TBS launched a couple new comedies Tuesday. Sort of an odd time, missing both fall and midseason. Does that bode well? Read on for my Pilot Opinion of My Boys.
Lemme get this out of the way: I don’t like sitcoms. At least in the traditional, multicamera, jackassy-family-sitting-on-the-couch-trading- wisecracks kinda way. 22 minutes of rapid-fire punchlines is only somewhat more pleasant than lining up to get punched for 22 minutes.
But I don’t miss The Office, loved Arrested Development, like 30 Rock so far, and am a fairly big fan of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. So is it a single-camera thing? The discomfort comedy trend? Some combination thereof? Should I stop asking questions? Prolly yes to all of the above.
Unfortunately, the new TBS comedy My Boys proves that a single camera isn’t a silver bullet. It is not, despite being billed as such, “veryfunny.” It is, however, mildly ok. Maybe. Cleared The Pilot Hurdle by the narrowest of margins, primarily due to laughing out loud at today’s “Quote of the Night.”
The “My” is P.J. Franklin, a Sun-Times sportswriter who cannot stop acting like a guy or voiceovering everything with strained baseball metaphors. The “Boys” are her Central Casting friends who apparently do little else aside from come to her house to play poker.
The show takes place in Faux Chicago; the kind featuring random shots of Oak Street Beach runners and characters who locale-drop like they’re from Fodor’s. Lots of “what I like about the Billy Goat is” and “the traffic on Lake Shore Drive.” Fortunately no one said “Da Bears,” but I’m sure it’s not far off.
And therein lies the problem with My Boys – the whole thing feels fake. Plot, premise, performance… all of it labors under an air of unreality. The overall conceit is that P.J. is too much “one of the guys” to actually land one. A major plot point in the first two episodes is that the guy she’s into won’t sleep with her… because she’s not protesting enough. Apparently rejection is “hot.”
Complete and utter nonsense. P.J. is, in fact, a guy’s wet dream. A rockstar cute girl who looks great in a softball uni and can not only talk sports, but get you a press pass? Oh, and loves beer? Come on. One might be able to get some mileage out of plots concerning a new guy being put off by her familiarity with other guys, but as it stands, it’s another show that takes place in Bizarro world.
Can it be salvaged? Dunno. Despite the shaky characterization, Jordana Spiro is quite winning as P.J. Her boys need to evolve from a set of stock poker-playing buffoons into actual people – but the actors have decent comic timing. So far the writing’s hit and miss: solid laughs are scattered among obvious jokes, and it’s past time to lose the metaphorical baseball/love narration. We’ve heard it before – and better – in Bull Durham.
And the show’s sort of toothless. Set in a world of sports and guys, it needs to man up and push the comedy a bit. I’ll give it another week, but as the subject said – it’s not looking good.
Theme of the night seemed to be "dealing with issues through violence." Read on for my Mile-a-Minute take on a hit-and-hit Tuesday.
Veronica Mars: OK conclusion to the campus rape case. Altho it provide a bravura revenge moment for Logan, I’d love to see these things wrap up without resorting to putting Veronica in peril. And in peril from pretty minor characters, to boot. Next up – who shot Ed Begley, JR? Hard to imagine, but that sentence does actually refer to an unfortunate event.
Friday Night Lights: Was Friday Night Fights again, as Saracen and Smash almost went at it, we finally got Riggins vs. Riggins, and Street came out swinging in Murderball and took on Herc, Lyla plus Riggins (tough week). It’s always good, but this ep was kinda mixed – great date stuff, but the steroid subplot feels a bit been there.
Actually, it's worlds better than Sunday. Take that, Bangles. Tuesday's turning into a bit of an "I do have to Runday," so here're some quick Mile-a-Minute Comments:
Prison Break: The “Fall Finale” delivered, although the more time the show spends on the shadowy conspiracy, the weaker it gets. The dramatic reveal of the guy behind the guy behind the guy was sorta “eh.” Just stick to the guys trying to get away. And sending Bellick back to Fox River was fun; jailhouse rape is guaranteed comedy gold.
Heroes: It’s a classic book trick: start with your second chapter. Catch up with your characters in the thick of the action, rather than belabor their beginnings. Works wonders, particularly for origin stories. This ep showed the Heroes discovering their powers (and limitations – poor doomed Google Girl) plus we learned how (and why) Sylar’s taking them. Truly riveting television.
Studio 60: Hey, look at this – take that comedy, toss in some conflict and you’ve got a show. Best ep yet. Few things, tho – don’t tease a “shocker” that’s already a heavily-covered cast pregnancy. Also, we already saw Corinne Bailey Rae on SNL; don’t waste your 44 minutes of screen time on musical guests. And don’t waste any time on Howie Mandel.
...don't you mess around with me. Fortunately, even with the holiday, ABC soldiered on with some new TV. I'm thankful – least I can do is give 'em 60 words or so per show, with Mile-a-Minute Comments:
Grey’s Anatomy: The fit finally hit the shan. An episode that lived up to its billing without lotsa gimmicks. Well, yes, there was someone with a giant glass shard in her heart, but that’s par for the course at Seattle Grace. This show, while prone to fits of whimsy (seriously!) has evolved into one of the more honestly emotional ones on TV.
Day Break: After the pilot, the next two eps were titled What if They Run and What if He Lets Her Go. Given the huge ratings dropoff, my question is What if Nobody Watches? I think the show’s got some style and flair, although it could use a little more fun. Here’s hoping it gets to at least complete the 13-episode run.
Friday Night Lights was dark, so only one Mile-a-Minute Comment for Tuesday.
Veronica Mars: Getting picked up for only 20 episodes seems like the last gasp. I keep wanting to urge people to watch this show, but it’s not built with good jumping-on points. Last night’s ep was terrific, with campus rape case revelations and more issues in Veronica’s relationship. But I’d say wait ‘til after next week, when the case gets wrapped up.
Not a banner Monday, but hitting one out of three would put you in the hall of fame, so I guess we shouldn't complain. But I still will, 60 words at a time, with Mile-a-Minute Comments:
Prison Break: What the hell? At first, Michael believes his father beat and locked him in a dark closet, but a helpful flashback changes everyone’s mind. Mourning his dying father, he buries him in a classic TV frontier grave (rocks and a cross of sticks). Because you wouldn’t worry about leaving a trail when you've, you know, Broken out of Prison. Hah?
Heroes: Turns out “the answers we’ve been waiting for” will come in the 2nd half of a two-parter. Ah well – sweeps, right? So, slightly underwhelming, but still a hell of an episode, as The Cheerleader starts to step up and deal with her destiny. And thanks for wrapping up the return of Mohinder – overly drawn out and decidely undramatic.
Studio 60: This show operates in some sort of Bizarro world, where not only would the general public tolerate two identical sketch comedy shows airing on back-to-back nights, but a real network would be willing to hire an entire staff of writers from one of those shows to spinoff a character called Peripheral Vision Man into a sitcom. Two words: thin ice.
So to get ready for tonight’s big Heroes, I tuned to NBC early, unwittingly watching about half of Deal or No Deal. Ho. Lee. Crap.
It’s the classic trainwreck, except the passengers are 26 passably attractive clones being driven by a preening bald jester in a disco undertaker outfit. Oh, and on the side of the tracks, shrieking like feral schoolchildren, are a seething throng of lowest common denominators.Deal or No Deal purports to be a game show, but the only talents involved are shouting numbers and trying not to be creeped out by Howie Mandel. Each number corresponds to a case with a monetary amount inside. The “point” of the show is to open as many cases as possible without eliminating the big money. As the cases disappear, a mysterious Banker calls with offers to stop playing, at which point Howie struts around, presses his palms together and spits out the show’s version of “final answer,” which goes “Deal…………or No Deal?”The contestant can either take the money or go for more. A throng of hysterical jackals, some the contestant’s friends and family, urge him or her to go on.At the point that I stumbled across the show, a woman who apparently loved everything lime green took the Deal of trading her case for a lime green Escalade, while her shrewish family screeched “No Deal!” through a torrent of tears. The Escalade was, perhaps, the ugliest vehicle ever created, unless someone defecated on an Edsel at some point.She was replaced by Jim, who jaunted up on stage, executed the first of several double pounds with the grinning specter of Death – sorry, Howie – and said he wanted to act like a “big shot.” Being a big shot would, in his estimation, involve taking his family on a cruise and giving money away to a stranger. At one point, he was given $1000 to distribute to strangers in the audience, who responded to these hundred dollar bills like a heart transplant seconds away from expiration. Also, the Banker sent his Messenger out with a stepstool to prove that Jim was too short to be a big shot.As the show ended, Jim was down to a few cases and several hundred thousand dollars. The followup Thanksgiving episode promises the the train actually wrecking, plus pie, turkey and special guest Celine Dion. Sounds like there's another train on the track.
Lemme get this out of the way: I don’t like sitcoms. At least in the traditional, multicamera, jackassy-family-sitting-on-the-couch-trading- wisecracks kinda way. 22 minutes of rapid-fire punchlines is only somewhat more pleasant than lining up to get punched for 22 minutes. 
