tells Marty she is going on a date.
The Neighborhood - "Welcome to the Pickle" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
The Johnsons and Butlers are curious about their new neighbors’ lifestyle and their interest raises some surprising questions. Also, Marty feels pressure to enroll Daphne in the best preschool.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of September 15)
Monday, September 15
- Frank Grillo (Battery Park) - Watch Frank on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Keegan-Michael Key (Schmigadoon!/Friends from College/Playing House/Gary Unmarried) - Keegan-Michael appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
- Zach Cherry (Duncanville/I Feel Bad/Crashing) and Pete Holmes (How We Roll/Crashing) - Zach and Pete are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Jennifer Aniston (Friends/Muddling Through/Ferris Bueller/Molloy) - Jennifer and Reese Witherspoon talk about The Morning Show on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
- Michelle Buteau (Survival of the Thickest/Bless the Harts/Enlisted) - NBC's Today catches up with Michelle in the 10am hour.
- Josh Gad (Wolf Like Me/Avenue 5/The Comedians/1600 Penn/Back to You) - Josh talks about his latest movie Adulthood on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Queen Latifah (Living Single) - Queen Latifah is getting real with Drew about women's health on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
- Sarah Hyland (Modern Family) - Sarah appears on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
- Lacey Chabert (Still the King/Baby Daddy/Family Guy) - Lacey is a guest on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:30am.
- Persia White (Girlfriends) - Persia appears on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:15am.
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05/13 - The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered)
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