Tonight two new pilots ( that I watched ) aired. The Class and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. I'll admit that at least one of them surprised me.
That is, I was unexpectedly surprised. But the real question is which one has the stuff that it takes to last? Before I start spewing forth with what I think worked, what didn't, and which of the two pilots I think have what it takes to last, I have a link to share . . .
I guess I'm not the only person who sometimes wonders which pilots will last and which won't - besides studio executives. Over at Brilliant But Cancelled you can follow the progress of your favorite ( or least favorite ) sitcom. As of the time of this writing the site was experiencing very high traffic. Additionally, I hadn't really given the site a good look over. Essentially, you can place bets ( I'm reasonably sure that doesn't necessarily mean money ) on which show will be the first to go. I haven't had a chance to create my own login yet so I can place my own bets.
The premise is this . . . A guy, Ethan ( who happens to be the late John Ritter's son ) is about to get married to a girl he met twenty years ago . . . in third grade. So, he decides to call all the people that were in his third grade class and have a reunion. So you might call it a bit of a Friends take-off. A twisted and dysfunctional take-off, but there is no shortage of tounge-in-cheek, sarcastic humor.
Among those attending the reunion are classmates who are, a depressed, pathetic loner on the verge of suicide after two difficult years. He decides to postpone upon receipt of the invitation to the reunion. Lucky for him because he finds a reason to live in one of two sisters at the reunion. She is the happy-go-lucky alternate ego to her sister - a cynical, and unemotional hardcase whom we may find with love interests with the groom. Better yet, the ex-groom as his fiance decides that his endless displays of affection ( such as love notes in her diaphram case ) are too much for her to handle. Other personalities of note are the still-at-home guy ( Duncan ) who finds his lost love ( Nicole ) has married a former football star ( played by David Keith ). However, when she finds that she could have been Duncan's Number 1, but only her husband's Number 4 ( The Superbowl, The million dollar check, and dinner at the White House being one through three ) she runs back to Duncan's arms.
I couldn't help but laugh out loud on several occasions. I admit, a lot of the humor was pretty cheesey. But the show really was a lot fun to watch. I think the writers could have left out just a couple of things for us to see later - Perhaps suspended Nicole going back to Duncan for the next episode. I'll admit I didn't really see it coming or maybe I did, but thought they would save it for later. I think this show could go either way. There are possibly endless stories that could formulated based on this cast of characters. The question is: How good will the writing be? The talent of the performers is there.
Studio 60 has more than enough drama and humor to carry it through this season and perhaps more. What's more, the combined talent of this seasoned cast is more than capable of standing up to the competition. Tomorrow night I'm planning on catching the new premiere of The Unit and the pilot of Smith.
On to the reviews . . . The Class
Remember that show, I'm sure you might have heard of it, I think it was called Friends. Well that was kind of what I expected when I first tuned in. My first thought was, "Somebody's gonna try to do a Friends clone huh?" Well, it isn't really that.The premise is this . . . A guy, Ethan ( who happens to be the late John Ritter's son ) is about to get married to a girl he met twenty years ago . . . in third grade. So, he decides to call all the people that were in his third grade class and have a reunion. So you might call it a bit of a Friends take-off. A twisted and dysfunctional take-off, but there is no shortage of tounge-in-cheek, sarcastic humor.
Among those attending the reunion are classmates who are, a depressed, pathetic loner on the verge of suicide after two difficult years. He decides to postpone upon receipt of the invitation to the reunion. Lucky for him because he finds a reason to live in one of two sisters at the reunion. She is the happy-go-lucky alternate ego to her sister - a cynical, and unemotional hardcase whom we may find with love interests with the groom. Better yet, the ex-groom as his fiance decides that his endless displays of affection ( such as love notes in her diaphram case ) are too much for her to handle. Other personalities of note are the still-at-home guy ( Duncan ) who finds his lost love ( Nicole ) has married a former football star ( played by David Keith ). However, when she finds that she could have been Duncan's Number 1, but only her husband's Number 4 ( The Superbowl, The million dollar check, and dinner at the White House being one through three ) she runs back to Duncan's arms.
I couldn't help but laugh out loud on several occasions. I admit, a lot of the humor was pretty cheesey. But the show really was a lot fun to watch. I think the writers could have left out just a couple of things for us to see later - Perhaps suspended Nicole going back to Duncan for the next episode. I'll admit I didn't really see it coming or maybe I did, but thought they would save it for later. I think this show could go either way. There are possibly endless stories that could formulated based on this cast of characters. The question is: How good will the writing be? The talent of the performers is there.
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
What can I say? The cast alone is great, Matherw Perry, Ed Asner, Judd Hirsch, Bradley Whitford, Amanda Peet, Timothy Busfield, Steven Weber. The opening story - A late night, sketch-comedy, show ( think SNL ) is in sad decline. After a sketch gets cut at the last minute an angry-as-hell Judd Hirsch goes on a rampage and hijacks the show for his own monologue. Needless to say, he's fired and the new boss ( Amanda Peet ) assembles her own, handpicked writers to turn the show around. The new writers, Mathew Perry and Bradley Whitford, two men with a history and their own problems hesitantly accept after finding that the screenplay and subsequent movie is out the door after Bradley Whitford's cocaine use.Studio 60 has more than enough drama and humor to carry it through this season and perhaps more. What's more, the combined talent of this seasoned cast is more than capable of standing up to the competition. Tomorrow night I'm planning on catching the new premiere of The Unit and the pilot of Smith.
