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Mr. Robinson - Wednesdays at 9:00PM & 9:30PM ET/PT on NBC
Premieres Wednesday, August 5, 2015 at 9:00PM & 9:30PM ET/PT

by Vincent

As lead singer and keyboardist of the funk band Nasty Delicious, Craig knows a thing or two about working the crowd, but his day job is where he really makes the grade. Every struggling artist knows the drill: You've got to pay the bills while you wait for that big break. It's a constant struggle for Craig, having one foot in the music world with his band, Nasty Delicious, and having one foot in the teaching world. But if Craig wants to get the girl of his dreams and teach these kids the joys of music, he'll have to buckle down, shape up and get the funk out.

Cast Details:

Craig Robinson as Craig Robinson
Peri Gilpin as Principal Christine Taylor
Brandon T. Jackson as Ben Robinson
Ben Koldyke as Jimmy Hooper
Amandla Stenberg as Halle Foster
Spencer Grammer as Ashleigh Fellows
Tim Bagley as Supervisor Dalton

Craig Robinson (Craig) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, and singer. He is best known for his role as Darryl Philbin on The Office. He has also starred in many films, including Pineapple Express, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Hot Tub Time Machine and This Is the End.

Peri Gilpin (Principal Christine Taylor) has a long history of television credits, including the popular role of Roz on Frasier. She has also appeared in series such as 21 Jump Street, Cheers, Matlock, Hot in Cleveland, Drop Dead Diva, and CSI.

Brandon Timothy Jackson (Ben) is a comedian with a long list of film and TV credits. He is known for his roles in the films Roll Bounce, Tropic Thunder, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Lottery Ticket, Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son, and Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters.

Ben Koldyke (Jimmy) is an actor known for recurring roles on popular series such as Big Love and How I Met Your Mother. He also appeared in shows such as Back in the Game, The Newsroom, and 24.

Spencer Grammer (Ashleigh) is known for her appearance on series such as Greek, Robot Chicken, Rick and Morty, Royals Pains, and Chicago PD. She is the daughter of TV great Kelsey Grammer.

Tim Bagley (Dalton) has appeared in a long list of television shows, including $#!t My Dad Says, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The King of Queens, and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Pilot Plot:

We have watched all six episodes for review. The first two will air this Wednesday night. The plots for these episodes are listed below:

"Pilot" (Airs August 5 at 9:00PM ET)

Per a chance encounter, musician Craig (Craig Robinson) decides take a substitute music teacher gig to win over his high-school sweetheart, Victoria (guest star Meagan Good). Things don't go exactly as planned with Victoria, but he connects with the students and colorful faculty.

"Flesh for Fantasy" (Airs August 5 at 9:30PM ET)

When rock legend Neville Rex (guest star Gary Cole) teases Nasty Delicious with a possible record contract, Craig (Craig Robinson) invites Neville to speak to his class in hopes of sealing the deal. But when Neville shows up at school, Craig learns that Principal Taylor (Peri Gilpin) used to date him. And when she falls into her old groupie habits, the faculty is forced to take action. Meanwhile, Victoria (guest star Meagan Good) advises the other teachers on a good investment, but their spending habits get out of control.

Analysis:

Historically, summer has been known as a dead time for television. While everyone is busy frolicking and vacationing in the sun, the networks are counting the days until fall while filling their airwaves with contractual burn-offs and cheap reality programming. Over the past several years, though, the rise of cable and streaming services has led to summer producing just as many worthwhile TV endeavors as any other time of year – if not more. Just this summer we've seen shows like Inside Amy Schumer, Mr. Robot, BoJack Horseman, Rick and Morty, Review and countless others producing top-notch content. Even the broadcast networks are getting in on the trend, with shows like Under the Dome and Wayward Pines generating buzz equal to some of their regular season counterparts. Even on NBC, shows like like The Night Shift and Undateable performed well enough last summer to wind up getting plush spring timeslots the following year. But then we have shows like Mr. Robinson, an obvious burn-off that NBC is throwing to the wolves in the dog days of summer hoping no one will notice. Mr. Robinson has been in development for seemingly forever (NBC gave it a series order way back in January 2014) and the initial excitement over the series has dwindled as its premiere has been constantly pushed back later and later, until it initially became clear that the show had become another victim of NBC's seemingly endless comedy woes.

Mr. Robinson has a talented cast, a somewhat original premise, and some talented writers on board. It's a show that could've theoretically worked – and yet, the final product is a complete mess of a sitcom that has very little idea of what it wants to be. The show completely wastes its talented ensemble with awkward, forced lines, conventional sitcom plots that would've seemed trite even in the 1960s, and an overall sense of intensely embarrassing flopsweat. The pilot follows breaks nearly every rule of a good pilot there is – the dialogue is unnatural and horribly expository (nearly every character has a line in which they clumsily introduce their profession and purpose on the show), the characters are paper-thin and stereotypical, and everything just feels unnecessarily mean-spirited, meaning that not only is the show not funny – it's straight-up unbearable. In a way, it feels like a combination of every accusation thrown against modern multi-camera sitcoms – it's forced, it's awkward, it's not funny despite a roaring laugh track exploding after nearly every line, and everything from the sets to the dialogue to the characters themselves feels painfully artificial.

Conclusion:

Craig Robinson is a talented man, and he deserves some kind of star vehicle. But that star vehicle is absolutely not this mess, which combines all of the worst clichés of a bad multi-camera sitcom into something that honestly kind of seems like it was created to be an argument for the "multi-camera comedy is dead" crowd. (It's not, but this show will briefly make you wish it was.) It's a shame that a show with such potential was ultimately squandered, but it's also not surprising come from NBC, a network that has squandered every bit of potential it's had in the comedy department for the past five years. Hopefully the members of this show's cast and crew can take their talents somewhere where they'll be put to better use.

Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):

Watchability: 1.5/5
Funniness: 1/5
Overall: 1/5

Discuss the show after you watch it on Wednesday, August 5, 2015 at 9:00PM & 9:30PM ET/PT on our message board.

Related Links:

NBC.com Official Site

TV.com

epguides.com

Internet Movie Database

Wikipedia

Fresh Off the Boat Photo Gallery

Preview:

CBS Fall Preview, hosted by the Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award-winner Jane Lynch, star of CBS's new comedy series Angel from Hell, is a primetime special highlighting the Network's five new fall series. It will be broadcast Monday, Sept. 7 from 8:30-9:00 PM, ET/PT on the CBS Television Network, and CBS All Access, the Network's digital subscription service. In addition, the special will be available on demand across multiple platforms through Sept. 30, providing viewers with convenient anytime access to information about the Network's new fall lineup. The platforms include CBS.com (http://www.cbs.com/shows/cbs-fall-previews-2015/), the CBS App (www.cbs.com/mobile/), select CBS Audience Network partner sites and participating CBS stations' sites, as well as on demand via the Network's various cable, satellite and telco partners. Throughout the special, Lynch will introduce "first look" behind-the-scenes moments and cast interviews from each of the Network's five new series: Life in Pieces, Limitless, Code Black, Supergirl and Jane Lynch's own series Angel from Hell.

Giving audiences a chance to fully engage with NBC's new summer comedies, the network has announced Mr. Robinson will air back-to-back episodes for three weeks beginning with its premiere, Wednesday, Aug. 5 from 9-10pm ET. The Carmichael Show will follow the same strategy and air back-to-back episodes in the timeslot for its Wednesday, Aug. 26 launch from 9-10pm ET. Beginning Aug. 12, Mr. Robinson will have the benefit of an 8:00pm lead-in live episode of America's Got Talent and that strategy will continue for the Aug. 26 launch of The Carmichael Show. On Aug. 5, a World's Got Talent special will air at 8:00pm, featuring the most memorable acts from Got Talent productions from around the globe. Both Mr. Robinson and The Carmichael Show are scheduled for six episodes.

On Mr. Robinson, as lead singer and keyboardist of the funk band Nasty Delicious, Craig (Craig Robinson, The Office) knows a thing or two about working the crowd, but his day job is where he really makes the grade. Every struggling artist knows the drill: You've got to pay the bills while you wait for that big break. So when Craig finds himself short on cash, he takes a job as a substitute high school music teacher. It's an easy gig, right? Yet when he realizes that the kids think his class is an easy A, Craig's moved to inspire his students. The school principal (Peri Gilpin, Frasier) believes that rules were made to be strictly upheld. She's none too fond of Craig's unorthodox teaching style, or his crush on the pretty English teacher (recurring guest star Meagan Good, Think Like a Man). It's a constant struggle for Craig, having one foot in the music world with his band, Nasty Delicious, and having one foot in the teaching world. But if Craig wants to get the girl of his dreams and teach these kids the joys of music, he'll have to buckle down, shape up and get the funk out. The cast also includes Ben Koldyke, Amandla Stenberg, Brandon T. Jackson, Spencer Grammer and Tim Bagley.

On The Carmichael Show, from the comedy of Jerrod Carmichael and Nick Stoller comes an irreverent sitcom inspired by Jerrod's relationships with his say-anything contrarian father, therapist-in training girlfriend, ever-hustling brother and mother, who is always, always, always right with Jesus. Taking the next step and moving in together, Jerrod and his girlfriend, Maxine (Amber West, Greek), are your average young couple trying to make it in the city. They're smart, motivated and looking to build a fulfilling life together. The only thing standing in their way is family. Between Jerrod's larger-than-life brother, Bobby (Lil Rel Howery), and his smothering and passionate parents (David Alan Grier, Loretta Devine), Jerrod and Maxine will be put to the test navigating the boundaries of romance, family and sanity.

Pickle and Peanut, an animated buddy-comedy series that follows the offbeat teenage adventures of best friends Pickle and Peanut, premieres Monday, September 7 at 9:00pm ET/PT on Disney XD, with new episodes airing Mondays through October 5. Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite) stars as the emotional Pickle and Johnny Pemberton (22 Jump Street) as the freewheeling Peanut. The premiere episode will be available on WATCH Disney XD, Disney XD on Demand and DisneyXD.com beginning Tuesday, September 1. The series finds small-town teens Pickle and Peanut embarking upon their last year of high school, determined to cram in as much fun as possible before taking on the inevitable adulthood responsibilities. The two underdogs dream up plans to be anything but ordinary in their slightly bizarre fictional suburb of Reno, Nevada. The series employs an inventive mix of 2-D animation and live-action clips that highlight the unpredictable humor and quirky nature of the series.

Weird Loners - Tuesdays at 9:30PM ET/PT on Fox
Premieres Tuesday, March 31, 2015 at 9:30PM ET/PT

by Todd

Weird Loners is a new single-camera comedy about four relationship-challenged mid-30-somethings who are unexpectedly thrust into one another’s lives, forming unlikely bonds in a Queens, NY, townhouse. Starring Becki Newton (Ugly Betty), Zachary Knighton (Happy Endings), Nate Torrence (Hello Ladies) and newcomer Meera Rohit Kumbhani, the series explores the lives of these underdogs who, each for his/her own distinct reasons, are solo singles when most of their peers are well along the path of marriage and family.

Cast Details:

Becki Newton as Caryn Goldfarb
Zachary Knighton as Stosh Lewandoski
Nate Torrence as Eric Lewandoski
Meera Rohit Kumbhani as Zara Sandhu

Becki Newton (Caryn) is best known for her role as Amanda Tanen on the award-winning comedy Ugly Betty. She starred as Chloe Goodwin in Fox's The Goodwin Games in 2013. She had a recurring role as Barney's love interest, Quinn Garvey, on How I Met Your Mother. In 2011, she starred in the NBC anthology series Love Bites.

Zachary Knighton (Stosh) starred as Dave Rose in the critically acclaimed comedy Happy Endings. His first series regular role was on Fox's Life on a Stick in 2005. He starred as Dr. Bryce Varley in the sci-fi thriller FlashForward. Some of his other television roles include Parentood, Wilfred, House, Bones, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Law & Order.

Nate Torrence (Eric) played Wade Bailey on HBO's Hello Ladies. He had a recurring roles as Roman Cohen in Mr. Sunshine and as James on Super Fun Night. Some of his other television guest appearances include CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Malcolm in the Middle, How I Met Your Mother, Las Vegas, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, House M.D. and Ghost Whisperer.

Meera Rohit Kumbhani (Zara) makes her network debut as a series regular in Weird Loners. She has worked regularly in regional and off-Broadway theater, including the world premiere of Pulitzer Prize winner Ayad Akhtar’s The Who & the What..

Pilot Plot:

We watched three episodes for review. This review will be based on these episodes.

"Weird Pilot" (airs Tuesday, March 31 at 9:30PM ET/PT)
Find out what happens when a high-strung romantic, a serial womanizer, a free-spirited heartbreaker and a sheltered man-child are unexpectedly thrust into a Queens, NY, townhouse.
Guest Cast: Susie Essman as Evelyn Goldfarb, David Wain as Howard

"Weird Dance" (airs Tuesday, April 7 at 9:30PM ET/PT)
At the insistence of her mother (guest star Susie Essman), Caryn travels to Florida to tell her grandmother (guest star Renee Taylor) the truth about having broken off her wedding engagement. Once there, she cannot bring herself to do it and comes up with another plan. Meanwhile, to help Eric cope with losing his father, Zara pretends to communicate with him from beyond the grave.
Guest Cast: Susie Essman as Evelyn Goldfarb, David Wain as Howard and Renee Taylor as Nana

"Weirded Out" (airs Tuesday, April 14 at 9:30PM ET/PT)
Caryn and Zara are impressed and grateful that Stosh continues to show up with bags full of groceries to cook meals for them, Eric and himself. That is, until the women discover that he’s been cooking food the he has stolen from their kitchen. Meanwhile, Stosh owes money to a bookie and skims some of the money off of what Eric gave him to purchase a brand new television.
Guest Cast: Matt Besser as Toll Taker Kent, Jason Antoon as CooKoo Schmoolie, Toy Lei as Toll Taker Bev, Duane Shepard Sr. as Toll Taker Jimmy, Abhi Trivedi as Toll Taker Vijay, Rebecca Drysdale as Toll Taker Miranda, Eric Nigg as Toll Taker Mario, Shari Albert as Susan Quinlan, Ervin Ross as Driver, Jay Onrait as himself and Dan O'Toole as himself.

Analysis:

Weird Loners is produced by 20th Century Fox Television. The series is from writer Michael J. Weithorn (co-creator of The King of Queens) and director Jake Kasdan (New Girl). It was created by Weithorn. Weithorn, Kasdan and Melvin Mar (New Girl) serve as executive producers. The pilot episode was directed by Kasdan.

In "Weird Pilot," we are introduced to the four main characters. Caryn Goldfarb is a 37-year-old dental hygenist who is a bit high-strung. She desperately wants to be in love, but thwarts it at every pass. Stosh Lewandowski is a 36-year-old sales rep. He is weirdly self-centered. He hasn't had an intimate connection with anybody. Zara Sandhu is a 33-year-old free-spirited artist. She is unemotional and a real weirdo. Eric Lewandowski is Stosh's 34-year-old cousin who works as a toll collector. He has a sincerity and an in your face approach to life.

The pilot episode is fast-paced and provides the necessary introduction and background on the characters. The opening sequence with narration where we first meet the characters was well done. Caryn goes on a singles cruise ship and has dinner with Marty. Stosh is let go from his job as a sales rep after he sleeps with his boss' fiancée. Zara moves out of her boyfriend's apartment. Eric watches a Mets game when his father, Melvin, suddenly passes away. After Stosh is evicted from his apartment, he attends Melvin's funeral and offers to stay with Eric. Eric meets Caryn for the first time when she cooks dinner for an engagement party for her fiancé, Howard, and sets off the fire alarm. Caryn must decide on her future with Howard.

There is a nice mix of comedy, drama and heartwarming moments in the first three episodes. The scene where the group is sitting on a bench and lip-reading a couple's wedding vows is very funny. Highlights in the second episode include a montage scene where Zara and Eric hang out and when Stosh and Caryn dance. There are some funny moments and lines with Eric's co-workers in the third episode.

The cast includes three comedy veterans and one newcomer. Becki Newton played a fun character in Ugly Betty. She plays another intense and likable character here. Zachary Knighton's character Stosh is a bit of a dirtbag, but he has good intentions at heart. Nate Torrence is an actor who seems to pop into everything and brings the funny, especially with his sock puppets. Meera Rohit Kumbhani is a newcomer to television. She really holds her own here with some seasoned actors. She's somebody who should have a promising future. Curb Your Enthusiasm veteran Susie Essman, who plays Caryn's mother, has some funny lines talking to her on the phone.

Conclusion:

This has been the year of the romantic comedy, but this is an un-romantic comedy. Weird Loners isn't groundbreaking, outrageously funny or gimmicky with narration and flashback scenes. It's a character-driven comedy with some likable people. These underdog characters are relatable and easy to root for. They are people you would like to know better. The cast already has some solid chemistry in the first three episodes. It's nice to see comedy veterans Becki Newton and Zachary Knighton as regulars in another series. Meera Rohit Kumbhani's Zara character is unique on television and a breath of fresh air.

Weird Loners is enjoyable and worth watching. It has a similar feel to New Girl and Happy Endings, which I thought was underrated. The timeslot after New Girl appears to be a good fit. Fox has only produced six episodes, so there won't be much time to develop an audience. With their strong dramas and returning comedies, there doesn't appear to be much room for it in the fall. It could surprise and be brought back for a limited run, though. If you're a fan of the actors or comedies with some quirky characters, give the show a chance and enjoy it while it's on the air for the next six weeks.

Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):

Watchability: 3/5
Funniness: 2.5/5
Overall: 3/5

Discuss the show after you watch it on Tuesday, March 31, 2015 at 9:30PM ET/PT on our message board.

Related Links:

Fox.com Official Site

TV.com

epguides.com

Internet Movie Database

Wikipedia

Weird Loners Photo Gallery

Preview:

NBC has set Wednesday, Aug. 5 for a new hour-long block of comedies as single-camera comedy Mr. Robinson will premiere at 9pm immediately followed by the multi-camera sitcom The Carmichael Show at 9:30pm. In addition, new summer alternative series The Island" (May 25) will immediately follow American Ninja Warrior on Mondays at 10 while I Can Do That (May 26) will have America's Got Talent as its Tuesday lead-in at 10. Returning reality series Food Fighters (Thursday, July 2 8pm), Hollywood Game Night (Tuesday, July 7 at 10), Running Wild with Bear Grylls (Monday, July 13 at 10) and Last Comic Standing (Wednesday, July 22 9-11pm), as well as second-year comedy Welcome to Sweden (Sunday, July 19 8pm), will all come back for new seasons on NBC, which has won the last four summers in the 18-49 demo. Back to the new comedies, Mr. Robinson synopsis: as a lead singer and keyboardist of the funk band Nasty Delicious, Craig (Craig Robinson, The Office) knows a thing or two about working the crowd, but his day job is where he really makes the grade. Every struggling artist knows the drill: You've got to pay the bills while you wait for that big break. So when Craig finds himself short on cash, he takes a job as a substitute high school music teacher. It's an easy gig, right? The school principal (Peri Gilpin, Frasier) believes that rules were made to be strictly upheld. She's none too fond of Craig's unorthodox teaching style, or his crush on the pretty English teacher (recurring guest star Meagan Good, Think Like a Man). It's a constant struggle for Craig, having one foot in the music world with his band, Nasty Delicious, and one foot in the teaching world. But if Craig wants to get the girl of his dreams and teach these kids the joys of music, he'll have to buckle down, shape up and get the funk out.

As for The Carmichael Show, from the comedy of Jerrod Carmichael and Nick Stoller (Neighbors) comes an irreverent sitcom inspired by Jerrod's relationships with his say-anything, contrarian father, his therapist-in training girlfriend, his ever-hustling brother, and his mother who is always, always, always right with Jesus. The sitcom also stars David Alan Grier and Loretta Devine as Jerrod's father and mother, along with Amber Stevens West as the girlfriend Maxine. These newly released premiere dates join previously announced starts for American Ninja Warrior on Monday, May 25 from 8-10pm; America's Got Talent on Tuesday, May 26 from 8-10pm; Aquarius on Thursday, May 28 from 9-11pm and continuing from 9-10 starting Thursday, June 4; and Hannibal on Thursday, June 4 at 10pm.