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NBC has pulled second season summer comedy Welcome to Sweden off the air after two weeks. NBC was airing the series back-to-back on Sunday nights from 8-9pm, but all four airings struggled really mightily in the ratings. Repeats of Hollywood Game Night will now take over on Sundays at 8pm. In the series, Bruce Evans (Greg Poehler) and Emma Wiik (Josephine Bornebusch) seem to be the perfect couple....when she makes the life-changing decision to move back to her native Stockholm to accept a prestigious banking job after a year together, she is surprised and thrilled that he agrees to move with her to begin a new life together. Moving halfway around the world with a new love is a huge step and Bruce, with no job, friends or real clue about what he is getting himself into, is quick to face the many unique challenges and culture clashes that living in a foreign land presents. Against the backdrop of a cold, dark and icy Swedish winter, season two follows Bruce and Emma's engagement as they navigate unexpected career transitions, unfamiliar customs and meddlesome relatives. No word on if and when NBC will burn-off the remaining episodes, but it seems highly unlikely they will. Perhaps NBC.com? We'll let you know when NBC announces anything.

As part of the network's ongoing summer sampling campaign for its new original series, ABC Family will showcase the network's newest original comedy, Kevin From Work, prior to its on-air premiere on Facebook. As of yesterday, July 29, fans can watch the entire first episode of Kevin From Work exclusively on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/KevinFromWorkTV. The show will premiere on ABC Family on Wednesday, August 12 at 8:00 PM ET/PT with two back-to-back episodes. In "Pilot," airing at 8:00 PM ET/PT, after secretly pining after her for years, Kevin declares his love for his coworker Audrey in a letter, believing he'll never see her again after he accepts a job overseas. But Kevin is horrified when that job falls through, and tries to get the letter back before Audrey can see it. Meanwhile, Kevin's irresponsible sister Roxie arrives in town and ends up as Kevin's roommate.

The summer sampling strategy launched earlier this summer with Stitchers and Becoming Us and is a multi-tiered approach that coincides with the series premiere dates. The sampling tactics continue with exclusive digital premieres on Facebook (Kevin From Work) and Tumblr (Job or No Job, Next Step Realty, Monica The Medium and Startup U), screening events with magazines and websites - such as Hearst Magazines' TrendingNY, OK! Magazine, and digital media company Refinery29; free preview of full episodes on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, YouTube, iTunes, Amazon video and Google Play; previews of full episodes on the WATCH ABC Family app, MVPDs and set-top box VODs; as well as on a special ABC Family website www.ABCFbestsummertvever.com where fans can not only watch the premiere episodes but also post reviews and share across their social platforms.

Kevin From Work is written, created and executive-produced by Barbara Adler. Aaron Kaplan at Kapital Entertainment and McG and Mary Viola at Wonderland Sound & Vision serve as Executive Producers. The series stars Noah Reid (Backpackers) as Kevin, Paige Spara as Audrey, Matt Murray as Brian, Jordan Hinson as Roxie, Punam Patel as Patti, with recurring guest star Amy Sedaris (Strangers with Candy) as Julia.

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.

It's a day of happy news for two sitcoms. TV Land has renewed its sitcom The Soul Man, starring Cedric "The Entertainer" and Niecy Nash, for a fourth season. The series, which also co-stars Wesley Jonathan, has been picked up for 12 episodes. Last season, The Soul Man premiered with a live episode and saw great guest stars like Brandy, Martin Lawrence, B.o.B., David Alan Grier, Deion Sanders, Yvette Nicole Brown, Cedric Yarbrough and TV Land's own Betty White. Season four will premiere in 2015. The Soul Man follows R&B superstar-turned-minister Reverend Boyce "The Voice" Ballentine (Cedric) after he relocated from Las Vegas to St. Louis with his wife Lolli (Nash). While learning to adjust to their new humble life, they have plenty of obstacles in their way, including Boyce's brother Stamps (Jonathan), who only just moved out at the end of last season. Over the last three seasons, The Soul Man averaged a remarkable 3.19 rating among African-American Women 25-54 and a 2.65 rating with African-American Adults 25-54, posting triple digit gains over channel prime average (Nielsen, L+7, 6/20/12-5/14/14, 30 Telecasts). The series has also averaged 1.2 million viewers series to date, up +59% compared to channel prime average. It wasn't good news though for TV Land's freshman sitcom Kirstie, starring Kirstie Alley, as the network did not order a second season. The jury is still out on current freshman comedy Jennifer Falls starring Jaime Pressly.

Critically acclaimed Thursday night comedy Welcome to Sweden from Entertainment One Television has been renewed for a 10-episode second season. No premiere date has been determined, but it will likely be next summer on NBC. The series was created by Greg Poehler, with events based on his real life. The series stars Greg Poehler, Josephine Bornebusch, Lena Olin, Claes Mansson, Christopher Wagelin, and Per Svensson. This Swedish series airs on NBC in the U.S. and was picked up actually for a second season back in April on Sweden's TV4. So now America is on board, too! In the series, Bruce Evans (Greg Poehler) and Emma Wiik (Josephine Bornebusch) seem to be the perfect couple, so when she makes the life-changing decision to move back to her native Stockholm to accept a prestigious banking position after a year together, she is surprised and thrilled that he agrees to move with her. Moving halfway around the world with a new love is a huge step and Bruce, with no job, friends or real clue about what he is getting himself into, is quick to face the many unique challenges and culture clashes that living in a foreign land presents - most notably, how to win over Emma's strange and very Swedish family.

TV Land is launching a summer of star-studded programming beginning Wednesday, June 4 at 10:30pm ET/PT, with the all-new single-camera comedy Jennifer Falls, starring Jaime Pressly, Jessica Walter, Ethan Suplee and Missi Pyle; Hot in Cleveland starring Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick and Betty White, with an animated episode airing August 6; and The Exes featuring Donald Faison, Wayne Knight, David Alan Basche, Kelly Stables and Kristen Johnston, returning August 13. Kicking off the summer season will be Jennifer Falls, the network's brand new original comedy, premiering Wednesday, June 4 at 10:30pm ET/PT. The first-ever single camera comedy for TV Land revolves around Jennifer Doyle (Pressly), a former high-powered executive who has fallen and hit every bump on the way down to rock bottom. With her teenage daughter (Dylan Gelula) in tow, Jennifer moves back in with her mother (Walter) and takes a job in the bar owned by her meek brother (Suplee) and passive-aggressive sister-in-law (Nora Kirkpatrick) as a last resort. There, she reunites with her former best friend (Pyle) who turns out to be holding quite a grudge. But every cloud has a silver lining: there's nowhere to go but up.

Then, on Wednesday, August 6 at 10pm ET/PT, TV Land is in rare form with an animated episode of Hot in Cleveland. In the aptly titled "The Animated Episode," the "hot" women - Melanie (Bertinelli), Joy (Leeves), Victoria (Malick) and Elka (White) - embark on an around-the-world adventure as cartoon characters, darting through pop culture hits, including scenes with homages to Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, The Walking Dead and Frankenstein. Hot in Cleveland's new season premiered last night (March 26), with a LIVE episode and will continue to air throughout the summer. Finally, fan favorite The Exes returns on Wednesday, August 13 at 10:30pm ET/PT. Last season, Phil (Faison) and Eden (Stables) dated and broke up, Stuart's (Basche) sister Nicki (recurring guest star Leah Remini) came to town and decided to stay - much to the delight of a smitten Haskell (Knight) - and Holly (Johnston), unfortunately, saw a turbulent love life. Though chaos reigns supreme in their lives, the group is able to rely on their own little modern family.

With a summer schedule led by America's Got Talent, NBC spreads its wings to bring a content-rich summer schedule to build off strong anchor shows that also include the emerging hit American Ninja Warrior and returning favorite Last Comic Standing. Six original scripted summer series - the most of any broadcast network in more than 20 years - as well as a new original alternative series will join the line-up as the network continues to have strong original programing year-round rather than just during the September-May season. Scripted series receiving their launch dates are the drama The Night Shift, the sitcom Undateable, the dramas Crossbones, & Taxi Brooklyn, and single-camera comedies Working the Engels and Welcome to Sweden, as well as new alternative series Food Fighters. Premieres for the new seasons of Last Comic Standing (Thursday, May 22, 9-11pm), America's Got Talent (Tuesday, May 27, 8-10pm) and American Ninja Warrior (Monday, May 26, 9-11pm) were previously announced.

Premiere dates for each new addition follows:
Tuesday, May 27 (10-11pm) The Night Shift
Thursday, May 29 (9-10pm; back-to-back half-hour episodes each week) Undateable
Friday, May 30 (10-11pm) Crossbones
Wednesday, June 25 (10-11pm) Taxi Brooklyn
Thursday, July 10 (9-9:30pm) Welcome to Sweden
Thursday, July 10 (9:30-10pm) Working the Engels
Tuesday, July 22 (8-9pm) Food Fighters

And finally, moving on to some Fox spring/summer changes, they're announcing additional spring and summer premiere dates for 2014. Fox spices up summer with new seasons of Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, Masterchef and Hotel Hell; the debuts of event series 24: Live Another Day and new drama Gang Related; the premieres of dating show I Wanna Marry "Harry" and new unscripted series Riot; and the Season 11 premiere of So You Think You Can Dance. Let's get to the changes, the Kitchen Nightmares season six premiere is on Friday, April 11 at 9 on Fox. Slide into Tuesdays with the premiere of Riot (formerly titled Slide Show) on May 13 at 9:00PM ET/PT, following the season finale of Glee at 8. Then Masterchef returns for an exciting fifth season on Monday, May 19 at 8. Gritty new action-drama Gang Related will have its series premiere now on Thursday, May 22 at 9, following an all-new installment of Hell's Kitchen at 8. Encores of Gang Related will air Fridays, beginning May 23 at 9. Reality meets romance, with a little twist, in the surprising dating show I Wanna Marry "Harry," premiering Tuesday, May 27 at 8.

So You Think You Can Dance soars into its 11th season with a two-hour premiere event showcasing America's most talented dancers during the audition rounds, beginning Wednesday, May 28 from 8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT. And Hotel Hell opens its doors for a second season on Monday, July 21 at 9.